Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Fellowship
The VA Special Fellowship Program in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders provides two years of post-residency research, education, and clinical learning opportunities to eligible neurologists beginning each year in July.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work with over 10 movement disorder trained faculty members, a robust neurosurgical program highlighting Deep Brain Stimulation and Focused Ultrasound treatments, the Portland VA PADRECC, and research faculty. Fellows are important members of our staff, enhancing clinical practice, conducting research, and teaching medical students, residents, patients, and their families about movement disorders.
Rotations at the Portland VA Medical Center and OHSU Department of Neurology offer clinical exposure to a large volume of patients with:
- Parkinson's Disease
- Dystonia
- Huntington's disease
- Other movement disorders
Overview of curriculum
Fellows will initially receive formal orientation to the Portland VA Medical Center, PADRECC, and VHA including VA information systems and telemedicine programs. Fellows’ clinical training will consist of formal didactic training including assigned reading; mentored, hands-on experience working in multidisciplinary movement disorder clinics; and clinical rotations through other specialized movement disorder clinics serving a variety of patient populations.
Concurrently, fellows will participate in formal didactic training in methodologies of clinical research in the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Human Investigator Program (HIP). Fellows will conduct one or more mentored research projects and will gain experience preparing a protocol, as well as writing a paper either resulting from their studies or a review article.
Clinical exposure
Fellows will participate in three to four half-days of movement disorder clinics a week that will expose them to the breadth of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders (including atypical parkinsonism syndromes, dystonia, tics, essential tremor, Huntington’s disease and more).
Fellows will also participate in approximately three half-days of botulinum toxin injection clinics and three half-days of deep brain stimulation (DBS) programming clinics each month.
Fellows also have the opportunity to rotate through any of our sub-specialty clinics which include:
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Clinic
- Huntington's Disease Clinic
- Palliative Care Clinic
- Virtual Clinics in 2nd year
- Complex Gastrointestinal Clinic
- High-intensity Focused Ultrasound
Mentored research
Fellows can choose between basic research and clinical research projects (most do clinical research). Fellows will be involved in ongoing projects or given an academic project such as writing a case report, or writing a review paper.
Each fellow will develop their own project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. This research project will also be used in the Human Investigations Program (HIP). Dr. Marian Dale will meet with the fellows as a group monthly to review general aspects of research, keep them apprised of upcoming deadlines and review their progress.
All movement disorder faculty members are available for research mentoring, but fellows may also utilize faculty from other divisions and departments within the Portland VA and OHSU and many develop mentorship teams.
Fellows will meet with their mentors at minimum once a month to discuss progress and other research topics. Fellows will also be part of a multi-center or industry sponsored trial, generally serving as a rater, to get exposure to this type of research.
Application
Our application process goes through SF Match; application requirements are included there.
In general, we look to review a CV, three letters of recommendations, and a personal statement. All interviews are conducted virtually, but all candidates are invited to visit the OHSU campus (a stipend is provided for travel).
Questions?
If you have questions, please contact fellowship director Amie Hiller and fellowship co-director Lee Neilson.