Welcome to Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University Neurology! I am excited to share with you my enthusiasm for this program and convince you about the superior training that you will receive here. Stony Brook Medicine includes Stony Brook University Hospital, the only Tertiary Care Medical Center in all of Suffolk County, and Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University , the only medical school in all of Suffolk County. One of the primary goals of the Adult Neurology Training Program is to produce outstanding clinical neurologists. I personally believe there a number of things that make Renaissance School of Medicine Neurology stand out, but applicants often ask me what is the “best” feature of our program. Hands down, the best feature of our program is our faculty and their dedication to teaching. We have a number of internationally known faculty members here at Stony Brook, and all of our faculty are completely approachable and have an open-door policy. We have a “closed faculty” system (no outside community neurologists admitting to the hospital), and all of our faculty are enthusiastic and love to teach.
There are a lot of other features that make Stony Brook special, including our strong didactic program, diverse patient population, multiple fellowship opportunities, Night Float System, and active research projects. I love that we are also part of Renaissance School of Medicine; all of our residents have invaluable roles in medical student education.
Renaissance School of Medicine's Adult Neurology Residency Program is an Advanced Program that is linked with the Department of Medicine for a preliminary year appointment for all residents matching to Renaissance School of Medicine Neurology. We have been ACGME-approved to increase the size of our residency program, and are excited that the 2015 entering class has 5 outstanding residents, and continue to look for 5 residents each year.
We are proud to be part of the new Neurosciences Institute which is a collaborative effort among multiple clinical and basic science departments here at Stony Brook University, and includes multiple specialty centers, including:
- Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center of Distinction
- NY State Department of Health Primary Stroke Center
- JCAHO-Certified Advanced Primary Stroke Center
- Inpatient Stroke Unit
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
- Inpatient Video Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
- Comprehensive Spine Center
- Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Center
- Neuromuscular Disease and ALS Center
- The Stony Brook University Neuromuscular Disease and Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence - An ALS Association Certified Center
- Neuro-Oncology Center
- Skull Base Surgery Center
- Sleep Disorders Center
- Core Neurosciences Services
In addition, we have outstanding neuro-radiology, neuro-ophthalmology, neuropathology, neuropsychology, neurosurgery, and neurovascular surgery here at Stony Brook.
We are energized about a number of exciting changes that are have occurred in the last few years. In 2012 Dr Dennis Choi became the Chairperson, and has brought a new level of enthusiasm and innovation to the department. I encourage you to read his Welcome Letter.
We have a resident research curriculum which coordinates with our annual resident research day.
The community of Stony Brook is a wonderful place to live and train. The school districts here are excellent, University Childcare services are superb, and we are close to beaches, nature preserves and wineries, as well as to the more metropolitan offerings of New York City. The University itself offers a whole host of cultural, athletic, and academic opportunities.
I am proud to be a part of Stony Brook Medicine. This is a professionally rewarding place to be, and my colleagues in Neurology are truly a second family. Our commitment to clinical teaching, research, and patient care are top-notch.
Why should you choose Renaissance School of Medicine?
Because we are a close department where all the faculty and residents know each other.
Because you will come out of our program with excellent clinical training, and the ability to go anywhere and do anything. You will also benefit from a supportive, informal, and collegial departmental environment where faculty and residents all know each other well, and the faculty are committed to your success.
Come check us out.
We look forward to meeting you!
Cara Harth, MD
Our 2015-2016 Chief Residents Welcome You
A Letter from Our 2015-2016 Chief Residents
Greetings from Stony Brook, NY!
We are thrilled that you are considering the Neurology Residency Program at Stony Brook University Hospital. We have experienced the program's diverse strengths and we would like to share with you our enthusiasm for the program with the hope that you will find it as exciting and rewarding as we have.
Thanks to our wonderful faculty and our program director, Dr. Cara Harth, we have a strong emphasis on both resident and medical student education. We have dedicated teaching conferences on all rotations, including daily morning report, resident led neuro-anatomy and neuropathology lectures as well as both neuro-radiology and gross neuropathology lectures. As residents, we have several unique opportunities to hone our own teaching skills.
There is a very collegial and welcoming atmosphere at Stony Brook, from faculty hosting monthly journal clubs at their home to a relaxed get-together with residents/fellows and their families at local Long Island events (including young ones). At Stony Brook, you will have the opportunity to work alongside experts with national and international renown and gain exposure to all neurological subspecialties. This provides an excellent network for fellowship applications across the US. As a first year neurology resident, you will be assigned a faculty mentor to help guide you through residency, aid in potential research experiences, advise you on career decisions, and even just general advice on life.
Beyond the strong emphasis on teaching, excellent professors, and diverse clinical and research opportunities, you will find residents who truly enjoy working together and living in Long Island. There is something here for just about everyone and activities for all tastes. Residents enjoy attending a number of seasonal festivals, kayaking, long boarding, line dancing happy hour, having play dates at several parks with kids of all ages, annual bowling competition (as long as we beat the Emergency Department, it’s a win!), wine tours, fall apple and pumpkin picking, camping out on the beaches, fitness/aerobics (even at the hospital), and night trips into Manhattan. The department is here with open arms to welcome you into the Stony Brook family, from our amazing neurology nurses to our secretaries to our EEG technicians, there is enough Stony Brook love to go around that you will not graduate here without meeting lifelong friends.
As you contemplate the pros/cons of residency training programs, we encourage you to apply to Stony Brook. We look forward to showing you around our area and sharing more about our program. We are confident you will be pleased with what you find and we are so excited you chose the fulfilling field of neurology!
Sincerely your chief residents,
Lauren Cameron
Lauren.Cameron@stonybrookmedicine.edu
Fernanda Wajnsztajn
Fernanda.Wajnsztajn@stonybrookmedicine.edu
Jillian Chan
Jillian.Chan@stonybrookmedicine.edu
