Didactics & Evaluation

Mandatory didactic sessions

All fellows must participate in the following didactic sessions during their training period:

  • Phenomenology sessions: Eight hours of live, interactive review lectures starting at Year 1 with patient videos. Topics include:
    • Tremor
    • Dystonia
    • Voice and laryngeal dystonia
    • Chorea
    • Myoclonus
    • Gait
    • Abnormal eye movements
  • Weekly sessions:
    • Movement Disorders Journal Club
    • Movement Disorders Research Seminar
    • Neurology Grand Rounds
  • Monthly sessions:
    • Movement Disorder Literature Review: Fellows discuss recent publications and core curriculum articles from the AAN Movement Disorders Section and MDS collaboration.
    • Patient Video Sessions
  • Critical review of literature session: Participate in reviewing submitted grants or manuscripts.
  • Mandatory interactive DEI training: Four modules combining experiential and didactic training:
    • D&I 1.0 – Awareness: Examining culture
    • D&I 2.0 – Understanding: Examining Unconscious Bias
    • D&I 3.0 – Commitment: Providing language to address discrimination and foster inclusion
    • D&I 4.0 – Action: Empowering proactive combat of bias and prejudicial statements/behaviors
  • Responsible conduct of research: Led by PERCSS (Program for the Ethical and Responsible Conduct of Science and Scholarship) at Washington University School of Medicine.

Additional training and educational opportunities

Fellows are strongly encouraged to participate in:

  • Aspen course: Comprehensive review of movement disorders for clinical practitioners.
  • TEAM (Tele-Education At-Large in Movement Disorders): Weekly online lecture series for movement disorder fellows.
  • Career development seminar series: Conducted by the WashU Medicine Clinical Research Training Center (CRTC).
  • Dissemination and implementation research workshop: A two-day CRTC course.
  • Brain cutting and pathology sessions: Led by the Division of Neuropathology.
  • Other seminars: Departmental and medical school seminars.

Evaluation

  • Weekly review: New patient evaluations and write-ups by attending.
  • Consultation review: All inpatient consultations by attending.
  • Rating scale evaluation: UPDRS and UHDRS rating scale reliability.
  • Periodic assessments: Supervision and evaluations by attending using movement disorders specific competency-based milestones.