Residency Program
Section of Neurology
Introduction
Education is the major mission of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research
Centre, and the Neurology Residency Training Program is a major priority of the Section
of Neurology. Our program is fully accredited for all 2 years by the Saudi Council of
Health Specialties. We accept 2 residents per year. Our goal is to train clinical
neuroscientists: individuals who provide expert patient care and who understand basic
and clinical neurosciences.
In addition to emphasizing education, neurology staff are active in clinical care and
research. As a result of this exposure, graduates of the program are prepared for both
private clinical practice and academic neurology careers.
The neurology staff values teaching as an exchange of ideas, and as an activity that
promotes interaction and inquiry among faculty and residents. Formal and informal
interaction between faculty and residents is encouraged.
For further information, contact:
Fahmi Al-Senani, MD fsenani@kfshrc.edu.sa
Admission Requirements
All applicants must be processed through Academic and Training Affairs (ATA)
Applicants to the four year residency program (1year internal medicine + 3 years
Neurology) must have passed the admission test supervised by the Saudi Council for
Health Specialties.
Internal Medicine Year (R-1)
The first year of residency training is general internal medicine. The internship rotations
satisfy the requirements of the Saudi Council for Health Specialties. The neurology
residency program director works closely with the internal medicine program director to
coordinate the internship year.
First-Year Neurology (R-2)
The first year of neurology training is well supervised and emphasizes experience on the
inpatient neurology wards in F-2. Neurology faculty make attending rounds and directly
supervise neurology residents on the inpatient ward services. Residents will do 3 month
rotations in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) and 3 months of in-patient consultations.
First year residents attend 2 one half-day neurology clinic per week throughout the first
year.
Second Year Neurology (R-3)
During the second year of neurology training, residents will supervise the inpatient service
as senior residents for 3 months. Another 3 month rotation will be spent on the inpatient
consultation service. The neurology consultation services provide consultation emergency
room and to the inpatient medical and surgical services. Neurology residents round daily
with the consultant and supervise the consult team, which may include medical and 1 st
year neurology residents. Three months will be spent in the Neurophysiology department
and another 3 months will be spent in Pediatric Neurology.
Second year neurology residents continue to attend a two half-day neurology clinics per
week.
Third Year Neurology (R-4)
During the third year of neurology training, residents will supervise the inpatient service as
senior residents for 3 months. Another 3 month rotation will be spent on the inpatient
consultation service. Three months will be spent in the psychiatry department, 1 in
radiology, 1 in pathology and one elective of the resident choice.
Third year neurology residents continue to attend a two half-day neurology clinics per
week.
Outpatient Clinics
Residents rotate through a variety of general and subspecialty neurology outpatient clinics
throughout the 3 years. First year neurology residents spend two half-day per week in a
general neurology clinic. Second and third year neurology residents spend one half-day
per week in a subspecialty neurology clinic, and another half-day in a general neurology
clinic. Residents evaluate new patients appropriate to the subspecialty clinic and also
continue to follow patients seen in previous clinic rotations. Neurology faculty attendings
are present at all clinics to staff patients with residents. Faculty are also seeing patients in
the same subspecialty clinics and will involve the residents in teaching exercises over the
course of the clinic. Patients with a wide variety of common and uncommon neurological
disorders are seen in these clinics.
Teaching Conferences
A variety of clinical and teaching conferences for residents and faculty are scheduled each
week. Neuroscience Grand Rounds and Case Presentations are held weekly in the
Postgraduate Center, and are attended by faculty and residents from the sections of
Neurology, Neurosurgery, Pediatric Neurology, Psychiatry, and Neurophysiology.
A Neuroradiology conference is held weekly to review neuroimaging studies. Relevant
teaching cases and films are included in this conference.
A Neuropathology conference is held weekly, which includes clinical case presentations
and review of biopsy material.
Morning report is held thrice weekly with the residents. This conference is faculty-run, and
inpatients and consultations seen by the residents during the on-call hours are reviewed
with the Department Chairman and another faculty attending.
A weekly clinical Wednesday morning conference attended by faculty, residents, and
students reviews clinical topics.
A monthly Morbidity and Mortality conference is held to review patient care issues for the
neuroscience inpatient services.
A weekly noon clinical Neuroscience Lecture Series designed specifically for the residents
runs throughout the 3 years of residency. Speakers from throughout the hospital present
units on neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, and neuropathology in a
series of 60 minute lectures. This lecture series provides a valuable supplement to selfstudy in the basic neuroscience material necessary for Neurology board certification.
A weekly Journal Club for residents is facilitated by faculty members.
Epilepsy case conference is held every Tuesday morning. Residents are encouraged to
present cases. An interactive discussion from the neurology, neurophysiology and
neurosurgery sections follows each case presented.
A weekly Chapter Review, every Tuesday afternoon, encourages the residents to read
and present basic Neuroanatomy and common neurological disorders. This activity is
supervised by the chief resident and director of the residency training program.
Our Current And Past Residents
Current
R1
R2
Areej Bushnaq
Jameela Saeedi
R3
Eman Naseem
Maher Abduldaim
Tariq Abalkhail
R4
Iftetah Hamoud
Chief Residents
Salah Baz
Najeeb Qadi
Past
Thamer Khairallah