Where do your residents go after completing residency?
Our graduates pursue a variety of career paths after residency. Many choose to further specialize through fellowship training, while others begin practice as independent neurologists. Below is a list of our recent graduates and their post-residency placements.
UAMS Neurology Residency Graduates 2020-2025
| Yohei Harada | 2020 | Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship Duke University – Durham, NC |
| Supriya Kairamkonda | 2020 | Neurohospitalist Indiana University Health – Bloomington, IN |
| Lindsay Malatesta | 2020 | Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowhip Vanderbilt University – Nashville, TN |
| Jolanta Marszalek | 2020 | Epilepsy Fellowship UCLA – Los Angeles, CA |
| Hisham Elkhider | 2021 | Epilepsy Fellowship Brigham Women’s Hospital – Boston, MA |
| Sen Sheng | 2021 | Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship UPMC Presbyterian – Pittsburgh, PA |
| Poorchachand Veerapaneni | 2021 | Epilepsy Fellowship Baylor Medical College – Houston, TX |
| Panna Bhattacharyya | 2021 | General Neurology Unity Health – Searcy, AR |
| Jose Ricardo Lopez Castellanos | 2022 | Movement Disorders Fellowship Emory School of Medicine – Atlanta, GA |
| Rohan Sharma | 2022 | Neurocritical Care Fellowship Mayo Clinic – Jacksonville, FL |
| Shilpa Haldal | 2022 | Neuro Critical Care Fellowship University of Florida – Gainesville, FL |
| Sahithi Battini | 2023 | Epilepsy Fellowship Johns Hopkins – Baltimore, MD |
| Naren Arulprakash | 2023 | Vascular Neurology Fellowship Johns Hopkins – Baltimore, MD |
| Zain Asghar | 2023 | Epilepsy Fellowship Case Western Reserve University – Cleveland, OH |
| Rucha Bahekar | 2023 | Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship Baylor College of Medicine – Houston, TX |
| Moustafa Aly | 2024 | General Neurology Noydeen Medical Group – Little Rock, AR |
| Shubham Biyani | 2024 | Neurocritical Care Fellowship Johns Hopkins – Baltimore, MD |
| Rebecca Pratt | 2024 | Movement Disorders Fellowship University of Vermont Health – Burlington, VT |
| Hafsa Syeda | 2024 | Neurocritical Care Fellowship Washington University – St. Louis, MO |
| Khushboo Verma | 2025 | Neuro Oncology Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, PA |
| Aaron Seifer | 2025 | Vascular Neurology Fellowship University of Florida – Jacksonville, FL |
| Abhilash Thatikala | 2025 | Vascular Neurology Fellowship University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN |
| Dhasakeerthi Thirumalaivasan | 2025 | Vascular Neurology Fellowship University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN |
| Taylor Tucker | 2026 | General Neurology Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Little Rock, AR |
| Sama Almasri | 2026 | Vascular Neurology Fellowship Washington University – St. Louis, MO |
| Hira Zafar | 2026 | Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship Ohio Health Riverside – Columbus, OH |
| Divya Nayar | 2026 | Vascular Neurology Fellowship Yale School of Medicine – New Haven, CT |
How do I apply to your program?
All applicants for must apply through ERAS and provide the following:
- Application form
- Curriculum vitae
- Medical school transcript
- USMLE scores
- Three letters of recommendation
- Dean’s letter or MSPQ
- Personal statement
- ECFMG Certification (International Medical Graduates)
Please note our program is categorical. A separate application is NOT required for the PG-1 year.
What are the program’s eligibility requirements?
An applicant must be able to carry out the duties as required of the residency training program.
The applicant must meet one of the following qualifications:
- Graduate from a medical school in the United States or Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
- Graduate from a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States or Canada accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- Graduate from a medical school outside the United States who has completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school
- A graduate who holds a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a US licensing jurisdiction
- Graduate of a medical school outside the United States or Canada with the following qualifications:
- Graduate of a medical school in the United States or Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
- A currently valid certificate from the Education Committee for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
- Be eligible to receive a license in the State of Arkansas in compliance with Arkansas State Medical Board regulations
- The ability to reside continuously in the U.S. for the length of training
- Graduate of a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States or Canada accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- Graduate of medical school outside the United States who has completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school
- Be eligible to receive a license in the State of Arkansas in compliance with Arkansas State Medical Board regulations
Do you sponsor visas?
Yes. We sponsor H1 and J1 visas. ECFMG certification must be complete. For information on other non-immigrant visa types, or if you have questions, visit the UAMS Immigration Services page, or contact UAMS Immigration Services at AskImmigration@uams.edu.
Do you welcome D.O. graduates?
UAMS Neurology welcomes applicants from both allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools. Applicants may submit USMLE and/or COMLEX-USA scores, and all candidates are reviewed using a holistic evaluation process.
What are your selection criteria?
The UAMS Neurology Residency Program uses a holistic application review process. We do not use strict screening criteria that automatically exclude applicants.
Please note:
- We do not have a minimum USMLE or COMLEX score requirement.
- We do not automatically exclude applicants based on examination failures.
- We do not have a graduation year cutoff. However, applicants who graduated within the past five years are preferred unless they can demonstrate significant continued professional development and clinical engagement.
- U.S. clinical experience is encouraged but not required.
- Research experience is not required.
All completed applications are reviewed in their entirety and considered in the context of the overall applicant pool.
Qualities We Value
When reviewing applications, we give careful consideration to candidates who demonstrate:
- A genuine commitment to neurology as their chosen specialty.
- Interest in training within a small to medium-sized academic and community-focused environment.
- A desire to contribute to a collaborative, family-oriented culture.
- Interest in living and practicing in Arkansas.
- The ability to set meaningful goals and successfully achieve them.
- Maturity, resilience, and emotional stability.
- Strong communication skills and professionalism.
- Integrity, teamwork, and a commitment to patient-centered care.
This holistic approach allows us to identify applicants who will thrive in our program and contribute positively to our learning community.
May I arrange for a visit to see what your program looks like? May I drop in to try to speak with someone?
Due to the large number of applications we receive each year, we are unable to offer informal visits, shadowing experiences, or drop-in meetings with program leadership, faculty, or residents.
We encourage all interested applicants to submit a complete application through ERAS. Applications are reviewed holistically, and candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the program.
All residency interviews are conducted virtually through Thalamus Video, providing applicants with the opportunity to learn about our program, meet faculty and residents, and ask questions about training at UAMS.
We appreciate your interest in our program and look forward to reviewing your application.
May I send you a copy of my CV?
No. ERAS is our sole source for reviewing applications. Please do not mail, email, fax, or drop off application materials, including CVs, personal statements, letters of recommendation, or transcripts. We are unable to review documents submitted outside of ERAS, and materials sent directly to the program will not be considered. To ensure a complete and fair review process, all application materials must be submitted through ERAS.
Do you offer shadowing or volunteer opportunities, observerships, externships, or research positions for applicants who are *not* current medical students?
No. The UAMS Neurology Residency Program does not offer shadowing opportunities, volunteer positions, observerships, externships, or research positions for applicants who are not current medical students.
Individuals interested in residency training should apply through ERAS during the regular application cycle. All applicants are evaluated through our standard residency selection process.
Will I be allowed to teach medical students?
Absolutely. Teaching medical students is an important part of residency training in our program, and residents have numerous opportunities to work with and mentor students throughout their training.
Medical students regularly evaluate residents’ teaching effectiveness. In recognition of excellence in education, a Teaching Award is presented each year at graduation to the graduating resident who receives the strongest evaluations from medical students. We value resident involvement in medical education and encourage the development of teaching skills throughout residency.
Do you offer “away rotations” for current medical students?
Please review the UAMS College of Medicine policy for visiting medical students.
What are my chances of being accepted into your residency program?
We receive far more applications than available residency positions, making our selection process highly competitive. Every application is reviewed individually and holistically, with consideration given to the full range of an applicant’s experiences, achievements, and qualifications.
Because applicant backgrounds and credentials vary widely, we are unable to assess an individual’s likelihood of matching or advise whether they should apply. The only way to be considered is to submit a complete application through ERAS.
Due to the volume of applications and the limited number of interview invitations available, application review takes time. We appreciate your patience as our faculty carefully evaluate each application throughout the recruitment season.
What is your interviewing schedule?
Applications are made available to programs for review each September. Our interview season is conducted virtually and typically begins in late October and continues through January.
Due to the volume of applications we receive and the limited number of interview invitations available, the review process takes time. While every application is reviewed carefully, only a select number of applicants will be invited to interview. We appreciate your patience as our faculty thoroughly evaluate applications throughout the recruitment season.