Child Neurology Residency Program

Thank you for your interest in the Child Neurology Residency Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

This is an extrodinary time to begin a career in child neurology. Advances in genetics, precision medicine, and disease-modifying therapies are rapoidly changing what we can offer childen with neurologic disease. At the same time, the foundation of our specialty remains unchanged: thoughful clinical care, compassion for children and families, and a commitment to understanding the individual patient in front of us.

I am incredibly proud of the comprehensive and individualized training our program provides. Our goal is to develop skilled, compassionate, and confident child neurologists who are prepared to care for children across the spectrum of neurologic disease. We also want our residents to discover the areas of child neurology that inspire them and to develop their individual interests in clinical care, teaching, scholarship, advocacy, and leadership.

One of the defining strengths of our program is its size. We accept one child neurology resident each year, allowing us to know our residents well and to provide highly individualized mentorship throughout training. Our residents become integral members of the Pediatric Neurology section, develop close relationships with faculty, and have meaningful opportunities to shape their education around their individual career goals. As residents progress through training, we emphasize increasing responsibility and autonomy while maintaining the faculty support and mentorship necessary for continued growth.

Arkansas Children’s provides an exceptional environment in which to learn child neurology. As the only pediatric health system in Arkansas and a major referral center for children throughout the state and surrounding region, we care for patients with an extraordinary breadth of neurologic disease. Residents gain a strong foundation in general child neurology while also training alongside faculty with expertise across numerous subspecialty areas and caring for children with rare and medically complex neurologic disorders.

Residency is also about more than the knowledge and clinical skills acquired during training. These five years represent an important period of professional and personal growth. We strive to maintain a close-knit, collegial environment in which residents feel valued, supported, and comfortable asking questions. Our faculty are genuinely invested in our residents and in helping each of them develop into the child neurologist they hope to become.

Ultimately, we want every resident to leave UAMS with an excellent foundation in child neurology, confidence in their clinical abilities, a commitment to compassionate care, and the skills necessary to succeed wherever their career takes them, whether in fellowship training, academic medicine, community practice, research, medical education, advocacy, or leadership.

I hope that as you explore our website, you will gain a sense not only of the breadth of training available at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s, but also of the people and community that make our program special. I am proud of our residents, our faculty, and the program we continue to build together, and I look forward to the opportunity to introduce you to child neurology in Arkansas.

Sincerely,

Erin Willis, M.D. 
Director, Child Neurology Residency Program
williserinw@uams.edu

Our mission is to train skilled, compassionate, and confident child neurologists through outstanding clinical education, individualized mentorship, and progressive responsibility. We prepare residents to care for children across the spectrum of neurologic disease while fostering lifelong interests in teaching, scholarship, advocacy, and service to the communities they serve.

Training within Arkansas Children’s statewide system provides our residents with experience caring for children and families from urban and rural communities and from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences. We are committed to preparing physicians who recognize barriers to neurologic care and who provide thoughtful, compassionate, and equitable care to all children and families, including those from medically underserved and vulnerable populations.

The UAMS Child Neurology Residency provides an integrated five-year training experience. Residents complete their first two years within the UAMS Pediatrics Residency Program at Arkansas Children’s, followed by three years of dedicated neurologic training.

During the PGY-3 year, residents complete 12 months of adult neurology at UAMS, including six months of inpatient rotations, three months of outpatient rotations, and three months of electives. This year provides a strong foundation in the neurologic examination, localization, clinical reasoning, and the diagnosis and management of neurologic disease across the lifespan.

During PGY-4 and PGY-5, training focuses primarily on child neurology at Arkansas Children’s. Residents gain broad inpatient and outpatient experience caring for children across the spectrum of neurologic disease. Inpatient training includes neurologic consultation throughout the hospital, including the neonatal, pediatric, and cardiovascular intensive care units. Outpatient experiences include both general child neurology and a wide variety of subspecialty and multidisciplinary clinics.

Meaningful elective time is incorporated throughout neurologic training and allows residents to pursue individual clinical and academic interests. Residents can use these experiences to gain additional exposure to subspecialty areas, participate in research or other scholarly work, and develop educational experiences aligned with their future career goals.

Our small program allows this training to be highly individualized. With one Child neurology resident per year, residents have close access to faculty mentors, subspecialty experiences, and educational opportunities throughout the section. 

Resident Well-being 

We believe residents learn best in an environment that supports both professional development and personal well-being. Our program is committed to creating a collegial and supportive learning environment characterized by close faculty mentorship, open communication, teamwork, and respect.

Residents have access to comprehensive wellness resources through UAMS Graduate Medical Education and Arkansas Children’s, including confidential mental health and employee assistance resources, wellness programming, and other institutional support services. We also encourage residents to maintain relationships, interests, and activities outside of medicine and to take advantage of the many recreational, cultural, and outdoor opportunities available in Little Rock and throughout Arkansas.

Caring for the communities we serve 

Arkansas Children’s cares for children and families from communities throughout Arkansas and the surrounding region. Our residents care for patients from urban and rural areas and from a wide range of geographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and medical backgrounds.

An important part of our educational mission is preparing physicians to recognize barriers to neurologic care and to provide compassionate and equitable care to all children and families, including those from medically underserved and vulnerable populations. We believe these experiences help our residents become better physicians, advocates, and leaders wherever they ultimately practice.

UAMS is committed to equal opportunity in education and employment. Additional information regarding institutional equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies is available through UAMS.

Our residents are encouraged to take an active role in the academic life of the Pediatric Neurology section throughout their training. As their experience grows, residents assume increasing responsibility not only for clinical decision-making but also for teaching medical students and junior residents, leading clinical discussions, and developing the leadership skills needed for independent practice.

Residents are also encouraged to pursue scholarship in areas that reflect their individual interests. Opportunities include clinical research, quality improvement, medical education, advocacy, and other scholarly activities, with faculty mentorship available to help residents develop projects from an initial idea through presentation or publication.

Professional development extends beyond UAMS and Arkansas Children’s. Residents are encouraged to engage with the broader child neurology community through participation in regional and national educational activities, professional organizations, and scientific meetings.

Because our program is small and continually evolving, residents also have a meaningful voice in its development. Resident feedback is actively sought, and trainees have opportunities to help refine educational experiences, conferences, and other aspects of the program. We view our residents not simply as participants in the program, but as partners in its continued growth.