Epilepsy Fellowship
Mission & Vision
Through advanced structured training and gold-standard, cutting-edge clinical practice, we seek to help develop well-rounded, accomplished epileptologists who will continue our mission of improving patient care and quality of life.
Mission & Vision
Through advanced structured training and gold-standard, cutting-edge clinical practice, we seek to help develop well-rounded, accomplished epileptologists who will continue our mission of improving patient care and quality of life.
Program Director’s Welcome
The University of Miami/Jackson Health System Epilepsy Fellowship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and includes one year of training during which the trainee will develop the necessary skills to diagnose, evaluate and treat patients with epilepsy. This includes the clinical management of both inpatients and outpatients, as well as the interpretation of routine and prolonged EEGs. We also encourage fellows to take advantage of the diverse research opportunities at the University of Miami’s Level IV UHealth International Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
During the rotations at Jackson Memorial Hospital and UHealth Tower, a University of Miami Hospital and Clinics Facility, the fellows are exposed to a diverse population and heterogeneous pathology. Due to our South Florida location, our International Comprehensive Epilepsy Center sees some of the most complex epilepsy patients from across the state and internationally, with many coming from different countries, including Central and South America, in order to receive world-class epilepsy care.
Program Director’s Welcome
The University of Miami/Jackson Health System Epilepsy Fellowship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and includes one year of training during which the trainee will develop the necessary skills to diagnose, evaluate and treat patients with epilepsy. This includes the clinical management of both inpatients and outpatients, as well as the interpretation of routine and prolonged EEGs. We also encourage fellows to take advantage of the diverse research opportunities at the University of Miami’s Level IV UHealth International Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
During the rotations at Jackson Memorial Hospital and UHealth Tower, a University of Miami Hospital and Clinics Facility, the fellows are exposed to a diverse population and heterogeneous pathology. Due to our South Florida location, our International Comprehensive Epilepsy Center sees some of the most complex epilepsy patients from across the state and internationally, with many coming from different countries, including Central and South America, in order to receive world-class epilepsy care.
This fellowship supports aspiring neurologists with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for subspecialty practice and/or a research or teaching career in epilepsy. We produce expert board-eligible clinicians who deliver high-quality, patient-centered care, and, at the same time, we foster an academically minded work environment where inquisitiveness is part of everyday practice.
-Naymee Velez-Ruiz, MD
Description
This fellowship supports aspiring neurologists with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for subspecialty practice and/or a research or teaching career in epilepsy. We produce expert board-eligible clinicians who deliver high-quality, patient-centered care, and, at the same time, we foster an academically minded work environment where inquisitiveness is part of everyday practice.
-Naymee Velez-Ruiz, MD
Fast Facts
Accreditation
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
Number of Fellows per Year?
2
Duration of Fellowship?
1 year
Clinical Experience
Year 1
Fellows have extensive exposure to cortical mapping procedures, intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedures (also known as the Wada test), intracranial EEG interpretation and intraoperative electrocorticography. Clinical instruction emphasizes diagnostic and clinical management of patients undergoing diagnostic and/or pre-surgical continuous video EEG at the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, as well as critically ill patients being evaluated with long-term video EEG at the neurology intensive care unit.
The Epilepsy Fellowship is divided into five main rotations, and how much time the fellows spend in each one is determined by ACGME requirements and the individual fellow’s interests.
Rotations
UHealth Tower
During the rotation at the UHealth Tower Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, fellows take care of patients undergoing diagnostic and/or pre-surgical evaluation with phase I and II continuous video EEG. During this rotation, fellows learn to perform and interpret cortical mapping procedures, intracranial EEG studies and intraoperative electrocorticography.
Jackson Memorial Hospital
The rotation at Jackson Memorial Hospital involves reading and interpreting the long-term video EEG studies of critically ill patients in the neurology intensive care unit. During this rotation, fellows learn to diagnose and treat complex patients with subclinical seizures and status epilepticus along with the NICU team.
Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Trainees also rotate through the VA Medical Center where they take care of veterans in the outpatient clinical setting as well as in the inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit. During this rotation, fellows learn about post-traumatic epilepsy, psychiatric comorbidities of epilepsy and cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of some of these comorbidities.
Outpatient Clinics at UHealth at The Professional Arts Center/Jackson Memorial Hospital Outpatient Center
During this outpatient rotation, fellows participate in clinics with different attending epileptologists and learn to diagnose and treat patients with epilepsy, including reading outpatient routine EEGs with the different attending epileptologists. Some of the clinics’ fellows have exposure to include the “first seizure clinic” (for patients with new-onset seizures), the “intractable epilepsy clinic,” “pregnancy and epilepsy clinic,” the “Epilepsy Foundation clinic” and the “NeuroPace or Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) clinic.”
Research/Elective Rotation
Fellows have the opportunity to do a research and/or elective rotation. Some of the electives available to fellows include: intraoperative monitoring, neuroradiology and sleep. During the first month of training, fellows participate in an introductory epilepsy course consisting of a one-and-a-half-hour didactic session every day for eight weeks. This is followed by a one-hour didactic session every Tuesday during which the following formats can include: case presentations, formal talks on interdisciplinary topics, journal club and research project presentations. The fellows also participate in other interdisciplinary conferences every week including EEG reading with the Jackson Memorial Hospital Neurology Consult team on Wednesdays and cvEEG reading with the Jackson MemorialNICU team every Thursday.
Your Faculty
Marcela Coutts, MD
Assistant Professor, Clinical Neurology
Kamil Detyniecki, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Andres M. Kanner, MD
Chief, Epilepsy Division
Director, International Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Professor, Clinical Neurology
Maria R. Lopez, MD
Associate Professor, Neurology
Co-Director, Epilepsy Center for Excellence, Bruce W. Carter Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Merridith Lowe, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Alessandra Milesi-Halle, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Clinical Pediatric Neurology
Alyssa Pensirikul, MD
Assistant Professor, Clinical Neurology and Pediatrics
Gustavo J. Rey, PhD
Associate Professor, Clinical Neurology
Leticia Tornes, MD
Associate Professor, Clinical Neurology
Associate Vice-Chair, Graduate Medical Education
Director, Neurology Residency Program
Naymee J. Velez-Ruiz, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Director, Epilepsy Fellowship Program
Alumni Placements Include:
Access Physicians
Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix
Middlesex Health
University of Arizona College of Medicine
UT Health Science Center at Houston
Various private practices
Alumni Placements Include:
Access Physicians
Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix
Middlesex Health
University of Arizona College of Medicine
UT Health Science Center at Houston
Various private practices
Notable Alumni
Joshuae Gallardo
2015
Tele-Neurologist, Access Physicians
Monika Prasa
2016
Neurologist, Middlesex Health
Ai Sumida
2017
Assistant Professor, UT Health Science Center at Houston
Alan Wang
2018
Associate Program Director, University of Arizona College of Medicine
Clinical Assistant Professor, Banner – University Medical Center, Phoenix
Joshuae Gallardo
2015
Tele-Neurologist, Access Physicians
Monika Prasa
2016
Neurologist, Middlesex Health
Ai Sumida
2017
Assistant Professor, UT Health Science Center at Houston
Alan Wang
2018
Associate Program Director, University of Arizona College of Medicine
Clinical Assistant Professor, Banner – University Medical Center, Phoenix