Didactics

Weekly Case Reviews: Thursday’s (1–1.5 hour duration)

Each week, fellows select recent stroke cases for in-depth discussion with the stroke team, including faculty, nurse practitioners, and staff. Cases are chosen for their clinical complexity, educational value, or relevance to improving bedside and remote stroke systems of care across our multiple sites. These sessions emphasize acute stroke decision-making, neuroimaging interpretation, and systems-based learning, emphasizing critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving.

Fellowship Lecture Series: Thursday’s (1 hour duration)

Throughout the year, fellows attend formal didactics led by a diverse group of guest lecturers, including UCSD stroke faculty, experts from other departments (neuroradiology, neurosurgery, cardiology, etc.), and faculty from outside institutions. These lectures offer deep dives into key topics in cerebrovascular disease, providing fellows with expert perspectives and up-to-date knowledge that enrich their clinical and academic development.

Neurosciences Grand Rounds: Friday’s (1 hour duration)

Neurosciences Grand Rounds features lectures on emerging topics in the basic and clinical Neurosciences. For stroke fellows, attendance is required for sessions related to cerebrovascular disease, ensuring that fellows remain engaged and updated on stroke-related topics.

Fellowship Board Series: Friday’s (1 hour duration)

Fellows deliver formal presentations on assigned topics in vascular neurology, designed to prepare them for the vascular neurology board examination. Stroke faculty provide targeted feedback on presentation style, content accuracy, and clinical relevance. Each fellow presents three topics annually, honing their presentation skills and deepening their mastery of core stroke topics.

Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Board Review: Friday’s (1 hour duration)

Led by the fellowship program director, this interactive session features detailed review of multiple-choice questions relevant to board preparation. Fellows engage in active discussion around each question, reinforcing key concepts and refining test-taking strategies in a collegial, high-yield format.

Stroke Journal Club: Thursday's (1–1.5 hour duration)

In collaboration with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of Southern California USC), our joint journal club offers fellows exposure to the latest stroke literature in a dynamic, discussion-based format. Articles are reviewed in concise 5–7 minute segments, allowing for efficient appraisal and lively dialogue on current stroke management practices and emerging evidence.

Multidisciplinary Neurovascular Conference: Friday's (1 hour duration)

Fellows facilitate case-based discussions of complex stroke presentations prepared by neurology residents. These conferences bring together stroke faculty and specialists from various disciplines (e.g. neuroradiology, endovascular neurosurgery, and other disciplines relevant to the case) to explore nuanced aspects of stroke care and systems-based decision-making. The collaborative format promotes interdisciplinary learning and advanced clinical reasoning.

Landmark Clinical Trial Mentorship: Friday’s (1-hour duration)

Fellows meet with rotating stroke faculty mentors to discuss landmark stroke trials that have shaped modern stroke management. These informal sessions provide behind-the-scenes insights into trial design, interpretation, and impact, helping fellows develop the skills to critically appraise literature and apply evidence-based principles to clinical practice.

Neurosonology Series: Friday’s (1 hour duration)

The Neurosonology didactic series is designed for fellows to learn foundational concepts and principles underlying Transcranial Doppler (TCD) and Carotid Ultrasound. Fellows will learn about the foundational and advanced applications of TCD including (but not limited to): PFO (Patent Foramen Ovale) screening, emboli detection, vasomotor reactivity, cardiac arrest and brain death, identification of subclavian steal syndrome, applications in sickle cell anemia, and vasospasm detection in subarachnoid hemorrhage. Fellows will also learn to interpret TCD and Carotid Ultrasound findings confidently as they apply these concepts into clinical practice.

StrokeNet Webinars: Self-directed webinars, attended on a monthly basis (1 hour duration)

Fellows participate in monthly StrokeNet webinars featuring expert-led lectures from nationally recognized leaders in vascular neurology. Topics span professional development, clinical trial methodology, and emerging issues in stroke care, offering fellows a broad and current perspective on the field. All sessions are archived for flexible, on-demand viewing, allowing fellows to engage with high-quality educational content at their convenience while balancing fellowship clinical and research responsibilities.