University of Alabama Hospital Birmingham Program

Program Identity & Fit

UAB's Child Neurology Residency is a five-year categorical program (2 years general pediatrics + 3 years neurology) embedded in a large academic medical center, drawing its clinical volume from Children's of Alabama—the state's only free-standing pediatric hospital and one of the nation's busiest, with over 9,500 outpatient visits, nearly 2,000 telehealth visits, and over 2,100 inpatient consultations in pediatric neurology in a single year. The curriculum is structured with substantial elective flexibility in the PGY-5 "pre-tending" year, allowing residents to pursue subspecialty exposure (neuro-oncology, neuromuscular, epilepsy, neonatal neurology, genetics) or research/QI, and the program sits within a Department of Pediatrics that ranks among the top 20 in NIH funding nationally, including an NICHD-funded Rare Disease Clinical Research Center in neurology. Call burden is capped and structured (no more than 6 weeks of night float per year, backup attending/epileptologist coverage at all times), suggesting a design oriented toward sustainable training rather than volume-driven service. The program is small (two categorical positions per year), close-knit, and explicitly emphasizes mentorship and board-certification preparation, positioning graduates for subspecialty fellowship or academic child neurology careers while also supporting general pediatric neurology practice.