Residency is a time to learn through immersive experience, to develop independence, and to formulate a vision for your own path as a child neurologist. The program at WashU provides all of these elements: a busy clinical service of diverse and complex patients through the age spectrum, daily teaching from experts across the field of neurology, opportunities to teach medical students and fellow residents, and the chance to join research projects. Friendships I formed with my co-residents through call nights, shared holiday dinners, and outings in and around St. Louis have lasted well beyond my time at WashU, and faculty mentors have become not only colleagues, but friends. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity during my 5th year to travel to Myanmar with Dr. Mar to join her research project and to teach in Yangon Children’s Hospital, and for the mentors in both pediatric and adult neurology who helped me to develop my interests in neuromuscular diseases and neurogenetics.
Alex Fay MD,PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, UCSF
My name is Alexa Craig and I am the first graduate (2012) of the unaccredited Neonatal Neurology fellowship program at Washington University/St. Louis Children’s Hospital. I did my Child Neurology training at the University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital. When I left St. Louis to come home to Maine to build a Neonatal Neurology Program, everyone in St. Louis wondered if my NICU even had electricity. All jokes, aside, the fantastic training and mentorship I received from my fellowship year in St. Louis was the key to success in all aspects of my career. Coming from a program as highly regarded at the WashU program allowed me to be viewed as an authority in my field and opened doors for program building and research. I am now employed 50% for clinical neonatal neurology and cerebral palsy and 50% for research with active studies ongoing to try to decrease health care disparities for newborns delivered in rural community hospitals. I have become a regional expert in neonatal neurology and have had a KL2 career development award and several loan repayment program awards. I truly believe that all this evolved from the fabulous training I received from the WashU Pediatric Neurology Department.
Alexa K. Craig, MD MSc MS
Neonatal and Pediatric Neurology
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Tufts University School of Medicine
I was lucky enough to find WashU through another alumnus of the pediatric neurology program. He fondly recalled his collegial relationships with faculty and strongly encouraged me to apply because of the breadth of the faculty expertise. I am certainly glad I listened to his advice! Clinical rotations prepared me for a broad variety of situations. I honed my ability to interpret research–particularly as it relates to caring for patients, which has always been my primary passion. While the rigor of the training is undisputed, what I value most about my experience at WashU is that I was challenged to grow in a *supportive* environment. I know I can still always reach out to my old mentors if I ever need it (and I certainly have) I will always be grateful for my WashU “family.”
Kit Meddles, MD, Rocky Mountain Pediatric Neurology & Sleep Medicine