Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship Program

The MedStar Health - Georgetown/National Rehabilitation Hospital Fellowship Program in Brain Injury Medicine

MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital offers an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine, with many faculty members from Georgetown University School of Medicine. Two tracks currently are available: a one-year clinical track and a two-year clinical-research track.

The fellowship will provide an additional year of training to develop skills necessary for the management of acquired brain injury throughout the continuum of care. Research is required during both the one-year clinical and the two-year clinical-research tracks.

MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in stroke and brain injury. It is affiliated with MedStar Washington Hospital Center, which is accredited by The Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and a Level I Trauma Center.

MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital participates in the National Brain Injury Match. See the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) website under “Rehabilitation Medicine Match” for additional details.

 

Diagnostic imaging scans of the brain.


Why train here

MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital has a thriving acquired brain injury practice in which all providers work together in a collegial atmosphere. MedStar Health provides an environment in which the fellow may learn in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and post-inpatient rehabilitation level of care. Fellows have the opportunity to work with and learn from civilian and military colleagues in neuropsychology, radiology, neurology, neurosurgery, and trauma surgery.

Curriculum

The fellowship is devised to train the fellow to be a trusted physician to enter autonomous practice in the field of Brain Injury Medicine.

The fellowship provides a framework for the fellow to become proficient in performing history and physical examinations; diagnosing and managing brain injury and its sequelae; and diagnosing and managing of secondary complications. The fellow will complete at least three months of inpatient rotations and three months of outpatient rotations, including one half-day per week of Brain Injury Medicine continuity clinic. The fellow will have the opportunity to rotate with specialties other than PM&R that manage patients with brain injuries. The fellowship integrates the ACGME core competencies of Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning, Communication and Interpersonal Skills, Professionalism, and Systems-Based Practice into the curriculum.

The fellow is entitled to one half-day per week of dedicated research time throughout the year and will be expected to participate in scholarly activity. Fellows will be responsible for direct patient care, orders, and documentation during continuity clinic, with direct supervision from their assigned faculty.

 

Rotations

  • Five months of inpatient rehabilitation (split according to your track)
  • One month of Neuropsychology/neuropsychiatry
  • One month of MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) Neurorehabilitation inpatient consultations.
  • One month of neurorehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
  • One month of outpatient clinic spasticity management.
  • One month of outpatient concussion clinic
  • One-half month of MWHC Neurointensive Care Unit
  • One-half month of MWHC Neuroradiology
  • One month of elective time

Fellows will be responsible for direct patient care, orders, and documentation during inpatient and outpatient rotations, with direct supervision from their assigned faculty. The fellow is expected to act at a junior staff level and provide supervision to residents and medical students.

 

Our People

Richard Zorowitz, MD
Program Director, Outpatient Brain Injury Medicine, and Research Advisor

Emma Nally, MD
Associate Program Director, Brain Injury Medicine, Inpatient Brain Injury Medicine

Heechin Chae, MD
Outpatient Continuity Clinic, Inpatient Consults

Suzanne Lin, MD
Inpatient Brain Injury Medicine

Michael Wroten, MD
Inpatient Consults

William Garmoe, PhD
Director of Neuropsychology

Jessica Clark, PhD
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Co-Director, Transitions Neuro Day-Treatment Program

Penny Wolfe, PhD
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Co-Director Brain Injury Program

Judy Zdobysz, BS, MS
Director, Quality and Patient Safety

Joel Scholten, MD
Director, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Washington Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Mathew E. Miller, MD
Program Director, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Training Locations

Rotations are available at:

 

Application Information

We participate in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). The fellowship is open to applicants who are board certified or board eligible in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) or Neurology.

 

Contact Us

For more information, please contact:

Richard Zorowitz, M.D.,
Fellowship Program Director

or

Sharon Canty,
Program Coordinator

at 202-877-1860 (Fax: 202-877-1855)

or via email at NRHBrainFellowship@MedStar.net.