USC Vascular Neurology Fellowship

The University of Southern California Stroke Program offers a comprehensive, ACGME-accredited, 1-year fellowship in Vascular Neurology.

Goals and Objectives of the Fellowship

Provide quality care to both inpatients and outpatients with vascular neurologic disorders. Gain an understanding of the process of clinical research in vascular neurology and become skilled at critical evaluation of stroke literature. Learn from the diverse neurologic disorders seen in various patient populations. Gain proficiency with the acute treatment of vascular neurologic emergencies. Develop expertise in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of vascular neurologic disorders. Develop an expertise in Neurosonology. Acquire skills to teach neurology to medical students, interns, and neurology residents.

How to Apply

2025-2026 Interested Applicants can apply for the Vascular Neurology Fellowship through the ERAS website. The program participates in the NRMP match.

Please visit: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-fellowships-eras/applying-fellowships-eras

For more information and help applying, please contact Asima Kachroo, our Fellowship Coordinator, at kachroo@usc.edu.

Curriculum

Fellows receive training in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction, transient brain ischemia, brain hemorrhage, and all of the following areas of Vascular Neurology:

Cardiogenic brain embolism
Large vessel extracranial cerebral atherosclerosis
Large vessel intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis
Aortic arch cerebral and spinal embolism
Small cerebral artery occlusive disease (i.e. lacunar strokes)
Hemodynamic brain ischemia
Migraine
Hereditary and acquired hypercoagulable states, including antiphospholipid antibody syndromes Disseminated intravascular coagulation, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, other hematological disorders
Substance abuse and drug toxicities
Hypertensive encephalopathy/Posterior Reversible Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome
Cervical artery dissection
Non-atherosclerotic vasculopathies including genetic/idiopathic (i.e. Moya-moya), inflammatory (i.e vasculitis), and infectious Radiation vasculopathy
Cerebral venous thrombosis
Genetic and metabolic disorders
Intracerebral hemorrhage
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Subdural hematomas/epidural hematomas
Spinal cord infarction
Complications of vascular disease, including raised intracranial pressure, infections, and deep venous thrombosis
Management of extraventricular drains
Indications for surgical management of brain ischemia and hemorrhage
Vascular malformations
Air/fat embolism
Stroke in malignancy, immunosuppression, and as a consequence of systemic illnesses/conditions

Fellows also receive training in the assessment and management of critically ill vascular neurology patients including those with stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, raised intracranial pressure, and patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia, among others. Fellows can participate in pre- and post-op management of neurosurgical and endovascular patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, Moya-Moya disease, and other vascular diseases.

Benefits

The salary is based on standard pay scales for the PGY level. Any presentations at national meetings will be sponsored by the program. There is 4 weeks paid vacation (20 working days).
Paid Membership to HSC Fitness Center.

Rotations

The fellowship consists of clinical rotations on the inpatient stroke service, outpatient stroke clinic including electives and protected research time. Keck Hospital of USC, Los Angeles General Medical Center, and Kaiser Medical Center of Los Angeles serve as sites for the vascular fellowship. The diverse patient population of each center offers a unique learning opportunity for learning. The fellowship can be geared towards the individual interests of the fellow; research mentorship is available to those who want to explore clinical or basic science research. Fellows are Board eligible for Vascular Neurology from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. upon completion of the fellowship.

Keck Medicine of USC

Training at Keck Medical Center of USC gives the fellow experience with private patient in a major tertiary and quaternary hospital. At the Keck Medical Center of USC, teaching rounds are held daily on the Stroke Neurology service. The Stroke Neurology service is a part of the primary ward and neurocritical care team for patients with stroke assigned to the neurology service and the primary consult team for patients with stroke on other services. The Stroke Neurology team making attending rounds consists of: the Vascular Neurology/Neurocritical Care Attending, the Vascular Neurology Fellow, a PGY3 General Neurology Resident, a PGY2 General Neurology Resident, and 2 medical students. New vascular neurology admissions are presented to the attending. The Vascular Neurology Fellow will become familiar with all aspects of the individual stroke patient’s care. Presentations are performed for previously admitted patients. Vascular Neurology Fellows provide 24-hour coverage of the acute Stroke Neurology service, and, response to sudden change in patient condition, and new inpatient consultations.

Los Angeles General Medical Center

Training at Los Angeles General Medical Center provides Fellows with experience in a large urban institution that provides care and serves as a safety net for the underserved residents of Los Angeles County. At Los Angeles General Medical Center, stroke and transient ischemic attack patients are admitted to the 20 bed dedicated Stroke Unit/Neuroscience Intensive Care and Observation Unit (Unit 4C). The Stroke Unit is contained within the Neuroscience Intensive Care and consists of private rooms, each equipped with cardiac telemetry and staffed by dedicated Neuroscience nurses. Outpatients are seen in the Neurology Clinic which is equipped with 20 examination rooms and appropriate clinic support staff. Los Angeles General Medical Center has 24/7 multimodal imaging with CT scan and imaging with MRI. A library, cafeteria and private, safe on-call rooms are on-site. The library subscribes to Stroke and has ample Vascular Neurology textbooks. Vascular Neurology fellows provide 24-hour coverage of the acute Stroke Neurology service, and response to sudden change in patient condition, and new inpatient consultations.

Kaiser Medical Center of Los Angeles

At the Kaiser Medical Center of Los Angeles, Fellows rotate on the inpatient stroke consults service, which includes rounding in the stroke unit, Neuro ICU, CCU and ICU. Transcranial Doppler Interpretation, tele-stroke examination, and a one half day of weekly stroke continuity clinic are incorporated into the rotation. The goal of the stroke service rotation is to provide Fellows with an educational and hands on patient care experience in Vascular Neurology as well diagnosis and management of common and more complex cerebrovascular problems.