Neurology Residency

Each academic year, the Neurology Residency Program, through the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Saint Luke’s Hospital, provides three residents opportunities to train at one of the high-performing neurology hospitals in the country, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. We have fellowship-trained neurologists in all subspecialty areas who train residents at Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute, which is a nationally recognized leader in stroke care.

The Neuroscience Institute provides resident education in all of its comprehensive treatment centers and services, including:

• Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders Center
• Multiple Sclerosis Center
• Epilepsy Center
• Comprehensive Stroke Center and cerebrovascular services
• General neurology services
• Headache and concussion services

Program training

This residency is designed to advance clinical, educational, and research activities in the field of neurological disease. Residents will learn to diagnose and treat highly complex neurological disorders and less complicated clinical issues. Each resident will gain exposure in diverse care settings. While Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute is the primary site, residents' clinical rotations and teaching are shared with University Health Truman Medical Center. Pediatric neurology rotations will take place at Children’s Mercy Hospital, and TIA clinic experience at Research Medical Center's Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Health.

Through subspecialty training, Saint Luke’s offers a movement disorders fellowship program. Plans are underway to also offer fellowship training in stroke, epilepsy, neuromuscular, and multiple sclerosis disciplines.

For more information about the program structure including curriculum, visit University of Missouri–Kansas City neurology residency.

Achievements and accolades

• Saint Luke’s Hospital is recognized nationally by U.S. News & World Report in Neurology and Neurosurgery. Saint Luke’s has been honored for its excellence in neurology care for several consecutive years by the magazine.
• Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute is designated an advanced comprehensive stroke center and a Level 1 Time-Critical Diagnosis Center with multiple benchmarks above the national average.
• Saint Luke’s interventional radiologists open blocked cerebral arteries in 87.5% of cases (30% above national average). While our treatment rates have increased, our stroke intervention complication rates remain low—2% as compared to the national average of 2.8%.
• Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute is a level 4 comprehensive epilepsy center.
• We also have integrated programs in spine, neuro-oncology, and sleep disorders and are an affiliate of the Midwest Ear Institute.
• The Neuroscience Institute is a designated Level 1 Comprehensive Stroke Center with AHA Gold Plus and Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus recognition.

Saint Luke's faculty

Neurologists

• Sarah Gibbons, DO, Associate Program Director
• John Croom, MD
• Ronald Fields, MD
• Karl Knights, MD
• Nathan McGraw, MD
• Karin Olds, MD
• Michael Schwartzman, DO
• Michael Vesali, MD

Neurointerventionalists

• Naveed Akhtar, MD
• Jared Halpin, MD
• William Holloway, MD
• Joseph Loeb, MD
• Coleman Martin, MD

Application process

We participate in the NRMP residency match and the SF movement disorders fellowship match. For more information about the neurology residency program, visit University of Missouri–Kansas City neurology residency.

The residency program selects the best qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, religion, sexual orientation, color, national origin, handicap, or age. Upon careful review of all applications, we offer interviews to selected applicants. In accordance with UMKC School of Medicine policy, we will not interview, rank, or accept H1B applicants in the UMKC Neurology Residency Program.

Candidate requirements include:

• US citizen or J1 visa sponsorship
• Completion of an accredited medical degree
• A completed application form through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
• Medical student performance evaluation (MSPE) from the candidate’s medical school
• Recommendation letters from three faculty members
• Medical school transcripts
• Personal statement
• ECFMG certification, if applicable
• For osteopathic applicants, we accept results of COMLEX and/or USMLE exams

About Kansas City

Saint Luke’s is proud to call Kansas City home. With locations on both sides of the state line, the health system serves more than 2.1 million people and 240 neighborhoods in Kansas and Missouri. USA Today has regularly named Kansas City a top area for affordability, high-quality schools, and low traffic. Learn more at visitkc.com.