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Letter from the Chief Resident
 | Tacjana Friday, M.D.
Chief Resident |
As Administrative Chief Resident, I would like to welcome you to the Department of Neurology at the University of Minnesota. Thank you for your interest in our program. I would like to take a moment to introduce you to our program and tell you what Minneapolis has to offer. The Neurology Residency at the University of Minnesota has a substantial depth to our program. Each attending neurologist has his/her particular area of interest and expertise, which offers a diversity of teaching and clinical styles in our training. There is also a strong representation of most subspecialties. Among the significant strengths of our program is the devotion of the faculty to teaching and patient care. The diversity of the patient population and clinical experiences provided at our teaching hospitals, which include Hennepin County Medical Center (Level 1 Trauma Center), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview gives us hands on experience and offers a variety of unique and challenging cases. In addition, we have a weekly continuity clinic, weekly grand rounds, strong didactic series, joint weekly conferences with Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology at UMMC and HCMC and every two weeks with Neuropathology at HCMC, M&M conference, subspecialty conferences in Stroke, Neuromuscular and Epilepsy, professor rounds with our chairman and journal club. We also have a Residency Director, Dr. Langendorf, and Associate Program Director, Dr. Walk, who are both great mentors, dedicated to continued improvement in didactics within our training program, are receptive to change, and are strong advocates for the residents. For example, this year we have implemented a night float system at the University of Minnesota to decrease the call and allow for better patient care. We have also restructured the curriculum in Clinical Neurophysiology with a total of 4 blocks during the residency to allow us to focus on reading EEGs and managing the VEEG patients, as well learn the essentials of performing EMGs and nerve conduction studies. With the goal of improving didactics and enhancing our clinical training and knowledge, our program is extremely flexible and accommodating to the needs of the residents. Last of all, one of our greatest strengths is the close relationship we have with our fellow residents as both colleagues and good friends. Throughout the year we plan several fun activities with residents, spouses and families. The vivacious and energetic personalities, combined with our diligent work ethic and dedication makes our group of outstanding residents a pleasure to work with. Minneapolis is a large metro area with a lot to offer and is a wonderful place to live. It is a progressive city that sits on one side of the Mississippi River with diverse culture encompassing the arts, theatre, and museums. Minnesota has been known as one of the “best places to live”. Minneapolis is a place where the number of theaters per capita is second in the US only to New York City. Broadway musicals and dramas can be seen at venues such as the Guthrie or Orpheum Theatre. Minneapolis has a repertoire of museums with renowned exhibits in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Walker Art Center, and the Bell Museum of Natural History. If you enjoy shopping, the Mall of America is one of the largest retail and entertainment centers with over 500 stores. There are also many terrific nightlife options in the Downtown Warehouse District, Uptown areal or downtown St. Paul. Live music continues to be a major component of the nightlife in Minneapolis with a variety of nightclubs, bars and restaurants to enjoy. Minnesota residents enjoy the four seasons and a multitude of sports. There are 22 lakes within the city limits of Minneapolis providing bike and running trails, water activities, beaches and fun family activities. There is something going on almost every week in Minneapolis between May and October, from farmers' markets, food and wine events, and block parties to marathons, outdoor concerts and art festivals. In fall and winter, residents enjoy activities such as local corn mazes and hayrides around Halloween, Macy's Holidazzle Parade in December and the St. Paul Winter Carnival in January. In winter, the lakes and parks are ideal for ice skating, ice fishing or sledding. Cross-country and downhill skiing is another favorite winter activity of many residents. I hope the above the information will be useful to you in the process of applying for your residency or fellowship, and I hope you will consider us for your future training. If you have any questions, I encourage you to contact us to learn more about our program. I look forward to meeting you and your families in the future.
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