Epilepsy

Epilepsy Fellowship Program

Overview

Our ACGME-accredited Epilepsy fellowship has been training outstanding clinicians and academic leaders in the practice of Epilepsy for more than 5 years (and for more than 15 years prior to that as an ACGME-accredited Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship). We accept 4 clinical fellows each year, and fellowship training may last from one to three years depending upon individual career plans and needs of the fellow.

The Penn Epilepsy Center (PEC) is a member of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers and our fellowship program provides training to individuals interested in specializing in the evaluation and management of patients with epilepsy or concern for epilepsy.

The Penn Epilepsy Center is a Level 4 Epilepsy Center (National Association of Epilepsy Centers) currently serving a growing network of 7 hospitals, with >20 faculty members, including 13 epileptologists and 4 functional neurosurgeons. We also have active clinical and academic participation by neuroradiology and neuropsychology faculty members. We have active programs in:

Epilepsy Surgery (>80 procedures last year, including phase II monitoring with stereo EEG and subdural electrodes, implantable devices, resections and laser ablations)
Outpatient epilepsy, including specialty clinics for epilepsy genetics, neuromodulation, transitioning care from pediatrics to adult, tuberous sclerosis and others
Clinical trials - medications and devices
Implantable devices, including RNS, DBS and VNS
International medicine
Quality of care in collaboration with the Wharton School of Business

Fellows have the option for additional training beyond the one-year Epilepsy fellowship. This may include an additional clinical year (for trainees pursuing a career in academic clinical epilepsy or epilepsy surgery), in-depth research experience supported by NIH-funded T32 training grants, and other combinations depending on trainee interest. Optional training in secondary degrees (Master's in Translational Research, Epidemiology, or Bioengineering) is available. Finally, Fellows may opt for a third year of research, leading to application for an NIH K-award. Those interested primarily in clinical careers can also take advantage of a wide variety of augmented training in our network in Philadelphia and abroad, and extended training at the instructor/entry faculty level, to solidify their clinical skills.

Fellowship Curriculum

Clinical fellows in our program evaluate and care for epilepsy patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (currently 8 beds) and our active epilepsy surgical program provide a means for fellows to learn how to evaluate and refer patients for epilepsy surgery and device implantation. This includes very active intracranial EEG program, including functional brain mapping. In addition, there is an active long-term monitoring/ICU EEG program which covers 4 hospitals in downtown Philadelphia, including advanced techniques such as quantitative EEG and intracranial depth electrodes for traumatic brain injury. Fellows also participate in the outpatient management of patients with epilepsy (or concern for epilepsy) by co-managing patients in attending clinics as well as their own longitudinal clinic. The outpatient EEG laboratory is very active and offers routine, prolonged and ambulatory EEG studies at multiple locations.

In addition to the above, fellows rotate at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for pediatric epilepsy and at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

A critical aspect of our program is the active integration of clinical, translational and basic research with the clinical programs. This includes active research projects related to intracranial EEG, neuromodulation, neuroimaging, genetics and others. Fellows have the opportunity to participate in these projects based on their interests.
Dedicated didactic sessions include core lectures on epilepsy and EEG followed by weekly conferences on EEG/Neurophysiology and Clinical Epilepsy. Active participation by fellows is encouraged including case presentations, journal clubs and presentation of projects. There is also a weekly Epilepsy Surgery conference where the fellows present the vast majority of patients for discussion, with active participation by neuroradiology and neuropsychology. Joint conferences include the NeuroICU and pediatric epilepsy programs.

As William Stacey, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Bioengineering at the University of Michigan, explains,

“Penn provided an ideal environment for diverse training in clinical epileptology, leading the cutting edge on many aspects of EEG and patient care. In addition, there were tremendous opportunities for funded translational research, which were instrumental in establishing my own academic career.”

Application Process

The Penn Epilepsy fellowship is now recruiting fellows starting training on July 1, 2024. The fellowship is participating in the new Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Match The New Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Match with applications accepted through ERAS. Because this is a new process, applicants are highly encouraged to send an email with their CV and application materials to PennNeuroFellowships@uphs.upenn.edu in addition to applying through ERAS.

The expected timeline for this year is as follows: