Movement Disorder Fellowship

The Boston University Medical Center (BUMC) Movement Disorder Fellowship is a one-to-two-year subspecialty training program focused on comprehensive clinical care and research in movement disorders. It is integrated into the Movement Disorder Center and Parkinson Disease Center at BUSM/BMC. The program is primarily designed as a one-year clinical track, with an option to extend into a second year dedicated to advanced clinical or translational research, subject to institutional approval. Trainees manage a diverse population of patients exhibiting both hyperkinetic and hypokinetic movement disorders in New England’s largest safety-net hospital system. Opportunities for development of clinical expertise include: training for botulinum toxin injections; selection, evaluation and surgical treatment of movement disorders (including intraoperative clinical neurophysiology). Formal clinical or laboratory-based training is available in neuropharmacology, molecular biology, neuropsychology, neuroepidemiology, neuropathology, animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, neurogenetics and clinical trials. For more information please visit this website: Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders Center.  

Description of the Fellowship

Goals and Objectives of the Fellowship

1. To gain expertise in the recognition and diagnosis of movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease, atypical Parkinsonian disorders (MSA, CBGD, etc.), Huntington’s disease, Tourette’s Syndrome, tremor, chorea, athetosis, dystonia, ballism, myoclonus, tics, spasticity, rigidity, restless legs syndrome.
2. To understand the biochemical, pharmacologic, genetic, and physiologic mechanisms of the movement disorders.
3. To develop an understanding of the pharmacological, surgical, and supportive approaches used in the clinical management of movement disorders.
4. To become familiar with genetic testing and counseling relevant to inherited movement disorders.
5. To develop expertise with clinical rating scales used in the assessment of movement disorder patients, and in the conduct of clinical trials.
6. To acquire basic skills in clinical or basic research relevant to movement disorders.
7. To gain experience in the didactic teaching of movement disorders, including the effective use of multimedia modalities.

Fellowship Activities

The above goals are accomplished by a fellowship experience organized around the following areas of clinical training, research training and teaching opportunities in movement disorders:

Clinical Training

1. Outpatient management of movement disorders under supervision of Faculty.
2. Botulinum toxin injection of dystonia and other movement disorders.
3. Inpatient Movement Disorders consultations. The Movement Disorders fellows evaluate all inpatient consultations and all patients with movements disorders admitted to the Neurology service at Boston Medical Center.
4. Presurgical evaluation of Parkinson’s disease or tremor patients for deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and thalamus. The Movement Disorder fellow is in integral part of the pre-surgical, intraoperative and post-surgical evaluative team.
5. Participation in the evaluation of patients in the Parkinson’s Day Program.
6. Participation in the Huntington’s disease Clinic.

Research

1. Clinical trials: participation as a clinical evaluator in one sponsored clinical trial in which a Faculty Member is Investigator.
2. Research Project: In an area (clinical or laboratory-based) chosen by the Fellow with the assistance and supervision of a Faculty member.

Teaching

1. The Movement Disorder Fellows are responsible for organizing the twice-monthly Movement disorder conference at which research and clinical presentations from B.U. and outside faculty occur, and the twice monthly video “case review” conference.
2. Fellows also participate in a monthly Neurology resident and medical student didactic or case presentation Noon Conference.

How to Apply

Applicants must be graduates of a residency program in neurology accredited by the ACGME or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Applicants should be board certified or board eligible in Neurology.

If you are interested in applying for the 2028 Movement Disorder fellowship position, please register with the SF Match Movement Disorders Central Application Service (CAS).  Further information about the SF Match process can be found here.

Virtual interviews typically occur from May through August. Highly qualified applicants will be contacted by our program office to schedule an interview date.

Boston Medical Center offers a range of benefits and stipends all listed on the BMC web pages. Follow this link to view details.

For more information please contact:

Kara M. Smith, MD, MSCI
Program Director, Movement Disorders Fellowship
Department of Neurology
Boston University School of Medicine
karasmi@bu.edu

Fellows

2026-2027	2027-2028
Maryam Bahadori, MD	Rosalind Dick-Godfrey, MD