Neurology Residency Program

Welcome letter

Welcome to the new Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside School of Medicine Neurology Residency Program! The RCH Neurology Residency Program is a four-year categorical program that matriculates three residents per year.

We are located in sunny Inland Southern California, just east of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. RCH is a tertiary regional referral center for stroke, myocardial infarction, sepsis, and trauma. The hospital recently underwent a major expansion with a beautiful new tower that increased inpatient capacity from 373 to 478 beds.

The program includes a preliminary internship year in internal medicine followed by three years of advanced training in neurology. RCH neurology residents work collaboratively with residents and faculty from our hospital’s ACGME-approved programs in Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Radiology, General Surgery, Transitional Year, and Anesthesia.

What makes our neurology residency program unique is that we are based in a vibrant community hospital that provides a built-in preliminary medicine year, allowing us to offer a collegial environment for teaching and learning, streamlined transition from internship to advanced neurology training and emphasis on resident wellness with enhanced integration of personal and professional life.

At the RCH Neurology Residency Program, residents thrive in our unique teaching and learning culture that blends the best of our academic medical center’s neurosciences teaching and research mission with the supportive and friendly environment of a community hospital. We welcome your support as we train the next generation of neurologists to serve Inland Southern California!

David Song, MD, PhD
Director, HCA/Riverside Community Hospital Neurology
Residency Program

About our program

The Riverside Community Hospital Neurology Medicine Residency is a unique four-year categorical program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) that combines the best of the academic medical center’s neurosciences teaching and research mission with the supportive and friendly environment of a community hospital.

Minutes away from the beaches, mountains and playgrounds of sunny Southern California. Our four-year program has 4 residents at each training level, for a total complement of 12 residents. Choosing to be trained in Neurology at RCH provides a unique opportunity to be a forerunner in bringing neurology education to Riverside County. RCH provides a robust clinical experience for any physician seeking to be trained to practice a full range of Neurology.

• Highlights: Four-year residency (PGY1 through PGY4)
• Regional center for stroke, trauma, STEMI and sepsis
• 478-bed referral center
• High faculty-to-resident ratio
• Strong academic track record of neurology faculty including basic and clinical neurosciences
• Private sleep rooms for residents
• On-call meals provided
• Laptop and mobile device for training and patient care.

List of Leadership and Faculty

• Program Director: David Song, MD
• Elizabeth H. Morrison-Banks MD, MSEd
• Lama Al-Khoury, MD
• Charles Stout, MD, PhD
• Mark Girgis, MD
• Jay Rosenberg, MD
• Rony Dekermenjian, M.D.

Program overview

Our residency program is home to a strong neuroscience research program. To help develop your talents, we offer opportunities in both inpatient and outpatient settings in various locations.

As well as incorporating faculty developed didactic curriculum that includes content from Clinical cases, board review sessions, and Continuum review articles.

• All applications must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Applications Service (ERAS) Program. Paper applications are not accepted. Our program can be located in ERAS by entering our ACGME Institution # 1800500167 in your program search.
• National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) number for Neurology: 1877180C0
• CV
• Personal statement
• A minimum of 3 letters of recommendation
• Dean's letter
• Transcripts
• USMLE Transcript for Step 1
• Step 3 required for all applicants for more than 2 years after medical school graduation
• Consideration will be given to applicants from US accredited schools who meet the following criteria:
  • USMLE Step 1, STEP 2CK and STEP 2CS must be passed prior to rank list submission (mid-February).
  • Graduation from medical school within the past three years
• The deadline for submission of the application and all required material is December 31. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview, in which they will have the opportunity to meet with members of the faculty and tour the facilities. Earlier submissions are suggested to allow a more complete evaluation.

Conference schedule

• Weekly academic Half days
• Grand Rounds held monthly at the hospital
• Conference funds one conference per resident

Salary and benefits