Neurologist
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The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Core Competency project for graduate medical education was developed in the late 1990s and is now being implemented in residency programs across all specialties. Program directors and residents in neurology are seeking national guidance in how to adjust educational curricula and establish new evaluation tools that meet ACGME standards. ⋯ All neurology programs must comply with new requirements generated by the competencies that will require significant time and energy for program directors. An effective approach to implementation involves careful review of existing evaluation tools established by other subspecialties and expansion of reliable tools used already in place in most programs such as the mock oral board and RITE In-Training Examination. The individual program director is encouraged to monitor resources nationally through the AAN Program Director's Consortium and locally through institutional projects which can incorporate neurology residents.
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Persistent and intractable hiccups indicate multiple neurologic and extraneurologic disorders. Chronic hiccup is not so rare in patients suffering from stroke: its impact on quality of life and on rehabilitation management is substantial, and it may be closely related to aspiration pneumonia, respiratory arrest and nutritional depletion. ⋯ The results were promising, with the immediate disappearance of the hiccups, and the complete absence of side effects. The 36-months follow up was favorable to all the patients, who, after 6 days of treatment remain asymptomatic.