Objective: New education method with resident as educator supervised by movement specialists to improve the knowledge and clinical skills of neurology residents in diagnosing and managing cerebellar disorders especially ataxia, ultimately enhancing patient care and outcomes.

Background: Cerebellar and ataxia disorders are complex neurological conditions that often go underrepresented in inpatient training for neurology residents, yet many residents receive limited exposure to such cases during their residency. This educational gap hinders diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes.

Method: The monthly resident lead education program consists of a series of structured educational sessions including lectures and case discussions on cerebellum and ataxia. Attending as supervisor actively attend the discussion with residents. A pre- and post-assessment that conducted to measure improvements in the knowledge and clinical skills of current neurology residents at Westchester Medical Center.

Results: Seventeen neurology residents completed the pre-education survey, which assessed their knowledge of cerebellar anatomy, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. With 27 question points, the average score was 11.94, with a median of 11 and a range of 7-18 correct answers. Regarding self-assessed knowledge, 88.2% of the residents reported little familiarity, 11.8% felt slightly or moderately comfortable; none felt quite or very comfortable. In terms of competency in diagnosing and managing ataxia, 64.7% of participants reported not at all competent, while 29.4% felt slightly competent and 5.9% moderately competent. Interest in learning about cerebellar and ataxia disorders was high, with 47.1% reporting they were very interested and 23.5% quite interested.

Conclusion: The preliminary results indicate significant gaps in both knowledge and clinical competence among neurology residents regarding cerebellar disorders and ataxia. There is a strong interest in learning more, suggesting that this educational intervention is timely and needed. The program aims to address these deficiencies, and the post-program assessment is expected to show significant improvements in knowledge and clinical proficiency.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/educational-innovation-of-cerebellum-and-ataxia-curriculum-for-neurology-residents/