Hands-on training in vascular neurology + stroke care at Tufts Medical Center
The Vascular Neurology Fellowship at Tufts Medical Center offers comprehensive, hands-on training across all areas of stroke and cerebrovascular care. Fellows gain experience in acute care, inpatient and outpatient management, neurocritical care, and advanced imaging and procedures. The program is designed to provide exposure to a high-volume clinical environment while supporting research, teaching and professional development.
Fellows’ responsibilities include:
Vascular neurology fellowship training experience
Fellows in the Vascular Neurology Fellowship at Tufts Medical Center gain hands-on experience across all aspects of stroke and cerebrovascular care, including acute management, interventions, consultations, and teaching.
- Evaluation and management of Stroke Codes in the Emergency Department and inpatient wards
- Case selection and coordination for patients undergoing acute ischemic stroke intervention
- Intravascular fibrinolysis therapy within the standard 4.5-hour window and Late Presenter Thrombolysis within the 24-hour window following advanced imaging
- Endovascular therapy for large and medium vessel occlusions
- Evaluation and management of patients with hemorrhagic strokes
- Supervision of the Stroke Service for patients with stroke and cerebrovascular diseases
- Vascular neurology consultations in the Neuro Critical Care Unit, other ICUs, the Emergency Department, and inpatient medical and surgical services
- Outpatient Vascular Neurology clinic precepted by stroke attendings (Dr. Melkumova, Dr. Thaler, Dr. Leung, Dr. Rosen, and Dr. Leppert)
- Night call (from home) during 16-20 weeks on-call with a stroke attending
- Interpretation of imaging studies, including MRI brain and spine, MRA head/neck, MRA wall imaging, CT head, CTA head/neck, CT perfusion +/- Diamox challenge, and digitally subtracted angiography
- Interpretation of neurosonology studies (transcranial Doppler with/without embolus detection)
- Frequent conferences, including Stroke & CVD conference, Stroke Journal Club, Neuroendovascular Case Conference, Morning Report, Neuroscience Grand Rounds, Neuroradiology conference, M&M, and Professor Rounds
- Teaching residents and medical students on the hospital wards and in teaching conferences
- Participation in Stroke Council
This structured curriculum ensures that fellows develop the skills and knowledge needed to provide advanced stroke and cerebrovascular care, gain research experience and build a foundation for teaching and leadership in vascular neurology.
Academic career development
We are committed to helping fellows develop their careers as stroke neurologists in any setting. For those interested in an academic pathway, Tufts Medical Center provides the resources, experience and mentorship to support growth. Fellows have opportunities to lead research projects, develop their own areas of scholarly work and receive guidance from neurologists and colleagues across associated departments.
Research opportunities include participation in ongoing projects and clinical trials, as well as the chance to design projects in clinical or translational research, write and submit manuscripts and develop educational or quality improvement initiatives. Guidance and mentorship are also available for quality improvement and educational activities, helping fellows build a well-rounded portfolio for independent practice or academic advancement.
Research opportunities
Our neurology team at Tufts Medical Center is committed to advancing medicine through innovative research. Current projects focus on neuromuscular diseases, stroke and fatigue in patients with high-grade glioma. Fellows are encouraged to engage in ongoing research and to develop their own scholarly work.
- Fellows can design projects in clinical or translational research, write and submit manuscripts, and develop educational or quality improvement initiatives.
- Serve as subinvestigators for ongoing stroke clinical trials.
Fellowship rotations
Fellows gain hands-on experience across a variety of clinical and research rotations, including stroke service, neurocritical care, endovascular procedures, telestroke, pediatric stroke, outpatient care, and clinical research.
- Vacation: 4 weeks
- CME: 1 week — ISC, SVIN, NCC, AAN, ESOC
- Stroke service: 30 weeks at Tufts Medical Center
- Neurocritical Care Unit (NCCU): 4 weeks at Tufts Medical Center
- Endovascular: 2 weeks at Tufts Medical Center (Dr. Malek)
- Telestroke: 1 week at Lahey Hospital, Burlington, MA
- Pediatric stroke: 2 weeks at Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Neuroradiology: 1 week at Tufts Medical Center (early/summer)
- Stroke rehabilitation: 2 weeks at Encompass Rehab at Braintree, Braintree, MA
- Neurosonology: ½ day every 2 weeks at Tufts Medical Center (Dr. Leung)
- Elective: 5 weeks — Variable
- Outpatient clinic: 1 session weekly at Tufts Medical Center (during local rotations)
- Clinical research: 48 weeks at Tufts Medical Center
- Call weeks (in-house 8am-5pm and home 5pm-8am): 16-20 weeks (of the 30 weeks on stroke service) at Tufts Medical Center
