Neurology residents score well on training exams

Vahid Taghavi, M.D., left, and Ramesh Kumar, M.D., celebrated the completion of their neurology residency training at a dinner held in their honor at The Champions Club.

Earlier this month, the academic and private neurology and neurosurgery community bid farewell to two graduates from the joint neurology residency program between UNMC and Creighton University.

Vahid Taghavi, M.D., and Ramesh Kumar, M.D., celebrated the completion of their neurology residency training at a dinner held in their honor at The Champions Club.

The graduation dinner capped off an impressive year for all six residents in the program.
“All, without exception, ranked above 95 percentile on the Residency In-Service Training Exam (RITE) in 2005 compared to neurology residents nationwide in the same year of their training,” said Pierre Fayad, M.D., program director of the joint residency program, Reynolds Centennial Professor and chairman of the department of neurological sciences at UNMC. “This is a historic moment in our residency program.”

Each year neurology residents nationwide are given the RITE test, which covers essential knowledge in clinical and scientific topics of neurology. Scoring is based on the absolute and percentile number of correct answers and then ranked in comparison with their peers in the same year of neurology training across the nation, or against all neurology residents in all years.

Walter Friedlander, M.D., founder and first chairman of the department of neurology and the joint residency program, Pierre Fayad, M.D., program director of the joint residency program, Reynolds Centennial Professor and chairman of the department of neurological sciences at UNMC, and Michael Cohen, M.D., professor of neurology and pediatrics at the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and mentor of Dr. Fayad, who completed his residency training under Dr. Cohen.

The highest score that can be obtained — compared to the same year peers — is 99 percent. But when compared to all examinees, the top potential ranking is 100 percent when 100 percent is scored on more than one individual topic.

Dr. Kumar consistently ranked better than 90 percent during all three years of training, while Dr. Taghavi ranked an impressive 99 percentile for two years in a row against his year-peers and 100 percent this year against all examinees nationwide.

“This is a remarkable achievement,” said Dr. Fayad, who became director of the residency program when he moved to UNMC four years ago to head the newly established department of neurological sciences.

Upon his arrival, the residency program was on probation and it took until last year to become fully accredited again. “The steady and meteoric improvement of the RITE results over the past four years demonstrates that our residents’ training and knowledge rank them at the top nationwide,” Dr. Fayad said.

Drs. Kumar and Taghavi, along with Johnny Salameh, M.D., also received awards for being voted “Resident of the Year.”

Dr. Fayad and Sanjay Singh, M.D., shared the “Teacher of the Year” award for their continued commitment to providing a quality education.

Walter Friedlander, M.D., founder and first chairman of the department of neurology and the joint residency program, was on hand to congratulate the residents. “I wish all of the residents success in their careers,” Dr. Friedlander said.

His words were echoed by Michael Cohen, M.D., professor of neurology and pediatrics at the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where Dr. Fayad and two other UNMC faculty members completed their residency training.

Dr. Cohen reminded the residents of their duty as doctors and told them to: “cure sometimes, relieve often and comfort always,” he said. “Medicine is the profession that stretches the intellect and speaks to the soul.”