MEL 8673: Elective in Epilepsy

Drs. Selim Benbadis, Ali Bozorg, Alfred Frontera, and S. Parrish Winesett

Fourth-year medical students may spend a four-week elective in the Tampa General Hospital Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, USF clinics at Morsani and the South Tower as well as time at the James A Haley VA Hospital Epilepsy Center of Excellence. The elective is designed as a preceptorship under the supervision of an epilepsy attending. The student will become an integral part of a team that specializes in the care of patients with refractory epilepsy. The students will learn how to obtain a thorough epilepsy history and understand the spectrum of epilepsy syndromes. The students will also round with the attendings (and fellows when applicable) on the patients in the video-EEG monitoring unit daily. They will also have the opportunity to understand the basics of electroencephalography. Lastly, they will have several opportunities throughout the month to participate in Wada testing, which is used for language and memory lateralization. Attendance at weekly epilepsy surgery conference is mandatory. Interested students may also spend a few days at the pediatric epilepsy clinic and video-EEG monitoring unit at All Children’s Hospital based on availability.

Pre-requisite

None

If the student’s medical school does not offer a core Neurology rotation, completion of a Neurology elective prior to application for the Epilepsy elective is recommended. 

Objectives

1. Students should understand the differential diagnosis of epilepsy
2. Students should understand the difference between the different types of seizures and epilepsy syndromes and their implications
3. Students should know the basics of video-EEG monitoring including its role and limitations
4. Students will become familiar with identifying refractory epilepsy patients and will familiarize themselves with the non-medical treatments of epilepsy
5. Students will learn the presurgical approach to patients with refractory focal epilepsies

Learning Outcomes

Students will see the patients at TGH and the Morsani Center. Upon completion of this elective, students should understand the principles of diagnosis and management of patients who have epilepsy.

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated by the course director at the end of the course, based largely on clinical evaluations completed by all residents and faculty who work with them.