Welcome to the UIC Neurology Residency Program

Zulma Hernandez, MD
Neurology Residency Program Director

The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago offers an ACGME accredited 4-year neurology residency training program that accepts 6 residents per year. Our educational mission is to develop a strong clinical and academic foundation for our residents, while preparing them for the next step in their careers. Through our diverse training sites (the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System- a tertiary care urban hospital, and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center) we provide a wide range of clinical, academic, and research opportunities for our residents to not only develop a strong foundation in general neurology, but to gain vital exposure to the neurologic subspecialties. We are committed to continually evolve, and incorporation of resident feedback is a fundamental aspect of the process. Above all, our program prioritizes the resident educational experience as a key component of the departmental goal of providing the highest quality of care to our patients and community.

Message From Our Director

Dear Applicant,

Welcome to the University of Illinois at Chicago Neurology Residency Training Program.

Hello, I am Zulma Hernández-Peraza, M.D. I have been an MS specialist at UIC since October 2015. I have served as the Assistant Program Director and since 2019, I have taken over the exciting responsibility as Program Director in what I know is a dynamic, diverse, and highly professional department. I am very interested in promoting and enabling the development of our individual residents.

The UIC Neurology department prides itself on its dedication not only to excellent patient care but also to education and research. Our faculty have great interest, passion, and expertise in education. Many of us meet with our residents regularly to track and guide their educational endeavors as well as to readily address any concerns. Our residents benefit from a robust daily noon lecture series including didactics, board reviews, and journal clubs. They also learn from regular neuropathology discussions and weekly Neuroradiology conferences led by our UIC neuroradiologists.

Our residents get clinical experience at our university hospital and at the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs hospital. At the UIC hospital, our trainees serve a diverse patient population coming from throughout Illinois and neighboring states. Coupled with the nurturing enthusiasm from our faculty, this creates an excellent training environment. At the JBVA the residents participate in the care of a unique patient population while working with a separate group of dedicated faculty who provide an outstanding education. We are proud that our faculty and residents reflect the diversity of Chicago’s population.

Dr. Loeb, our department chair, has strived to introduce many advancements to our department over the last several years. Our vascular neurology section serves a vast territory with a telemedicine and referral system that covers multiple hospitals. Our epilepsy section is one of the largest in the state, boasting a busy epilepsy monitoring unit. Our neurocritical care section continues to grow, working closely with our neurosurgery colleagues in a robust neuro ICU. Our neuroimmunology section has been involved in translational and clinical research with the vision to individualize treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis. Our neuro-oncology section serves a large patient population with both primary and secondary malignancies. Our neuromuscular section boasts a multidisciplinary clinic dedicated to serving ALS patients. Our movement section exposes residents to many rare disorders and introduces them to procedures such as botox injections. All in all, this creates a comprehensive learning environment for our trainees that teaches them how to diagnose and manage both common and rare neurological disorders.

Furthermore, many of our subspecialty sections have clinicians and scientists avidly involved in translational and basic research. This gives our residents abundant opportunities to participate in or design their own research projects. Labs in neuroimmunology, vascular neurology, neuroinflammatory disorders, neuromuscular disorders, epilepsy, and neuropathology are available to our trainees. Our Neuro-repository provides an abundant source of data from which our clinicians and researchers strive to find new ways to understand Neurology.

I encourage you to explore the details of our program and feel free to contact us with any further inquiries. Our program strives to recruit and train residents with a passion for understanding our nervous system, compassion for people, eagerness to educate future physicians, and drive to further advance the field of neurology.

Thank you for your interest in our program.

Very truly,

Zulma Hernández-Peraza, M.D.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Maria Mata
Neurology Residency Program Coordinator
912 S. Wood Street
Room 162B, M/C 796 ​
Chicago, IL 60612

Phone 312-996-6906

Email: [email protected]