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Epilepsy Fellowship

We designed our one-year Epilepsy fellowship with the fellow in mind. The foundation of our training program emphasizes education, the surgical treatment of medically refractory epilepsy, routine and complex epilepsy conditions and clinical research.

Fellowship phases

Our fellowship includes three phases of training.

Initial educational phase
The fellowship begins with an intensive course aimed at establishing an advanced knowledge that will serve the fellow during his/her training, in preparation for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Epilepsy Board Examination, and throughout her/his career.

The education course is free of clinical responsibilities, which allows the fellow to focus fully on mastering concepts critical to the success of any epileptologist. Beyond the course, education continues through multiple training activities.

  • Journal club
  • Directed electroencephalogram (EEG)/semiology conference
  • Epilepsy surgery conference
  • Bedside clinical teaching

Intermediate phase
The next phase proceeds into clinical care under the supervision of the attending epileptologist in inpatient and outpatient settings. This formative period is critical to understanding the epileptologist's approach to caring for patients with both drug-responsive and drug-resistant epilepsy.

The University of Kansas Health System, the world-class academic medical center where our fellows train, places a strong emphasis on surgical epilepsy care, including invasive EEG monitoring. As part of their training experience, our fellows will work closely with epileptologists and neurosurgeons to help design implantation strategies. The fellow will follow these cases from invasive monitoring to eventual planning of all surgical therapy considerations, including resection, laser ablation, responsive neurostimulation and deep brain stimulation.

Advanced phase
As the fellowship progresses, the fellow will naturally direct care more independently as they prepare for practice as an attending. By the end of the training, the fellow will be ready for an independent subspecialty practice of epilepsy in the setting of their choice.

Our fellows also will be prepared to sit for the ABPN Epilepsy Board Examination. This exam will entail advanced knowledge of the following topics:

  • Anti-epileptic drug management
  • Accurate and specific diagnosis of different types of epilepsy
  • Proficiency in routine and video EEG reading
  • Evaluation and management of critically ill epilepsy patients
  • Assessment of medically refractory patients for possible surgical treatment
  • Management of epilepsy patients during the invasive EEG portion of their care.

Rotations and electives

Required rotations

  • Dedicated education block
  • In-patient Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
  • Out-patient Epilepsy Clinic
  • Pediatric Epilepsy

Electives

  • Focused Intracranial EEG and Epilepsy Surgery
  • Pediatric Epilepsy
  • Neuropsychology
  • Blocked research
  • Intraoperative monitoring
  • Sleep medicine

Research

Our faculty actively engages in research and clinical trials with a goal of improving the lives of people with epilepsy. This includes trials for both surgical and medical treatments for epilepsy. Learn more about our research by visiting the Department of Neurology's Research Focus Areas page and Currently Enrolling Studies page

Fellowship leadership

Patrick Landazuri, M.D.
Associate Professor
Epilepsy Fellowship Program Director
plandazuri@kumc.edu 

Vishal Shah, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Epilepsy Fellowship Associate Program Director

Stacey Qandil
Fellowship Coordinator
(913) 945-6429
sqandil@kumc.edu

KU School of Medicine

University of Kansas Medical Center
Department of Neurology
Mailstop 2012
3901 Rainbow Blvd.
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: 913-588-6970
Fax: 913-588-6965