This webinar is intended to guide medical students who have an interest in a career in child neurology as they prepare themselves for the upcoming residency recruitment season. Junior medical students with an early interest in child neurology may also find the webinar helpful to get a head start. In a breakout room format, program directors, child neurology residents, and recently matched medical students will discuss important considerations when making the decision to pursue child neurology as well as provide guidance for the path to child neurology residency. In a live Q&A, speakers will answer questions that prospective applicants to child neurology might have as they make their pivotal career choice.
Adam Wallace, MD
Adam Wallace is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin. His clinical roles include work as a pediatric neurohospitalist and epileptologist. In addition to being the medical director of inpatient pediatric neurology service he is also the program director for the child neurology residency. His medical education interests include improving medical student exposure to child neurology and fostering career development in child neurology residents.
Dara Albert, DO, MEd
Dr. Albert is a Child Neurologist and Epileptologist and Associate Professor at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology. She is the Associate Director of the Child Neurology Residency Program and the Program Director for the Longitudinal Practice for the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Her clinical interest is pediatric epilepsy and Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures/Functional Seizures, and she is the Medical Director of the PNEE Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Donald Gilbert, MD, MS
Dr. Gilbert is Professor of Neurology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He established the Movement Disorders Clinics and conducts translational research and clinical trials. He has over 150 publications. He has served as both medical student clerkship director and residency program director and has received numerous teaching awards.
Frederick Bassal, DO
Dr. Bassal is a general pediatric neurologist with additional interest and expertise in neuroimmunology, for which he cares for children affected by acquired demyelinating diseases and autoimmune encephalitis. In addition to patient care, Dr. Bassal has a passion for mentoring and teaching that extends to learners at all levels of training. He is the instructor on record for the UC Davis Child Neurology Clerkship and the Associate Program Director for the UC Davis Child Neurology Residency.
Mara Cohen, MD
Dr. Mara Cohen is a current third-year child neurology resident at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She has a particular interest in epilepsy/neurophysiology and medical education. She received her MD from NYU Grossman School of Medicine in 2023 and completed two preliminary years in general pediatrics, also at Nationwide. While at Nationwide, she has served as a peer coach and a representative on the Fellow Resident Advisory Council, in addition to working directly with medical students interested in pursuing neurology and child neurology.
Jacob Hanson
Jacob (Jake) Hanson is a recently matched 4th-year medical student at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Jake is currently interested in refractory epilepsy care for children and neonatal neurology. He has been involved with the Child Neurology Society since 2024 and is passionate about patient advocacy, medical education, and hopes to increase awareness of the field of child neurology while also identifying barriers among students pursuing the specialty for their career.