MSW Movement Disorders Fellowship | Icahn School of Medicine

RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS

Movement Disorders Fellowship at Mount Sinai West

The Movement Disorders Fellowship at Mount Sinai West is a comprehensive two-year program focused on personalized and intensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of the complete spectrum of movement disorders. Fellows gain expertise in managing Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, atypical Parkinsonian syndromes, tremor, tics, Tourette syndrome, myoclonus, chorea, ataxia, and functional movement disorders. The fellowship is one of two tracks—with the other located at The Mount Sinai Hospital—offered by the Department of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. While the primary hub is at Mount Sinai West, fellows from both tracks share conferences, didactic sessions, and resources, ensuring exposure to the full breadth of movement disorders faculty and cases across both locations.

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Meet the Director

Rachel Saunders-Pullman, MD, MPH, MS

Fellowship Director

Saunders-Pullman is a movement disorders clinician, clinical researcher, and educator. Her clinical focus is genetic parkinsonism and dystonia. Her research seeks to understand genetic and epidemiologic factors relating to Parkinson’s disease and dystonia with focus on the elucidation of new genes, modifiers, and translational biomarkers and a goal toward application to better therapies.

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Meet the Associate Director

Matthew Swan, MD

Fellowship Associate Director

Swan is a physician-educator whose practice addresses the spectrum of movement disorders diagnosis and management, including the use of botulinum toxin injections and deep brain stimulation, and who also oversees clinical trials for Parkinson disease, dystonia, essential tremor, and other movement disorders.

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We take a multidisciplinary approach to movement disorders care during the two-year fellowship. Our fellows rotate through specialized clinics that serve more than 3,000 patients annually gaining broad exposure to a diverse patient population. The fellowship provides comprehensive training in both diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic interventions, including oral therapeutics, chemodenervation techniques, and deep brain stimulation therapy with hands-on experience. While the primary focus remains on adult movement disorders, fellows also gain valuable exposure to pediatric cases. Our expertise in neurogenetics, combined with access to dedicated genetic counseling services, enables fellows to address rare disorders and navigate complex diagnostic challenges that require specialized knowledge and advanced therapeutic approaches.

This hands-on longitudinal patient care and teaching is at the core of our training, enabling fellows to work one-on-one with attendings and patients with a wide range of movement disorders. The patient-physician relationship is highly valued in our program. In addition to patient care, trainees present at Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and ataxia support groups and patient education lectures throughout the tri-state area.

We offer a rich didactic curriculum designed to enhance our fellows’ clinical expertise and promote interdisciplinary learning. Our attending physicians conduct weekly didactic sessions designed specifically for fellows, with videoconference capabilities connecting both Mount Sinai West and The Mount Sinai Hospital to maximize faculty interaction and learning opportunities.

Fellows participate in bi-weekly interactive genetics teaching sessions with genetic counselors, alternating with case-based discussions led by consulting psychiatrists. They also regularly present at and participate in video rounds of patient cases alongside focused analyses of key clinical concepts. To further strengthen their education, monthly interdisciplinary neuromodulation meetings, weekly neurology grand rounds, and clinical pathologic conferences complement the core curriculum and provide additional depth throughout the fellowship.

Fellows will attend the Comprehensive Review of Movement Disorders for the Clinical Practitioner in Colorado (Aspen Course) once during the two years. This conference offers advanced educational content and valuable networking opportunities with movement disorder leaders nationwide. Opportunities for additional national meetings and courses are provided.

Our fellows have received numerous national awards, including from the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Edmond J. Safra Fellowship, the American Academy of Neurology’s Clinical Research Training Scholarship, and the Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program.

Clinical research is a fundamental component of the fellowship experience at Mount Sinai West, designed with flexibility to align with each fellow’s interest and long-term career goals. All fellows receive foundational exposure to genetics research and standardized clinical assessments for Parkinson’s disease and dystonia. In addition, faculty mentoring is available for those pursuing individual research interests or contributing to ongoing studies. These include active research initiatives in the genetics and epidemiology of dystonia, Parkinson's disease, and essential tremor with Rachel Saunders-Pullman, MD, MPH, MS and Susan B. Bressman, MD, in neuromodulation and wearables with Joohi Jimenez-Shahed, MD, and in sleep-related projects with Emmanuel During, MD. While fellows often work on projects related to those of mentors, individual projects may also be initiated. Fellows may also work with attendings on multi-site clinical trials, including Matthew Swan, MD, Joohi Jimenez-Shahed, MD, and Winona Tse, MD

Fellows interested in in-depth epidemiological clinical research have the option to enroll in the Master of Science in Epidemiology program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Applicants must have completed residency training in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved or Liaison Committee on Medical Education-approved neurology program. In order to matriculate, fellows must complete graduate medical education credentialing and hold medical licensure in New York State.

We participate in the SF Match and accept applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Candidates must submit:

A completed ERAS application
Curriculum vitae
Three original letters of recommendation
A personal statement
Verification of successful residency completion from their program director

Interviews are conducted between June and August. Candidates have the opportunity to interview for The Mount Sinai Hospital track at the same time, allowing them to explore both program options and make informed decisions about their training preferences.