Neurology Residency
Message from the Program Director
I view UHIMRP as an extended family that emphasizes teamwork between our faculty, residents, students, and program staff. We aim to provide exceptional patient care, and to cultivate an optimal learning environment that is characterized by collegiality, shared responsibility, and professionalism.
Hawaii is a special place with people from many different backgrounds, and the spirit of Aloha should guide our interactions with patients and colleagues.
Dr. Reid Ikeda
Program Director
Since UHIMRP began in 1975, we have trained hundreds of highly-skilled Internal Medicine specialists. While the strength of UHIMRP has traditionally been its emphasis on General Internal Medicine and Ambulatory Care, our graduates have gone on to a variety of activities, including primary care in Hawai‘i, other parts of the United States and in other countries, fellowships in every subspecialty in programs throughout the country, Hospitalist positions, academic medicine, and research.
In February 2025, the ACGME’s Review Committee for Internal Medicine granted the Program “Continued Accreditation” status with commendation for substantial compliance with the ACGME’s Program Requirements, without any citations.
Our MISSION is that residents, faculty and staff of UHIMRP will be dedicated to the service of our community in Hawai‘i and the Pacific through education, research and quality patient care.
Our VISION is to become an ‘ohana (family) characterized by teamwork and mutual respect in a supportive learning environment. We envision a future in which we are integrated with the community, responsive and adaptive to change, and internationally renowned for excellence in patient care and the quality of our residents, faculty and medical education.
Core Faculty & Staff
Our Division of Neurology brings together a dedicated community of academic faculty and a wide network of volunteer clinical educators who are deeply committed to resident education and mentorship. Reflecting Hawai‘i’s unique multicultural character, our residency program, faculty, and patient population are richly diverse.
Required ambulatory rotations and inpatient teaching rounds expose residents to a range of patient management styles.
J. Douglas Miles, MD, PhD FAAN
Program Director
Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor of Anatomy, Biochemistry, & Physiology
Neuromuscular Medicine
Kazuma Nakagawa, MD, FAAN, FAHA
Associate Program Director
Professor of Medicine
Chief:Neuroscience Institute
Neurointensivist
Fay Gao, MD
Associate Program Director
Movement Disorders
Stacy Brown, MD
Associate Program Director
Neurointensivist
Keith Abe, MD
Associate Program Director
Child Neurology
Christie Becu, MD
Child Neurology
Michiko Bruno, MD
Movement Disorders
Brent Burroughs, MD
Neurology
Lindsey Carvahlo, MD
Neurointensivist
Abraham Chyung, MD
Memory and Dementia
Karen DaSilva, MD
Neuromuscular Medicine
Geraldine Faivre, MD
Neurology
Alexandra Galati, MD
Neuroimmunology
Ferdinand Hui, MD
Neurointerventional
Linda Jaffe, MD
Neurology
Joseph Kipta, MD
Neurology
Matt Koenig, MD
Neurointerventionalist
Jeffrey Liu, MD
Neurology
Karen Morgenshtern-Yacoby, MD
Headache Neurology
Mark Pithan, MD
Neurology
Rony Salem, MD
Neurohospitalist
Huidy Shu, MD
Neurology
Aileen Tanaka, MD
Child Neurology
Apirada Thongsing, MD
Child Neurology
Sam Tsappidi, MD
Neurointerventional
Chun-Huan “Johnny” Sun, MD
Neurointerventional, Neurointensivist
Serena Thompson, MD, PhD
Epilepsy
Victoria Wong, MD
Epilepsy
Faculty
Our Division of Neurology brings together a dedicated community of academic faculty and a wide network of volunteer clinical educators who are deeply committed to resident education and mentorship. Reflecting Hawai‘i’s unique multicultural character, our residency program, faculty, and patient population are richly diverse.
Required ambulatory rotations and inpatient teaching rounds expose residents to a range of patient management styles
J. Douglas Miles, MD, PhD FAAN
Program Director
Doug Miles is a neuromuscular neurologist and the Director of Neuroscience Education at the Queen’s University Medical Group. He has been teaching neuroanatomy at the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine since 2013. His clinical practice focuses on neuromuscular medicine and electrodiagnostic testing, with a commitment to precise diagnosis and patient-centered care. He is dedicated to expanding access to neurological services in Hawaiʻi and building the state’s first neurology residency program.
Specialty: Neuromuscular Medicine
University of Hawaii: Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor of Anatomy, Biochemistry, & Physiology
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neuromuscular Medicine, Myasthenia Gravis, Myopathy
Research Interests: Neuroanatomy education, Myasthenia gravis
Recent Publications:
Fay Gao, MD
Associate Program Director
Fay Gao is a movement disorders specialist, and an associate program director for the neurology residency program.
Specialty: Movement Disorders
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Movement disorders, Parkinson disease
Research Interests: Parkinson Disease
Recent Publications:
Kazuma Nakagawa, MD, FAAN, FAHA
Associate Program Director
Dr. Nakagawa is a neurologist and neurointensivist known for his expertise in stroke and neurocritical care. He leads the Neuroscience Institute at The Queen’s Medical Center and is also the Division Chief of Neurology and Professor of Medicine at University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine. His research includes stroke-related health disparities among Native Hawaiians, and mitochondrial PET imaging research to assess the mechanism of coma after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Specialty: Neurocritical Care
University of Hawaii: Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Stroke, Neurocritical Care
Research Interests: Mitochondrial PET Imaging Research in Severe TBI
Recent Publications:
Keith Abe, MD
Associate Program Director
Aloha and welcome to our Neurology Residency Program! I was born and raised in Hawaii, completed my pediatric training here, and have been practicing pediatric neurology consultative care here since 2007. Our pediatric neurology group will be helping to prepare you to care for children with neurological disorders that transition into adult neurology.
Specialty: Child Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Kapi’olani Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Child Neurology, Epilepsy
Research Interests: Epilepsy, encephalitis, neurogenetics, unique aspects of neurological disorders in Hawaii
Recent Publications:
Stacy Brown, MD
Associate Program Director
Stacy Brown is a Neurointensivist with The Queen’s Medical Center’s Neuroscience Institute. She treates neurologic emergencies such as severe brain and spinal cord injuries.
Specialty: Neurocritical Care
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Stroke, neurocritical care
Research Interests: Stroke epidemiology, Population health and healthcare equity, the integration of genomic information into clinical and health data analysis.
Recent Publications:
Lindsey Carvalho, MD
Lindsey Carvalho is a neurointensivist.
Specialty: Neurocritical Care
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Stroke, neurocritical care
Research Interests: Stroke
Recent Publications:
Christie Becu, MD
Christie Becu is a child neurologist.
Specialty: Child Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Kapi’olani Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Child Neurology
Research Interests: Child Neurology
Recent Publications:
Michiko K. Bruno, MD
Dr. Michiko Kimura Bruno is the Medical Director, Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder Center at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is a professor of Medicine at the John A. Burns Medical School at University of Hawaii.
Specialty: Movement Disorders
University of Hawaii: Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Movement disorders
Research Interests: Genetic-Environmental Interaction of Movement Disorders in Hawaii, Health disparities and Access, Atypical Parkinsonian Syndrome, Patient reported outcome, Serious Illness Communication, Intersection of Culture and Health
Recent Publications:
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Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
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… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
… …, MD
… is a neurologist.
Specialty: Neurology
University of Hawaii: Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Queen’s Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Neurology
Research Interests: Neurology
Recent Publications:
Program Details
Curriculum
Academic Structure
Ambulatory care is emphasized throughout residency and includes:
- Three years of Continuity Clinic at one of the following sites: Queen Emma Clinics (QEC), Queen’s University Medical Group (QUMG), Pearl City Medical Associates (PCMA), and various private physician offices
- Eight weeks of ambulatory and subspecialty medicine training at the VA Medical Center
Inpatient general medicine training occurs over three years and includes:
- Twenty-four weeks of inpatient medicine during the PGY 1 year, sixteen weeks during the PGY 2 year and sixteen weeks in the PGY 3 year
- Rotations at Queen’s Medical Center (QMC) and Kuakini Medical Center (KMC)
- Diverse patient population reflective of our Pacific Rim island heritage
- Experience in both university and community-based models of care
- Dedicated in-house clinican educators who are actively involved in resident and student education on a daily basis
Subspecialty focused medicine training takes place during the PGY 2 and PGY 3 years and includes:
- Required rotations in: cardiology, nephrology, neurology, critical care, geriatrics and oncology; many of which offer inpatient and outpatient experience
- A wide variety of electives are available within our Program, on the neighbor islands of Hawai‘i, on the mainland and in Pacific Rim countries
Research
- Faculty are engaged in nationally and locally sponsored research in the basic sciences, clinical trials, health care delivery and medical education
- Categorical residents are encouraged to complete a scholarly project in their area of interest over three years; many residents complete more than one project to increase their choices of competitive fellowships
- Residents may do a research elective to complete the majority of the project during that time
- Funds are available for residents’ research efforts
- Annual awards are given to recognize outstanding research achievements
Conferences
Scholarly Activities Sessions
Scholarly Activities Sessions (formerly Academic Half-Day) is held every Tuesday from 12:30pm – 3:30pm in a hybrid fashion.
From 12:30pm – 1:30 pm the residents join the faculty for the combined virtual UH JABSOM Department of Medicine and The Queen’s Medical Center Grand Rounds.
After Grand Rounds, the residents meet for resident-focused teaching sessions including:
- Board Review
- Case Review Forum (CRF)
- Simulation training
- POCUS Workshop
- Resident Driven Sessions (Resident-driven sessions are allocated to involve residents in their own learning.)
- Town Hall Sessions, Program Director’s meetings, and other sessions are also scheduled during this time.
UHDOM Grand Rounds
The UH JABSOM Department of Medicine and The Queen’s Medical Center Grand Rounds provides outstanding reviews of current topics in internal medicine, addressing the controversies and most recent advances in therapy and diagnosis. This weekly conference is attended by faculty members and all residents. The format varies, including discussion by division chiefs, case presentations, and lectures from visiting professors.
Other Conferences
The Chief Medical Resident and Associate Director of Medical Education at each facility, and faculty supervisor for electives will identify other required and optional conferences for residents to attend.
Attendance at these other conferences is expected as long as they do not interfere with patient care responsibilities. Residents are expected to schedule their routine or non-emergent patient care responsibilities so that they can attend and/or participate in these conferences.
Morning Report
All inpatient medicine rotations include a morning report conference, which occurs at least two times per week. The conference is supervised by the Chief Medical Resident and by the Directors of Medical Education. Though the format may vary between the two main inpatient sites, KMC and QMC, the most common format includes a case presentation, a didactic session conducted by a supervising resident, and discussion led by the Chief Medical Resident and Directors of Medical Education.
There are other required rotation-specific conferences, including Ambulatory Journal Club, Cardiology Case Conferences, Queen’s Medical ICU Case Review Forum, Tumor Board, Radiology Rounds.
Application
Intern Application Requirements
Our program participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
- In accordance with the NRMP “All-In-Policy,” UHIMRP will participate “All-In.” We do not offer Pre-Match positions.
- Due to a high volume of applications we preferentially review applications from those who signal our program, but we also consider applicants who do not signal us.
The University of Residency applicants must be either a graduate of a medical school in the United States or Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or a graduate of a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
We encourage you to submit your application via ERAS. Application documents sent through direct mail, email and/or fax will not be accepted. The following documents will be reviewed:
- ERAS Application
- Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
- Personal Statement
- A minimum of two (2) Letters of Recommendation from medicine rotations
- Official Medical School Transcripts
- USMLE or COMLEX Transcripts
International Medical Graduates (IMG) additional requirements:
- Valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate (ECFMG) or ECFMG Status Report at the time of application. Before the final match you must have attained certificate.
- Must be eligible for a J-1 visa
- For non-social security card holders, must report to Honolulu on June 1st.
- Fluent in spoken and written English
Hawaii Residency Programs, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender/sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, marital status, domestic or sexual violence victim status, arrest and court record, credit history and credit report, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or other protects categories in accordance with state and federal laws. If you need accommodations at any time, please contact HRP Human Resources at 808-586-2891.
Selection & Interview Process
- Applicants will only be considered if all required documents are received. Deadline for submission is December 1st. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all documents are submitted.
- Members of the Selection Committee review applications as often as necessary until December 1st. Applicants are selected on the basis of academic qualifications, previous performance, letters of recommendation, communication skills, and personal qualities.
- Invitations to interview are sent through Thalamus to the applicants’ email address as indicated on the ERAS application.
- Applicants who will not be offered an interview will be notified by email.
- The Program holds interviews beginning from November through January on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday only.
- All interviews are held virtually.
Interview Day Details
The interview day happens virtually. A few days before the interview day, the recruitment coordinator will send an email with details and orientations.
Each applicant will have an individual and personalized schedule structured as follows:
– One Supplemental Interview
– One Core Faculty Interview
– Orientation Session with the Chief Medical Residents and Program Director
– Meeting with the residents
To accommodate all applicants, the program kindly requests that they set aside the time frame of 6 am – 2 pm HST. The program’s team will be responsible for scheduling the interviews and connecting applicants to the interviewers.
The program also offers additional materials for pre-interview education and provides a video tour of its facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Level 1 positions do you offer?
UHIMRP offers 19 Categorical positions and 3 Preliminary positions.
What is your minimum score requirement for USMLE Step 1, Step 2CK and Step 2CS? Should I take Step 3 as well?
Your application will be considered if you passed Step 1 & 2 and Step 2CS on your first attempt. A non-averaged score above 200 is required. Step 3 is not required to apply to program. However, we do not specifically exclude applicants based on the USMLE score as we carefully consider the entire application and encourage all interested students to submit application to our program.
Do you sponsor H-1 visas?
No. Only J-1 visas will be sponsored. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Do you have a Medical School graduation year cut off requirement?
No. However, your recent clinical training and employment experiences will be evaluated carefully.
Do you require clinical experience in the United States? If so, how recent should this be?
Clinical experience and training in a U.S. system are not required but can help our Selections Committee evaluate your application appropriately against known benchmarks.
Do you offer sub internships?
U.S. 4th Year Medical Students may apply for sub internships, please send inquiries to Julieta Rajlevsky, jlrajlev@hawaii.edu.
Application Web Resources
Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS)
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)
Administration Staff
Program Administrators
Iwona Staszel
Program Administrator
Krystal Cabotaje
Deputy Program Administrator
Administrative Assistants
Kiarra Bae
Rotations and Compliance Coordinator
Calie Cordeiro
Scheduling and Program Events Coordinator
Lydia Green
Scholarly Activity and Evaluations Coordinator
Rotation Schedule
The academic calendar runs from July 1st to June 30th and consists of thirteen 28-day blocks; however, the first and last block may be longer or shorter than 28 days. Vacation weeks are scheduled consecutively. Starting in the 2023 – 2024 academic year, our program transitioned to an X+Y scheduling model, specifically a 4+2 format.
Major Participating Sites
The Queens Medical Center
The Queen’s Medical Center (QMC) is a 500-bed tertiary care hospital and the State’s only Level 1 Trauma Center. It houses dedicated intensive care units for medical, neurology, surgical/trauma, and cardiovascular patients. QMC serves a diverse patient population, spanning all ages, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and a wide range of clinical conditions.
The Queen Emma Clinic (QEC), located on the ground level of QMC, is a major ambulatory teaching site. Our residents complete required rotations at QMC, including Inpatient Medicine, Cardiology Selective, Oncology Selective, and MICU. In addition, numerous subspecialty inpatient and outpatient electives are offered at QMC and across the three associated Queen’s Physicians Office Buildings (POB I, II, and III).
In July 2010, the Cardiovascular Fellowship located at QMC was accredited by the ACGME. The Fellowship is able to accept four new fellows per year.
Kuakini Medical Center Kuakini Medical Center
Kuakini Medical Center (KMC) is a full-service acute care hospital and home to our Geriatrics training program. The patient population is predominantly geriatric, with medical conditions typical of a community hospital setting. KMC hosts four general inpatient medicine teams. Each team consists of one intern and one upper-level resident, supervised by Medical Team Care physicians, with patients located on general medical floors or in the intensive care unit.
Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System
Categorical residents spend a total of eight weeks, and Preliminary residents spend four weeks at the VA clinics during residency. Most of this time is dedicated to subspecialty clinics such as Endocrinology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, and Neurology. In addition, residents spend two half-days per week in the Primary Care walk-in clinics.
Straub Clinic and Hospital
The Straub Clinic and Hospital, Honolulu has a 16-bed mixed specialty ICU, where Categorical Level 1 residents complete a required Critical Care Medicine rotation. Residents work with Aloha Critical Care Associates and Straub intensivists. Residents also have choices of subspecialty outpatient and inpatient electives at Straub.
Ambulatory Clinics
The Queen Emma Clinics
The Queen Emma Clinics (QEC), located at The Queen’s Medical Center, Manamana campus in urban Honolulu, provides primary care services to some of the state’s most vulnerable patient populations. It also serves as one of the primary ambulatory teaching sites for the University of Hawai‘i Internal Medicine Residency Program (UHIMRP).
Founded in 1947, QEC prides itself on serving the mission of its Ali‘i founders to provide quality health care in perpetuity to improve the well-being of Native Hawaiians and all the people of Hawai‘i. Residents work alongside a multidisciplinary team including social workers, pharmacists, nurses, and primary care physicians while caring for patients with multiple chronic medical conditions and complex psychosocial needs.
Please see the Queen Emma Clinics website for more details.
Queen’s University Medical Group Primary Care
The Queen’s University Medical Group Primary Care clinic serves as the principal Continuity Clinic training site for Primary Care Pathway residents.
Pearl City Medical Associates (PCMA)
Founded in 1957, PCMA is a primary care group practice with teaching affiliations with the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine. Located in Waimalu of Central Oahu, PCMA offers a unique experience into a successful private practice with diverse patients representing a cross-section of Hawai‘i’s general population.
Waikiki Health Center
Waikiki Health Center is a private nonprofit federally-qualified community health center which provides medical and social services to people from all walks of life, representing a broad range of economic levels, cultural backgrounds, and medical needs.
Salary & Benefits
Contact
University of Hawaii Neurology Residency Program
1356 Lusitana Street, 7th Floor
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
EMAIL: Neurology.Residency@hawaii.edu
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