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Sara Schaefer Receives AAN 2025 Fellowship Program Director Recognition Award

January 27, 2025

Sara Schaefer, MD, MHS, associate professor of neurology and program director of the movement disorders fellowship, has been selected by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) for its 2025 Fellowship Program Director Recognition Award.

An alumna of the Yale movement disorders fellowship, Schaefer was uniquely positioned to assume the role of program director in 2018, armed with firsthand knowledge of what fellows need to excel during their training and ultimately to succeed in their future careers. Under her leadership, the program has grown and established itself as a world-class movement disorders training program.

The Fellowship Program Director Recognition Award recognizes Schaefer’s unwavering commitment to leading an outstanding fellowship training environment and demonstrated success as a medical education leader. She will be formally recognized at the virtual meeting of the Consortium of Neurology Program Directors in February, as well as at the AAN Annual Meeting.

As Program Director, Schaefer implemented structure, as well as innovative programs and initiatives, that cultivate prepared and well-rounded movement disorders fellows.

Among Schaefer’s many achievements as program director, she authored a 30-page Fellows’ Handbook; held weekly check-in meetings to discuss the latest clinical and research developments in movement disorders; created more opportunities for fellows to learn and assume more responsibility in clinical settings; mentored countless fellows; and embraced her role as founder and producer of the popular “Neurology Nuts and Bolts: Constructing Your Career” podcast.

One of her proudest accomplishments was having introduced a novel approach to collecting and synthesizing feedback for fellows.

“I am very proud to have led a workgroup of movement disorders program directors to write and publish movement disorders milestones to optimize and standardize fellow assessment. At Yale, we coupled these with a clinical competency committee structure so the fellows get semi-annual, meaningful feedback on their progress and areas for growth,” she said.

Committed to the continuous growth of the movement disorders fellowship, Schaefer says that there are more exciting changes that fellows can expect in the future.

“The fellowship is growing to two fellows per year, and I am excited to continue to expand fellows’ didactics, as well as provide more customized pathways and targeted mentorship for fellows interested in research, medical education, and other areas of career development.”

Schaefer’s passion for medical education extends beyond the movement disorders fellowship. She is also the associate program director – and incoming program director – of the neurology residency program, conducts research focused on curricular development and asynchronous learning resources, and leads the Grey Matter Project neuroscience affinity club for high school students.