FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Washington Regional Medical Center have received initial accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to establish a neurology residency program and an emergency medicine residency program in Northwest Arkansas through their joint graduate medical education program.
These are the first non-primary care residencies accredited in Northwest Arkansas. The programs can begin recruiting residents in the fall. The initial two neurology residents and the initial six emergency medicine residents will begin in July 2026. When full, the four-year neurology program will have a total of eight residents, and the three-year emergency medicine program will have a total of 18 residents.
“Northwest Arkansas is experiencing rapid population growth, increasing the demand for specialized medical care,” said Ryan Cork, MHSA, vice chancellor of the UAMS Northwest Region. “Despite this growth, the region faces a shortage of neurologists and emergency medicine physicians, leading to longer wait times and limited access for patients. Expanding the number of specialists in the area is essential to meet current health care needs, improve patient outcomes and support the overall health infrastructure of our thriving community.”
