Department of
Medical Education

Jessica Frey, MD

Name:  Jessica Frey

Board Certification: Neurology

Medical School: Penn State College of Medicine

Residency: West Virginia University

Fellowship:  University of Florida (Movement Disorders)

Faculty Rank: Assistant Professor, Movement Disorders Fellowship Program Director, Student Clerkship Director

Special Clinical/Research Interests: Clinically, I am particularly interested in hyperkinetic movement disorders such as Tourette’s syndrome, Huntington’s, and dystonia. My research interests include non-invasive neuromodulation to treat hyperkinetic movement disorders. I also have a vested interested in medical education research and medical humanities. I serve as the co-course director for the residency education track and the global neurology track, and I am also the Senior Editor of the Synapses Humanities magazine.

Is there a particular population of students (e.g., ethnicity, spiritual, sexual orientation) that you would particularly like to advise?

Everyone is welcome!

What does a typical day in the life of a neurologist include?

A typical day depends on what type of neurologist you are. Neurologists can see the full spectrum of patients, from high acuity situations like stroke pages and neuro intensive care to more chronic outpatient diseases like ALS and multiple sclerosis.

As a movement disorder neurologist, a typical day for me includes outpatient clinic in which I manage diseases such as Parkinson’s, essential tremor, Huntington’s, dystonia, ataxia, and Tourette’s. I also regularly go into the OR to help with the physiologic microelectrode recording for patients receiving deep brain stimulation, perform DBS programming in the outpatient clinic, and provide botox injections to patients with dystonia- so it is a nice mixture of clinic and procedures for me. I also serve as the attending on the general neurology wards several weeks per year and staff the resident continuity clinic half a day each week, which is a nice combination of teaching and general neurology outside of my typical movement practice.

What is the biggest challenge of being a neurologist?

The biggest challenge, for me, is staying on top of all the cutting-edge research for the field as a whole. Each week new articles are coming out about the best types of treatments and lifestyle modifications for Parkinson’s disease alone- so both a challenging yet exciting aspect of neurology.

How do you foresee neurology changing over the next 20 years?

There is so much exciting research happening in the neurology field right now. Gene therapy, neuromodulation, and lots of other innovative treatments are being developed to provide top quality care for our patients. Between the time I did my residency training and now, so many new treatments are available to our patients that weren’t before. This is a perfect time to get involved in neurology, whether you are interested in translational research and being at the forefront of developing innovative ideas to improve patient care or if you are interested in bringing these new treatments directly to patients in the clinic.

What advice would you give a student who is considering a neurology residency?

Get involved! Come shadow us in the clinic, see cases in the OR, join us on inpatient rounds, observe procedures like EMG, EEG, and lumbar punctures, ask how you can get involved in research, and attend awesome neurology conferences like the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). I think the best way to know whether you are interested in pursuing a field is to get involved and get some first-hand experience- so feel free to reach out!