I'm Matthew Barrett. I'm a neurologist. I became interested in neurology during my first year of medical school. I think what really confirmed to me that this was the right decision was in the patient encounters that occurred in neurology. It was a field where there were a lot of new developments in treatment and I think each encounter was very valuable to me. 

The value of seeing a movement disorder neurologist at UVA is that we are specifically trained in how to treat Parkinson's disease patients or other patients with movement disorders. We also work closely with a team of neuropsychologists because cognitive issues can become important in Parkinson's disease. We also work with the neurosurgery team and specifically a neurosurgery clinic dedicated to the surgical treatment of Parkinson's patients.

The most rewarding aspect of my job is the individual patient encounter. Everybody has a different story to tell. To be brought into that story and to be able to help them is what makes my job worth doing.