Education Research: The Future of Child Neurology Residency Training, examines the current structure of child neurology residency training and its alignment with the evolving needs of the specialty.
Child neurology training has traditionally followed a five-year pathway combining pediatrics, adult neurology, and child neurology education. While the content of training has changed substantially over time, the overall structure has remained largely unchanged.
The CNS Task Force found that child neurology has matured significantly as a specialty, with increasing subspecialization and variability in training opportunities across programs, particularly in pediatric neurologic subspecialty training opportunities.
The findings support continued review of training requirements, particularly in general pediatrics and adult neurology, as the field continues to evolve. The Task Force did not reach consensus on 2 pivotal issues, the length and structure of preliminary postgraduate training before the neurology years and the length and composition of adult neurology training within the neurology years.
The authors emphasize the need for ongoing evaluation and engagement among accrediting bodies, specialty boards, professional societies, and other stakeholders as future training requirements are evaluated.