The status of neurology fellowships in the United States: clinical needs, educational barriers, and future outlooks

Abstract

The need for subspecialty-trained neurologists is growing in parallel with increasing disease burden. However, despite the immense burden of neurological diseases, like headache and neurodegenerative disorders, recruitment into these subspecialties remains insufficient in the United States. In this manuscript, a group of educators from the American Academy of Neurology's A.B. Baker Section on Neurological Education sought to review and discuss the current landscape of neurology fellowships in the United States, the factors driving fellowship recruitment and the educational barriers. Moreover, suggestions to potentially improve recruitment for under-selected fellowships, which can contribute towards an alignment between neurological education and neurological needs, and future educational scenarios are discussed.

Keywords: Choice; Curriculum design; Factors; Medical education; Neurologic education; Neurology fellowship.

Fig. 1

Barriers to choosing and pursuing less common fellowship training

Fig. 2

Key recommendations