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Pediatric Neurology Training in Canada: Current Status and Future Directions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2014

Asif Doja
Asif Doja*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
*
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L1, Canada. Email: adoja@cheo.on.ca
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Abstract

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Background:

Child neurology training in Canada has changed considerably over time, with increasing requirements for standardized teaching of the fundamentals of child neurology and the CanMEDS competencies. We sought to determine the current status of child neurology training in Canada as well future directions for training.

Method:

A web-based survey was sent to program directors (PD's) of active pediatric neurology training programs. General questions about the programs were asked, as well as about success at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) exam, breakdown of rotations, views on CanMEDS roles and questions on the future of pediatric neurology.

Results:

9/9 PD's completed the survey. 96.5% of all trainees successfully passed their RCPSC exam from 2001-2006. Breakdowns of the number and type of rotations for each year of training were provided. All CanMEDS roles were deemed to be important by PD's and programs have developed unique strategies to teach and assess these roles. 92.6% of trainees chose to go into academic practice, with the most popular subspecialty being epilepsy. All PD's favour joint training sessions particularly for neurogenetics and neuromuscular disease. Overall, PD's suggest recruitment for future child neurologists at the medical student level but are divided as to whether we are currently training too few or too many child neurologists.

Conclusions:

This survey provides a view of the current state of pediatric neurology training in Canada and suggestions for further development of postgraduate training. In particular, attention should be given to joint educational programs as well as urgently assessing the manpower needs of child neurologists.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 39 , Issue 3 , May 2012 , pp. 369 - 377
Copyright
Copyright © The Canadian Journal of Neurological 2012

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