title: Child Neurology Recruitment and Training: Views of Residents and Child Neurologists From the 2015 AAP/CNS Workforce Survey.
abstract: To assess and compare resident and practicing child neurologists' attitudes regarding recruitment and residency training in child neurology.
  
  
  
  A joint task force of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Child Neurology Society conducted an electronic survey of child neurology residents (n = 305), practicing child neurologists (n = 1290), and neurodevelopmental disabilities specialists (n = 30) in 2015. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed.
  
  
  
  Response rates were 32% for residents (n = 97; 36% male; 65% Caucasian) and 40% for practitioners (n = 523; 63% male; 80% Caucasian; 30% lifetime certification). Regarding recruitment, 70% (n = 372) attributed difficulties recruiting medical students to insufficient early exposure. Although 68% (n = 364) reported that their medical school required a neurology clerkship, just 28% (n = 152) reported a child neurology component. Regarding residency curriculum, respondents supported increased training emphasis for genetics, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and multiple other subspecialty areas. Major changes in board certification requirements were supported, with 73% (n = 363) favoring reduced adult neurology training (strongest predictors: fewer years since medical school P = 0.003; and among practicing child neurologists, working more half-day clinics per week P = 0.005). Furthermore, 58% (n = 289) favored an option to reduce total training to 4 years, with 1 year of general pediatrics. Eighty-two percent (n = 448) would definitely or probably choose child neurology again.
  
  
  
  These findings provide support for recruitment efforts emphasizing early exposure of medical students to child neurology. Increased subspecialty exposure and an option for major changes in board certification requirements are favored by a significant number of respondents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. Electronic address: Donald.gilbert@cchmc.org.
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health (CNNH) and the Clinical Research Center of New Jersey (CRCNJ), Voorhees, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mintz
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Sucheta M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.affiliation: Division of Workforce and Medical Education Policy, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ruch-Ross
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bale
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007396:Internship and Residency; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D000072141:Neurologists / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000072143:Pediatricians / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010560:Personnel Selection; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
keywords: child neurology residency; graduate medical education; medical school; workforce survey