NEUROLOGY
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SUPERVISING COMMITTEE

DEFINITION OF SPECIALTY

GENERAL PRINCIPLES of Training

COMPONENTS OF TRAINING

Core Training

Non Core Training

Procedural Skills

Other Specific Requirements

Research

Training Sites

Rural/Regional Training

SPECIAL SOCIETIES

 Vocational Training
 Neurology
Supervising Committee
Specialist Advisory Committee (SAC) in Neurology.

Definition of Specialty
Neurology encompasses the science, investigation and treatment of all inherited and acquired diseases affecting the nervous and neuromuscular systems.

General Principles of Training
  1. In Australia the duration of advanced training in neurology is 3 years. The 3 year training will usually be completed within a 6 year period, allowing for interruptions to training, part time training and mid training research. Of the 3 years, a maximum of 12 months of either research in neuroscience or of an elective subspecialty of neuroscience may be accredited (non core training). While useful research may be readily accomplished in 12 months, many trainees will spend a longer period of time in such pursuits. A minimum of 12 months core training will usually be full time. Of the 3 years, a maximum of 6 months of research in neuroscience or 12 months of an elective subspecialty of neuroscience may be accredited (non core training).
  2. Emphasis will be given to the management of inpatients, outpatients, on-call emergency neurology and exposure to neuropathology, neurophysiology and neuroimaging.
  3. In Australia training in more than one site is encouraged, and generally all training in one site only shall not be approved. In New Zealand training in more than one site is strongly encouraged. Generally a maximum of only 24 months training in one site will be approved.
  4. Post FRACP training (FRACP already obtained in another speciality) has the same requirements of 2 core years and one non core year.

Components of Training
Core Training
The period of core training is 24 months. Within this time the following minimum requirements must be achieved:
  • 8 months full time (or equivalent part time) direct responsibility for emergency assessment and inpatient care of general neurology patients;
  • 12 months on-call for neurological emergencies;
  • 12 months of neurology consultations within a general hospital;
  • 24 months of neurology ambulatory care at a minimum of one clinic per week or the equivalent number over a shorter duration;
  • exposure to:
    • neuroimaging (including one neuroradiologist conducting weekly review period over 2 years)
    • neuropathology (one neuropathologist teaching period per month for 2 years, or attendance at 2 neuropathology teaching courses, e.g. University of Sydney Postgraduate Neuropathology Course). In New Zealand, in addition to exposure to neuropathology in the training centre, trainees are expected to attend two neuropathology teaching courses (such as the University of Sydney Postgraduate Neuropathology Course).
    • In Australia, neurorehabilitation (one period per week for 6 months preferably at an approved rehabilitation facility or involvement in rehabilitation activities in a general hospital);
  • neurophysiology training may be completed during the third year of training even if it is a non core year of training;
  • subspeciality training may include neurorehabilitation, neurogenetics, neuroophthalmology, paediatric neurology, neurootology, neuromuscular behavioural neurology, stroke, epilepsy, movement disorders and neuroimmunology and is generally obtained during the second or third year. This training may be gained by attendance at appropriate clinics, ward service, clinical meetings and seminars, during either the core training years or a non core year.

Non Core Training
This need not be directly related to clinical neurology but should be related to the neurosciences. The principal aims are to enable trainees to develop ability for critical appraisal of specific research and publications and to promote research within the neurosciences by clinicians. The non core training also allows for development of more experience in a particular subspecialty area of clinical neurology.

Procedural Skills and Logbooks
In Australia, neurophysiology training will comprise one period per week for 24 months or an equivalent total over a shorter period of time but not less than 3 months, in an accredited laboratory during which time it is expected that approximately 500 EEGs and 50 EPs will be examined or reported on under supervision, and approximately 250 EMGs will be attended or performed under supervision with all studies logged.

Thelogbooks are required to record the extent of the experience during the course of training. The supervisors will use these logbooks to formulate the annual report and the SAC may review these logbooks.

In New Zealand trainees should spend four weeks full time intensive training in clinical neurophysiology. It is recommended that this should occur near the end of the first six months of core training. This should be followed by 40 sessions which ideally should be rostered at weekly intervals. During the course of this training in clinical neurophysiology, trainees should develop a good understanding of EEGs, peripheral neurophysiology and evoked potentials. Trainees are expected to review EEGs performed on patients with various types of epilepsy, and a variety of metabolic conditions and other neurological disorders. The trainees should review and report at least 100 EEGs (with these EEGs being subsequently reviewed by a neurophysiologist). The trainees should have exposure to nerve conduction studies, EMGs and repetitive nerve stimulation in a variety of disorders of peripheral nerve, muscle, anterior horn cell and neuromuscular junction. The trainees should participate in at least 100 nerve condition studies and EMGs and should perform at least 50 studies themselves.

Logbooks are required to record all EEGs and EMGs performed during training. The supervisors will use these logbooks to formulate the annual report. The SAC may review these logbooks.

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This page was last edited: 16 September 2003