PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY

What does a Pediatric Neurologist do?
What are the career opportunities?
What Board(s) certifies Child Neurologists?
What is the lifestyle of a Child Neurologist?
What is the compensation of a Child Neurologist?
How do I become a Child Neurologist?
Where do I find out about available programs?
When do I apply?
Why should I choose to become a Pediatric Neurologist?

What does a Pediatric Neurologist do?
The discipline of Pediatric Neurology, also called Child Neurology, encompasses disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve and muscle affecting infants, children and adolescents. The variety of patients seen by a Child Neurologist varies from those with common, relatively straightforward conditions, such as cerebral palsy or migraine, to those with rare or complex conditions, such as metabolic or degenerative disorders. This robust variety of conditions allows Child Neurologists to structure their scientific or clinical careers according to their clinical or research interests.

What are the career opportunities?
Given their shortage, child neurologists have exciting opportunities in private practice or academics throughout the world. The number of Child Neurologists in the US is estimated to be at least 20% below the national needs, although many believe that this is a conservative estimate.

The majority of Child Neurologists have active clinical practices, either as private practitioners or in an academic setting. In general, approximately 40% to 50% of the patients in a typical child neurology practice have epilepsy, 20% have developmental delay or learning or behavioral issues, and 20% have headaches. The remaining patients have unusual conditions, such as metabolic, genetic or syndromic disorders. In many centers, individual clinical practices can become highly specialized and address specific conditions, such as pediatric stroke, migraine, intractable epilepsy, or rare metabolic conditions. Others subspecialize in such areas as neonatal neurology, epileptology, neurogenetics, neurodevelopmental disabilities, or pediatric neuromuscular diseases. Child Neurologists often evaluate and manage children with neurobehavioral disorders, including Tourette syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder. Many academic Child Neurologists enter careers in laboratory-based or clinical/translational research. Thus, divisions of child neurology can be a home for individuals with MD/PhD degrees or other advanced research training. As neurogenetics has moved from the era of identifying single gene disorders to the studies of complex traits, such as autism spectrum disorder, opportunities for both basic and clinical research in child neurology continue to expand. New and emerging therapies require Child Neurologists who will join teams of investigators as they identify evidence-based approaches for many neurological conditions.

What Board(s) certifies Child Neurologists?
Child Neurologists are certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) as having special qualification in Child Neurology. Many Child Neurologists also obtain Board Certification in Pediatrics through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). A special agreement exists between the ABP and the ABPN whereby an applicant can fulfill the training requirements of both organizations. To ensure that trainees receive comprehensive training in pediatrics, the ABP requires two years of training in general pediatrics. Click here for more information.

What is the lifestyle of a Child Neurologist?
Child neurologists lead rewarding lives through service to their patients and dedication to pediatric neuroscience. The hours can be long, but the practice life of a Child Neurologist can be enriched through community service, advocacy and scholarly activities. Because many Child Neurologists enter group practices, call is typically taken at home and can be distributed, allowing balance in personal and professional lives.

What is the compensation of a Child Neurologist?
The salaries and benefits provided to a Child Neurologist vary according to the nature of the clinical practice. In general, Child Neurologists in private practice earn more than those in academic environments. Practices that emphasize and derive compensation from procedures, such as electroencephalography (EEG) or neuroimaging, can provide substantial income to the members of the group. A child neurologist's salary and benefits allow a very comfortable lifestyle. For more information, click here or here.

How do I become a Child Neurologist?
Child neurologists enter training via a match administered by the San Francisco Match Program. Trainees can enter the match at several points: during their fourth year of medical school (the most common pathway), after 1, 2 or 3 years of pediatric training, or after the completion of pediatric residency. Prerequisites for training in child neurology consist of 2 years of residency training in pediatrics, 1 year of residency training in general internal medicine and 1 year of residency training in pediatrics or 1 year of pediatrics plus 1 year of basic neuroscience (e.g., PhD) training. These prerequisites allow considerable flexibility in the educational preparation for child neurology. For additional information click here or here

Where do I find out about available programs?
Information about programs and their available positions can be obtained through the SF Match Program website. Information about careers and programs can also be obtained from the website of the Child Neurology Society.

When do I apply?
The match process allows applicants to enter child neurology training at several stages of their education and training. The SF Match program opens for online applications in June and the final rank list is typically due in the first week of the subsequent year. Interviews are conducted jointly with pediatric residency programs for those entering the child neurology match during their fourth year of medical school or individually with child neurology programs for those entering the match during or after their pediatric residency training. Note that applicants entering child neurology during their fourth year of medical school must also apply to pediatric residency programs through ERAS and the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Several pediatric residency and child neurology training programs offer 5 or 6 year programs that facilitate the matching of applicants to combined or sequential training in both pediatrics and child neurology in the same institution. Information regarding these programs can be obtained through the SF Match Program or NRMP websites. Click here for match statistics.

Why should I choose to become a Pediatric Neurologist?
Pediatric neurology provides rewarding career opportunities for those interested in the child development and pediatric neuroscience, whether in clinical child neurology or basic neurobiology. Given the persisting shortage of Child Neurologists, job opportunities abound throughout the US for satisfying careers in practice or academic environments.

For more information about Pediatric Neurology, visit these websites:

San Francisco Match
ACGME
American Board of Pediatrics
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Child Neurology Society
American Academy of Neurology Child Neurology Section
American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neurology
Child Neurology Foundation

Subspecialty Journals
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
Journal of Child Neurology
Journal of Pediatric Neurology
Neuropediatrics
Pediatric Neurology