Training Matters

Training in different countries and societies can provide important insights into the sociocultural factors that influence the perception and management of disease. In this article, Michele Viana compares and contrasts his experiences of training at headache centers in Italy and the USA, highlighting differences in attitudes towards headache and its treatment between these two countries.

In this Training Matters article, Samuel Frank highlights deficiencies in the current funding system for graduate medical education in the US, and discusses ideas for reform.

Pain is a leading reason for seeking medical care, but the management of pain is often felt to be inadequate. A good place to start tackling this problem is in the training of future doctors. This Training Matters article provides excellent advice for neurologists who are involved in the teaching of pain and its management.

Medical students tend to perceive neurology as one of the most difficult medical specialties, and practicing doctors often feel ill-prepared to handle disorders of the nervous system. Lim and Seet believe that the key to solving this problem is to simplify the subject at medical school. In this Training Matters article, they outline neurology teaching approaches that have been adopted at the National University of Singapore.

In this Training Matters article, Gamaldo and Salas provide an important and timely appraisal of the current state of sleep medicine education at medical-school and postgraduate levels. They highlight the need for more extensive integration of sleep education into the training curriculum and describe some new initiatives designed to achieve this goal.

In this Training Matters article, the authors highlight the need for neurologists to develop advocacy skills that they can use to promote high-priority issues facing the practice of neurology. The authors describe a training program that teaches participants to identify issues related to clinical practice, develop an action plan for dealing with these problems, and apply strategies to improve their communication skills.

Neurology residency education is undergoing considerable change in many countries, not least the US and Poland. Ralph F Józefowicz, who has experience with neurology residency training in both countries, compares their respective training programs and argues that the two systems have much to learn from one another during the reform process.

Virtual reality simulation has a growing role in teaching physicians to perform high-risk, complex or technically demanding procedures. In this Training Matters article, David Dawson discusses the benefits of using this approach for training in carotid artery stenting.

In developing countries, where the burden of neurological diseases is growing, there is a defi nite and pressing need to develop and strengthen neurology training and services. This Training Matters article provides insight into some of the problems facing neurology training in Ethiopia and discusses some practical ways in which it might be improved.

In this Training Matters article, Samuel Frank advocates teaching as a ubiquitous skill that neurology residents need to acquire regardless of whether they are pursuing a career in clinical practice or academics. The author also discusses potential methods to assess and improve resident teaching skills.

In this Training Matters article, the authors promote the case for increased integration of neurology and psychiatry training, which they suggest will lead ultimately to improved patient care.

In this Training Matters article, the author discusses the importance of encouraging empathy skills in neurology residents, and offers practical guidance on how this can be achieved.