The Brain Medicine Fellowship: A Competency-Based Training Program to Treat Complex Brain Disorders.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Education
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Complex brain disorders affect affect, behavior, and cognition.
• A need exists for physicians trained in interdisciplinary care for these conditions.
• Few training programs address this need.

Purpose of the Study:

• Outline the development and practices of the Brain Medicine Fellowship.
• Describe the generation of brain medicine competencies and assessment processes.
• Highlight the Brain Medicine Clinic as a model for integrative care.

Main Methods:

• Developed a competency-based fellowship program at the University of Toronto.
• Accepted trainees from various brain medicine specialties.
• Established the Brain Medicine Clinic for hands-on experience.

Main Results:

• The fellowship has enrolled fellows since July 2019.
• Over 26 supervisors provide diverse training experiences.
• The program fosters novel clinicians and innovative clinical programming.

Conclusions:

• The Brain Medicine Fellowship is an innovative, competency-based program.
• It addresses the need for specialists in complex brain disorder treatment.
• The associated Brain Medicine Clinic exemplifies integrated patient care.