Curriculum Innovations: Inspiring Neurology Residents to Pursue Fellowship Training in Movement Disorders

The aging US population has led to the increased prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases and the critical need for specialists with advanced training in the management of these conditions. Focus on Common Movement Disorders (FOCMD), a 2-day educational course hosted by Vanderbilt University, was started 16 years ago to provide neurology residents with exposure to the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders.

The aim of the course was to provide early-career neurology residents with relevant exposure to the field of movement disorders, through which we hope to increase medical knowledge of movement disorders and common Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies and inspire residents to pursue fellowship training in the field.

FOCMD consists of lectures and small-group workshops that provide an overview of common movement disorders and approved therapies. All North American neurology residency program directors are invited to nominate a first-year or second-year resident. Attendees are administered standardized multiple-choice precourse and postcourse examinations to assess foundational knowledge of common movement disorders and FDA-approved therapies and to measure acquisition of the course material. Past participants are regularly surveyed to gauge their impression of the course's effect on fellowship selection and their utilization of therapies common in the treatment of movement disorders.

Since 2008, FOCMD has trained 854 neurology residents from 113 programs. Between 2010 and 2020, 507 residents completed the precourse and postcourse examinations. There was an increase of 22.4 (95% CI 20.67-24.49; p < 0.001) percentage points between the precourse and postcourse examinations or an additional 3.8 questions were answered correctly. Follow-up surveys were sent to 414 past participants, and 116 were completed. Survey responses revealed that 84% of past attendees completed a fellowship, 44% of which were in the field of movement disorders. In addition, 82% of past participants reported that the course affected subspecialty selection and 63% reported treating patients with movement disorders in their current practice.

Experience with FOCMD has shown it to be successful in introducing neurology residents to the subspecialty early in their career and increasing medical knowledge on movement disorders. An educational program of this format may also positively influence fellowship selection.