The following documents produced by the Education Committee are under constant review to best represent the needs of the WFN and its member countries.
Training Centers
The Training Centers initiative provides a uniform method for accreditation of training centers around the world to ensure quality training opportunities for neurologists. Application for WFN accreditation by local training centers must be in conjunction with the WFN country delegate. Completed applications are reviewed by the Education Committee co-chairs and others as necessary.
The latest Training Center accredited by the WFN was the neurology department of Trujillo University, Peru, in August 2012.
Department Visits
The WFN and the Turkish Neurological Society (TNS) have been working together for two years on a series of department visits, where African neurologists in training spend one month visiting a Turkish university hospital to experience different neurology training.
The WFN provides secretarial support through advertising and promotion of the visits to WFN delegates and assists in the choice of trainees. The funding for the visit itself (including all accommodations and subsistence expenses) and the program for the trainee is arranged by the TNS.
Details of this year’s visit, which will take place in November 2013, have just been announced. The deadline for applications will be July 1, 2013; full details are available at www.wfneurology.org.
DIRECT TEACHING
Global Teaching Courses
Global Teaching Courses will provide a learning experience as a blend of local and international neurological and specialty societies work together to deliver courses and events. These courses are specifically focused on countries that may benefit from them.
This is a fairly new area for the Education Committee, and we anticipate that the WFN and the international societies will work together to develop and tailor existing courses during 2013.
WCN Teaching Courses
Education Committee Co-Chair Wolfgang Grisold is also chair of the WCN Teaching Course Committee. Dr. Grisold has developed a document that outlines the teaching course format for the WCN. This structured approach will be available to all WCN teaching course committees in the future to facilitate WCN teaching course development.
Continuum
Two hundred copies of the publication Continuum, Lifelong Learning in Neurology have been donated by the American Academy of Neurology to the WFN for dissemination. This donation is matched by the WFN. All 400 copies are sent to neurologic societies in 45 low-income countries free of charge by the WFN, which also provides these neurologists free Internet access. The completed CME program is scored by the WFN and certificates of completion are returned to respective delegates. This program has been well received and the number of responses continues to climb.
Subspecialty Accreditation
Over the past decade, paralleling the expansion of neuroscience knowledge, discrete subspecialties of neurology have evolved. Subspecialty education and training have become increasingly necessary to ensure delivery of the highest quality patient care. As a result, accreditation of subspecialty training programs of all varieties can now be accredited and endorsed by the WFN.
The latest subspecialty course to be endorsed was the Australia China Training Initiative of Neurology (ACTION), University of Melbourne, Melbourne Brain Centre at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Jiatong University Affiliated First People’s Hospital and Fudan University Affiliated Huashan Hospital.
Grants Monitoring
Each year, the WFN Grants Committee awards funding to applicants to support research or education initiatives. These awards tend to be provided to individuals or groups who explore long-term, low-cost and sustainable solutions. The Education Committee monitors the progress of education grants using a standard monitoring template by the grantees at defined time intervals.
The Education Committee edits the reports required on completion of the grant and forwards these to the editor of World Neurology for consideration for publication.
A Worldwide Survey of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Neurology
The Education Committee supported Professor John Steck during 2012 in his research into neurological training and certification worldwide. The Education Committee sent a questionnaire to all WFN country delegates, which Professor Steck analyzed and discussed. The report produced by Professor Steck’s will be available on the WFN website shortly.
Students: Curriculum for Department Visit IFSMA
Working with the International Federation of Student Medical Associations (IFMSA), the Education Committee developed a checklist for students on neurological rotations to ensure acquisition of the necessary skills and exposure to the necessary knowledge base. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by both organizations in 2011 for three years for mutual review and evolution of our relationship.
Communication With Young Neurologists
The Education Committee has been working to communicate regularly with young neurologists. Walter Struhal, chair of the young neurologist sub-committee and member of the website subcommittee, has been working to develop interactive Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn groups for young neurologists. These pages allow Dr. Struhal and his team to communicate the latest information from the WFN, other neurology groups and neurology news to followers and friends at the click of a button. Neurologists who don’t classify themselves as young are invited to join by finding IWGYNT (International Working Group of Young Neurologists and Trainees) on Facebook or Twitter.
These media channels also will provide an active tool for WCN visitors to actively communicate with each other and the WFN.
Traveling Fellowships
The Education Committee reviews and awards scholarships to young neurologists who fulfill strict guidelines, awarding 19 during 2011, to enable them to attend neuroscience meetings around the world. We work together with the WCN to award up to 100 scholarships to attend the WCN meeting.
For more information on the initiatives that the Education Committee is involved with, or to find out how to apply for any of the above opportunities, please visit www.wfneurology.org.
