Neurology (adult & pediatric): the Practice Eligibility Route

How training is structured

The Royal College sets out the training for Neurology (adult & pediatric) in the blocks below. An internationally trained specialist is assessed on whether their own training and practice record is comparable in structure and content.

Required experiences

Specific experiences the Royal College names for this discipline.

• A.1 Twenty-four (24) months of foundational training
• A.1.1 Ten (10) months clinical Internal Medicine: A.1.1.1 min two (2) months on an IM clinical teaching unit (CTU) or equivalent; A.1.1.2 min one (1) month Critical Care Medicine; A.1.1.3 min one (1)/max two (2) months each in selective IM subspecialty rotations (Endocrinology, Geriatrics, IM consultation/ambulatory care, Cardiology, Infectious Disease, Emergency Medicine, Rheumatology, or others approved by the program director)
• A.1.2 Fourteen (14) months pertinent to adult Neurology: A.1.2.1 max four (4) months further IM; A.1.2.2 min two (2) months clinical neurology; A.1.2.3 min three selective rotations of 1-2 months each (Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology, PM&R, Emergency Medicine, pain/palliative care, neuro-ophthalmology, neuro-oncology, clinical electrophysiology, research)
• A.2.1 Two (2) years clinical Neurology: A.2.1.1 min eighteen (18) months adult Neurology, in aggregate min four (4) months general/subspecialty Neurology clinics and six (6) months direct care on a Neurology CTU/equivalent (incl. min two (2) months in PGY4/PGY5 as a senior resident); A.2.1.2 min three (3) months pediatric Neurology
• A.2.2 Twelve (12) months residency/research pertinent to Neurology, in aggregate: A.2.2.1 min one (1) month Neuropathology; A.2.2.2 min two (2) months clinical electrophysiology; A.2.2.3 min one (1) month Neuroradiology; A.2.2.4 min one (1) month scholarly project
• B.1.1 Twelve (12) months clinical Pediatrics: B.1.1.1 min three (3) months on a general Pediatrics CTU or equivalent; B.1.1.2 min one (1) month pediatric Critical Care Medicine; B.1.1.3 min one (1)/max two (2) months each in selective Pediatrics subspecialty rotations (Developmental Pediatrics, Neonatology, Endocrinology, general pediatric consultation/ambulatory care, Cardiology, Infectious Disease, Emergency Medicine, Rheumatology, or others approved by the program director)
• B.1.2 Twelve (12) months pertinent to pediatric Neurology: B.1.2.1 max eight (8) months Pediatrics; B.1.2.2 min two (2) months clinical Neurology; B.1.2.3 min three selective rotations of 1-2 months each (Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology, Genetics, Metabolics, Embryology, Neonatal neurology, PM&R, pain/palliative care, neuro-ophthalmology, neuro-oncology, clinical electrophysiology, research)
• B.2.1 Two (2) years clinical Neurology: B.2.1.1 min eighteen (18) months pediatric Neurology, in aggregate min five (5) months general/subspecialty Neurology clinics and five (5) months on an inpatient Neurology consult service or CTU/equivalent (incl. min two (2) months in PGY4/PGY5 as a senior resident); B.2.1.2 six (6) months adult Neurology
• B.2.2 Twelve (12) months residency/research pertinent to Neurology, in aggregate: B.2.2.1 min one (1) month Neuropathology; B.2.2.2 min two (2) months clinical electrophysiology; B.2.2.3 min one (1) month Neuroradiology; B.2.2.4 min one (1) month scholarly project

Flexible or selective components

Where the requirements allow a choice.

• Selective rotations (1-2 months each) chosen from the listed subspecialties in both streams (A.1.2.3 / B.1.2.3); research may serve as a selective
• A.2.2 / B.2.2: twelve (12) of the final 36 months may be residency/research pertinent to Neurology

Common questions

What is the Practice Eligibility Route in Neurology (adult & pediatric)?

The Practice Eligibility Route (PER) is the Royal College process by which an internationally trained specialist can be assessed for eligibility to sit the certification examination in Neurology (adult & pediatric) without repeating a Canadian residency. The Royal College reads your postgraduate training and practice record against the published Specialty Training Requirements for the discipline.

What training does the Royal College expect in Neurology (adult & pediatric)?

The Specialty Training Requirements describe five (5) years of approved residency training (Adult and Pediatric Neurology streams). The full block-by-block structure is set out on this page, taken from the Royal College document for this discipline.

Does meeting the training requirements guarantee eligibility?

No. Eligibility is a committee decision made on your individual file, and other factors are considered. This page reproduces the published requirements so you can see how your own training compares before you apply; it is not an eligibility ruling.

Where do I start?

Read the six steps in the PER guide, then have your training mapped against the Specialty Training Requirements before you pay any fees. The free PDF for this specialty carries the steps, the document checklist, and the Neurology (adult & pediatric) requirements in one file.

More on the route itself: the full PER guide covers the six steps and the document checklist. Royal College examination dates for every discipline are on the Deadline Radar, and Canadian clinical fellowships in Neurology (adult & pediatric) are in the Fellowship Finder.