Neurology (adult & pediatric): the Practice Eligibility Route
Requirements as published by the Royal College. Last reviewed August 2026.
Neurology (adult & pediatric) at a glance
- Required time in training
- 5 yearsSTR: Five (5) years of approved residency training (Adult and Pediatric Neurology streams)
- 2026 exam timing
- Written in the Spring; Applied in the Spring (following year)
- Apply for assessment of training
- by April 30 of the year before your exam
- Register for the exam
- September 1 – November 4 of the year before
- Exam attempts
- Maximum 4 attempts per component within a 5-year eligibility period
The Royal College reads your postgraduate training and practice record in Neurology (adult & pediatric) against the published Specialty Training Requirements. Those requirements are set out in full below, so you can see how your own training compares before you apply.
What licence can I get, and when?
Certification is national. Licensure is provincial. You do not need Royal College certification (FRCPC) to be licensed. Several provinces license you at an earlier PER stage, and the earliest any province accepts is the eligibility letter alone. The table applies to every specialty that reached exam eligibility through the PER.
Full province table: MCCQE, job offer and licence type
| Province | MCCQE | RC written | RC applied | Licence issued | Job offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Required | Required | Required | Full | Not required |
| British Columbia | Not required | Required | Required | Provisional | Required |
| Saskatchewan | Required | Required | Required | Provisional | Required |
| Manitoba | Not required | Required | Required | Provisional | Required |
| Ontario | Not required | Required | Not required | Provisional, 3 years | Required |
| Nova Scotia (a) | Not required | Not required | Not required | Defined, 6 to 24 months | Required |
| Nova Scotia (b) | Not required | Required | Required | Full | Required |
| New Brunswick | Not required | Not required | Not required | Special, then Defined | Required |
| Newfoundland & Labrador, PEI | Required* | Not required | Not required | Provisional | Required |
* The MCCQE may be waived where the candidate has five or more years of independent practice abroad. Case by case, never guaranteed.
Educational only. Rules change, and each regulator decides on factors that may not be listed here; Filipe Santos MD does not make licensure decisions. Checked October 9, 2026 against each regulator's pages; Ontario confirmed with the CPSO in October 2026. Confirm with the regulator before you act.
Province notes (Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the MCCQE) are in the PER guide.
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.
Requirements document: 2011, Editorial Revision April 2015, Version 1.2 (applies to training begun on/after July 1, 2011)
Required experiences9
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 components2
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
More questions about specialists trained abroad, each answered once with its official source, are in the IMG FAQ Center.
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 seven 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.
The Neurology (adult & pediatric) guide as one PDF
The seven PER steps, your document checklist, and the Neurology (adult & pediatric) training requirements in a single file. Free. Not sure the PER is your route? The screener checks your file against every route in about two minutes.
Other specialties27
Canadian clinical fellowships in Neurology (adult & pediatric) are in the Fellowship Finder.
Adapted from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Specialty Training Requirements for Neurology (adult & pediatric). Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Royal College; every application is reviewed individually and final decisions rest solely with the Royal College. Verify current requirements at royalcollege.ca.