Increasing Early Awareness of Child Neurology as a Potential Career Path: Miya Bernson-Leung, MD, EdM

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"As the specialty advisor, I’m fortunate to have people who are interested in child neurology come to me and to be able to talk about it. But for people out there who don’t maybe have a dedicated advisor in the specialty, spreading that awareness—whether it’s among the pediatrics advisors or the neurology advisors—that it is a unique and different training pathway is important."

A recent symposium presented at the 54th Child Neurology Society (CNS) Annual Meeting, held October 8-11, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina, provided an interactive setting for educators involved in training child neurologists and neurodevelopmental disability specialists. The session addressed current developments in residency education, including the use of simulation in training, approaches to resident evaluation, and progress in defining Entrustable Professional Activities in child neurology. Attendees participated in presentations and discussions focused on mentoring strategies, improving recruitment from medical school to residency, providing constructive feedback, and managing challenges related to resident performance.

In the session, experts emphasized practical methods for integrating simulation-based education into residency programs and assessing learners’ readiness for independent practice. Speakers also discussed frameworks for evaluating performance and approaches to aligning assessments with clinical competency goals. One of the presentations held during the session specifically focused on strategies for engaging medical students and fostering interest in careers in child neurology.

Experts featured in this session included Miya Bernson-Leung, MD, EdM, program director of child neurology residency at Boston Children's Hospital, Adam Wallace, MD, director of the child neurology residency program at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and John A. Pugh, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology and pediatrics at Albany Medical Center. In an interview at the meeting with Contemporary Pediatrics, our sister publication, Bernson-Leung highlighted the importance of introducing medical students to child neurology early in their education, ideally during the preclinical phase, to foster awareness and interest in the field.

She described how engaging in neuroscience courses, incorporating pediatric-focused cases, and bringing patients and children into teaching settings can help students appreciate the field’s depth and rewards. During the conversation, Bernson-Leung also outlined the unique child neurology residency structure, which includes combined pediatrics and neurology training, and noted ongoing discussions about updates to program requirements.

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REFERENECS
1. Bernson-Leung M, Wallace A, Pugh J. Table 2: Growing the Future: Engaging Medical Students in Child Neurology. Presented at: 2025 Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting. October 8-11; Charlotte, North Carolina. Child Neurology/NDD Educators Symposium: Teach, Mentor, and Inspire: A Symposium for the Child Neurology Educator.