An important first step

This issue of Neurology includes as a Special Article a consensus paper on the Neurology Clerkship Core Curriculum by Gelb et al.¹ Approved by the American Academy of Neurology, the American Neurological Association, and the Association of University Professors of Neurology, the article is the work of the Consortium of Neurology Clerkship Directors and the Undergraduate Education Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. It is a landmark publication. Building on earlier recommendations concerning the neurology clerkship,^2-6⇓⇓⇓⇓ Gelb et al.¹ present the broad consensus of virtually every leading neurologist teaching medical students. It is remarkable for its focus on neurologic symptoms as the starting point for patient evaluation and the emphasis on the most common neurologic symptoms, signs, and diseases. Equally noteworthy is that it targets skills, the actual deployment of knowledge, in the clinical setting. Gelb et al.¹ address the education of all future physicians: the common knowledge base and skill set that should be required.

Before its acceptance for publication, the paper also was extensively peer-reviewed by the Neurology editorial office. National leaders of neurology in the United States and other countries, as well as leaders of family medicine and emergency medicine, were asked to review the curriculum and the framework of its presentation. The result is an article that can help in curricular planning by neurologists in the open forum of medical school-wide curriculum planning.

Gelb …