Neurology has always been viewed as a challenging field. Superimposed on this is a historic expansion of our understanding of neurologic disease and an increasingly complex healthcare system. While exciting, these changes have required neurologic education to adapt to meet the needs of this changing field. With this, the neurologic educator has emerged as a distinct professional identity to create, deliver, and disseminate high-quality and evidence-based educational programs for learners. This issue of Seminars in Neurology explores neurologic education and the role of the neurologic educator across the continuum, from preclinical medical education to residency and fellowship training and beyond. The authors explore why and how we teach, and how we can create systems that support learners and educators in their professional development.

The issue begins with an exploration of what it means to be a neurologic educator today, and the expanding role of the educator as clinician, administrator, scholar, teacher, and mentor. Each of these activities requires a subtly different skill set, as well as an understanding of evidence-based educational principles. The authors outline best practices and describe how the neurologic educator can build skills as well as structural institutional supports to value and reward their efforts.

Several articles focus on the learner experience and how the neurologic educator can best optimize this. One review outlines the evidence available to reduce “neurophobia,” a longstanding challenge in neurologic education, and discusses how preclinical educators might use the exciting advances in the field to transform this fear of neurology into “neuro-curiosity.” Another article examines simulation and other educational technologies in neurology; the authors emphasize how these methods offer deliberate practice in safe settings to facilitate the development of procedural skills, communication skills, and clinical reasoning.

Additional articles focus on educational systems, considering how the evolving healthcare landscape requires changes to our training structures. Authors consider virtual residency recruitment, which has become the norm in neurology in the post-COVID era. They review current practices to promote equity in interviewing while preserving our ability to establish an authentic human connection, and question whether the virtual format should continue to be the default moving forward. Another article analyzes child neurology training; the authors provide a call to action to ensure the training structure aligns with a field that has matured into its own distinct specialty.

Finally, the issue emphasizes how the neurologic educator must be recognized as a distinct professional identity. Authors highlight how department chairs and other institutional leadership can support educators by ensuring protected time for teaching and educational administration, recognizing effort and excellence in education, supporting promotion (or developing promotion pathways) for educational achievements, and cultivating a culture that values the educational mission.

Across the issue runs a common theme: the neurologic educator must both develop their own skills and be supported by a system that values education. Today's neurologic educators and leaders are tasked with establishing this framework to inspire the next generation of trainees and neurologic educators. With this, we can populate our healthcare system with learners who are clinically excellent, humane, resilient, and not simply unafraid of neurology, but who have grown to love the field.

Article published online:
15 March 2026

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