To review current guidelines regarding neurological education and identify and discuss key factors 'behind neurophobia' as well as key educational strategies 'beyond neurophobia

Neurological disorders are among the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Moreover, the current shortfall of neurologists is expected to worsen over the coming decade. As a consequence, many patients with neurological disorders will be treated by physicians and primary care providers without formal neurological training. Furthermore, a pervasive and well-described fear of neurology, termed ‘neurophobia’, has been identified in medical student cohorts, residents and among general practitioners

Key factors 'behind neurophobia' as well as key educational strategies 'beyond neurophobia' have been identified and discussed

Neurophobia, along with the misperception that neurological diseases are devastating and untreatable, leads to alternate specialty choice and suboptimal patient outcomes in primary care practices. These biases run counter to the exponential growth in the knowledge of neurological disorders and their treatments. Incorporating best practices of adult, experiential learning into the best practices of dedicated observation characteristic of traditional medical school education and residency apprenticeships may mitigate this issue. These interventions include new educational formats that can be employed to reach a broader, less-expert audience to ensure comfort and competence with the initial diagnosis and management of neurological disorders. This may help ensure that health care providers at all levels of training are provided with a robust clinical neuroscience experience