We describe our experience in adapting our neurology residency curriculum to address gaps in their education with the goal of molding humanistic neurology residents

Burnout is common in neurology residents and attendings. Providing neurology residents with skills and tools (advocacy and leadership; equity, diversity, and inclusion [EDI]; personal finance/adulting; professionalism; wellness; practice management; career planning) would enable them to make meaningful impact, and even meaningful systemic change, potentially easing burnout. The ACGME has also amended the Milestones and the curriculum also needs to reflect those changes.

The amended humanistic neurology curriculum was modified based on ACGME Milestones 2.0 and the current medical and social milieu. During 2020 to 2021, regular feedback was gathered to assess interest, confidence, and needs of the curriculum. Visual Thinking Strategies was one of the educational tools we used in teaching specific topics, such as EDI, professionalism, and wellness.

The residents have been supportive of these changes. They have changed some of their practices after attending these sessions. Barriers to curriculum implementation included limited faculty support, lecture time, resident time, and continued perception that these topics are not as important as the academic and clinical aspects of the curriculum.

Neurology residents and faculty were supportive of incorporating these new topics into the curriculum. It is an ongoing process and we are hoping to share our success so that other programs could potentially adapt these curriculum changes to their programs as well.