To evaluate whether a newly developed longitudinal neurology rotation experience improves medical student satisfaction, and perceptions of learning compared to traditional, multi-site rotations in the Neurology Core Clerkship at an academic medical school.

As the burden of neurological disease rises and the neurology workforce gap widens, effective undergraduate neurology education is essential. “Neurophobia,” students’ discomfort and lack of confidence in neurology, remains a major barrier to proficiency and interest in the field. Traditional clerkships emphasize breadth of exposure but lack preceptor continuity, limiting mentorship and learner engagement. In 2021, our institution restructured its Neurology Core Clerkship from a fragmented, multi-site format to a longitudinal model where students remain at a single site for four weeks to foster mentorship, continuity, and learner-centered education.

This single-center mixed-methods retrospective study included 330 students across three academic years (2021–2024) and will include 806 students (2017-2024) upon completion of phase two analysis. Students rotated on one of seven neurology services, including a new longitudinal ambulatory Outpatient Service. Two independent coders conducted an inductive thematic analysis of anonymous narrative comments from course evaluations. Coding discrepancies were resolved by consensus to ensure analytic rigor.

Among 330 student comments, positive experiences with preceptors (28%) and a supportive learning environments (48%) were frequently cited, with appreciation for in-depth and personalized teaching (18%) across all sites. Students on the outpatient service most often highlighted continuity with preceptors (4 of 5 comments) and opportunities for active participation (10 of 40 comments). Exposure to diverse neurological pathologies was noted in 29% of comments, primarily from outpatient (17 of 53) and consult services (14 of 53).

Continuity with preceptors and focused mentorship may mitigate neurophobia and enhance engagement in neurology education. Students valued mentorship continuity, autonomy, and goal alignment, guiding forthcoming quantitative comparisons of confidence, teaching effectiveness, and overall experience (2017-2024).