{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T00:53:32Z","timestamp":1791852812231,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784246400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791849600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":88,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Med Educ"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Pediatric neurology training must evolve to meet increasing clinical complexity and rapid advances in neuroscience while maintaining high standards of family-centered care. In Saudi Arabia, structured residency programs have expanded under national accreditation frameworks; however, systematic evaluations of curriculum adequacy from the faculty perspective remain limited. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the pediatric neurology training curriculum within the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)-accredited training system (including programs in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates [UAE]) from the faculty perspective, identifying strengths, gaps, and differences between program directors (PDs) and non-director faculty.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a multi-institutional cross-sectional study between September and December 2025 targeting pediatric neurology faculty, including PDs, deputy directors, core faculty, and clinical staff involved in resident education. A validated 47-item questionnaire assessed satisfaction across six core curriculum components (educational resources, graduate autonomy and safety, clinical knowledge, clinical\u2013academic balance, research opportunities, and professionalism), identified priority training gaps, and collected qualitative recommendations. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric comparisons, correlation analysis, and exploratory multivariable linear regression. Open-ended responses underwent inductive thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Forty-three consultants participated, including nine PDs. Overall satisfaction was moderate, with the highest ratings for resident professionalism (mean 3.8\/5) and the lowest for clinical\u2013academic balance (2.8\/5) and research opportunities (2.9\/5). Genetics and hereditary diseases (74%), neuroimmunology (70%), and neurodevelopmental disorders (63%) were the most frequently cited domains requiring greater emphasis. PDs reported significantly lower overall satisfaction than non-directors (\u03b2 = \u22120.37,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.02), particularly regarding academic time and research infrastructure. Satisfaction with educational resources strongly correlated with perceived research opportunities (\u03c1\u2009=\u20090.58,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u20090.001). Qualitative themes highlighted excessive service demands, insufficient protected academic time, limited research mentorship, and the need for structured training in rapidly evolving subspecialties.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Pediatric neurology training in the region demonstrates strong clinical and professional foundations but is constrained by systemic challenges in academic balance, research support, and subspecialty preparedness. These perception-based findings suggest that PDs\u2019 heightened concerns may inform future curriculum development. Potential areas for consideration include protected academic time, enhanced research infrastructure, and nationally coordinated curricula in high-priority domains. However, these are exploratory implications requiring further evaluation before implementation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909-026-09926-w","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T07:16:49Z","timestamp":1784272609000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Evaluating the pediatric neurology training curriculum in SCFHS-accredited programs: a multi-institutional survey study"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0115-9457","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed K.","family":"Bamaga","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9716-2521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hebah F.","family":"Qashqari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1388-5069","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anas S.","family":"Alyazidi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5188-8922","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammed M.S.","family":"Jan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7575-7671","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raidah S.","family":"Albaradie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2570-8462","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Khalid J.","family":"Hundallah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3813-6072","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ali","family":"Al-Otaibi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2331-8869","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed R.","family":"Al Rumayyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1436-6727","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fahad A.","family":"Bashiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"9926_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1001\/jamaneurol.2020.4152","volume":"78","author":"VL Feigin","year":"2021","unstructured":"GBD 2017 US Neurological Disorders Collaborators, Feigin VL, Vos T, et al. 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UBEREC is formally registered with the Saudi National Committee of Bioethics (NCBE) under registration number HA-02-J-008. Ethical approval was granted for the study with reference number 33\u2009\u2212\u200923 as a non\u2011interventional cross\u2011sectional study. Under NCBE regulations, approval from any registered committee is recognized nationally, making single\u2011institution approval sufficient for this survey. The introductory page of the electronic questionnaire provided detailed information about the study objectives, confidentiality, and participant rights. Completion and submission of the questionnaire were considered implied informed consent. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines. All responses were collected anonymously; no personally identifiable information was obtained. Data were stored securely and analyzed in aggregate form to ensure participant confidentiality and data protection.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"Not applicable. This manuscript does not contain any personal data in a form that could compromise anonymity (e.g., images, detailed case reports).","order":2,"name":"Ethics","label":"Consent for publication","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","label":"Competing interests","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}}],"article-number":"1636"}}