Neurology training in sub‐Saharan Africa: A survey of people in training from 19 countries

ObjectiveTo provide a comprehensive understanding of neurology training from the sub‐Saharan African perspective.MethodsA 40‐question survey was distributed to attendees of the 7th annual sub‐Saharan African neurology teaching course in Khartoum, Sudan (2015). Themes included the student body, faculty, curriculum, assessment and examinations, technology, and work hours and compensation.ResultsOf 19 responding countries, 10 had no formal neurology training programs; Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique had an adult neurology program; Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa had adult and pediatric neurology programs (training duration range = 3–6 years). There was a median of 2.5 full‐time neurologists on the teaching faculty at the respondents' training institutions (neurologists on‐faculty:in‐country ratio = 0.48), with the lowest ratios in Sudan and Nigeria. Neurology was perceived to be a competitive specialty for entrance in 57% of countries, with 78% of respondents reporting a requisite entrance examination. Ninety‐five percent had access to a personal smartphone, 62% used the Internet more than occasionally, and 60% had access to onlin