Opinion & special articles: neurology training: to pursue or not to pursue a fellowship.

The present-day burgeoning of new medical information, interventions, and procedures, as well as the emphasis on quality improvement, has fostered a greater need for specialization in medicine. More residents than ever before are pursuing a fellowship, and neurology residents are no exception. Approximately 86% of neurology residents matriculate into a fellowship, up nearly 10% from a decade ago. Although not all fellowships are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and applying for neurology fellowships is hardly a standardized process, the statistic suggests that residents value additional training (table). However, fellowships are not for everyone, and there remain compelling reasons for some residents to forgo fellowship in favor of a clinical position directly out of residency.