UCNS History and Timeline
Advances in neuroscience were occurring at an explosive rate, giving birth to innovative technologies and treatments which promised dramatic improvements in neurologic care. By 2000, 75 percent of neurology residents sought to enter fellowship programs to develop subspecialty expertise. Although there were abundant opportunities for neurology fellowships, training requirements varied considerably, and most fellowships were not accredited and their graduates not certified. To provide a means for formal recognition of emerging neurologic subspecialties and an opportunity to improve training for subspecialties through the development of training and clinical competence standards, the leaders in the field of Neurology collaborated to support and nurture neurologic subspecialties. In 2023, the UCNS marks its 20th anniversary as the accrediting and certifying body for emerging neurologic subspecialty that was envisioned and established by its founding parent organizations.
2001
The American Academy of Neurology developed the Commission on Subspecialty Certification comprised of five leading neurology organizations with a common interest of supporting and nurturing neurologic subspecialties:
2002
The five founding parent organizations established the structure, function, and budget for an accrediting and certifying body for emerging subspecialties
2003
The United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS) was incorporated as an independent 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization
2004
Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry is the first subspecialty approved for subspecialty recognition by UCNS
2005
Clinical Neuromuscular Pathology, Headache Medicine, Neurocritical Care, Neuroimaging, and Neuro-oncology approved for subspecialty recognition by UCNS
2006
UCNS accredits its first fellowship programs and offers its first certification examinations
2007
Autonomic Disorders and Geriatric Neurology approved for subspecialty recognition by UCNS
2010
Neural Repair and Rehabilitation approved for subspecialty recognition by UCNS
2016
- Annual reporting launched for accredited programs
- First recertification examinations offered
2018
- Last recertification examinations offered
- Fellowship evaluations implemented
2019
UCNS begins transition to
Continuous Certification (C-Cert)
2020
- Inaugural year of C-cert implementation
- Interventional Neurology approved for subspecialty recognition by UCNS
2022
Neonatal neurocritical Care approved for subspecialty recognition by UCNS
2023
UCNS marks 20th anniversary with over 3,000 UCNS-certified diplomates and over 200 UCNS-accredited training programs in 10 UCNS-approved and recognized neurologic subspecialties