ACPNF Fellow
Case Log 02/25

ACPNF Program
Case Log 02/25


Link to:


American Board Pediatric Neurological Surgeons

SF Match
Pediatric Neurosurgy Fellowship

Program Requirements for
ACPNF Fellowship Accreditation

I. Fellowship Program Clinical and Administrative Requirements for Continuing Accreditation

1. Maintenance of Adequate Faculty Composition
   • There must be a minimum of three pediatric neurosurgeons on the program faculty. At least two of these three neurosurgeons, including the program director, must be American Board of Pediatric Neurosurgery (ABPNS) certified pediatric neurosurgeons and at least one other either ABPNS-certified or eligible.
   • It is the ABPNS, not the ACPNF, that determines eligibility requirements for ABPNS certification. Current eligibility requirements for ABPNS certification include:
     • (1) Completion of an ACPNF-accredited fellowship and
     • (2) ABNS certification
2. Submission of Case Logs for Both the Program and Fellow
   • Case logs of operations performed during the immediately preceding year (July 1–June 30) for both the program and fellow must be submitted to the ACPNF as part of the annual program report by September 1.
     • Programs that do not match a fellow are still required to submit their program logs.
     • Minimum case volumes for the program and the fellow are determined by the ACPNF Board. Currently, the minimum case volume for programs is 400 cases/year and 250 cases/year for the fellow.
     • All programs must provide a comprehensive surgical experience which requires meeting case type minimums for various surgical procedures (see Case Minimum Requirements).
     • Case type minimums are determined by national data provided by the programs and may be adjusted as practice patterns and training requirements evolve.
3. Payment Of Annual Accreditation Fees
   • Fellowship programs will receive an invoice for the annual $500 accreditation fee from the ACPNF in July, along with the annual program survey, which includes reporting of both program and fellow case logs for the preceding academic year. Both the dues and the program survey/case logs must be received by the ACPNF by September 1, 2025.
   • Please be aware that on September 2nd, any program that does not have their program survey/case logs and fees submitted will be listed as “Noncompliant” on their profile on the ACPNF website.
     • Any program with missing logs or dues as of April 1st cannot participate in the match.
4. Citation/Probation/Revocation definitions:
   • A citation letter will be sent for the first documented program deficiency, and the program will be listed as “Non-Compliant” on the ACPNF website until the concern is addressed.
     • Administrative citations will carry the designation of “administrative program deficiency” for administrative issues such as failure to submit case logs and dues payment by September 1.
     • Clinical citations will carry the designation of “clinical program deficiency” for clinical concerns such as:
       • not meeting minimum total cases volume for either the program or fellow
       • not meeting 2 or more “critical” case type minimums
       • not meeting the faculty composition requirements
       • concerning findings on the fellow survey
       • match irregularities
       • failure to train at least one post-residency fellow (FMG, DO, or MD) once every 5 years.
     • Clinical program citations require a formal response with an action plan submitted by the program’s Fellowship Director.
   • A probation letter will be sent for recurrence of the same concern in a successive year or occurrence of other concerns. Probationary status remains on the ACPNF website for the entire year.
   • Revocation: If a program on probation fails to remedy their deficiency in the subsequent year, they will be subject to potential revocation.
   • Inquiries or complaints may be submitted in writing to the Secretary and Chair by any FD at any time.

II. Application Process for ACPNF Fellowship Accreditation

To apply for pediatric neurosurgery fellowship accreditation through the ACPNF, the proposed program director should submit the following information:

1. A listing of all Pediatric Neurosurgical faculty and their ABNS and ABPNS eligibility/certification status
   • There must be a minimum of three pediatric neurosurgeons on the program faculty. At least two of these three neurosurgeons, including the program director, must be American Board of Pediatric Neurosurgery (ABPNS) certified pediatric neurosurgeons and at least one other either ABPNS-certified or eligible.
   • It is the ABPNS, not the ACPNF, that determines eligibility requirements for ABPNS certification. Current eligibility requirements for ABPNS certification include:
     • (1) Completion of an ACPNF-accredited fellowship and
     • (2) ABNS certification

   For specific questions about ABPNS eligibility requirements please contact the ABPNS directly.

   The program must be affiliated with a residency training program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (USA) or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

2. A summary of the organizational structure of the pediatric neurosurgery division and proposed fellowship experience, including:
   • Responsibilities of the fellow
   • Numbers of neurosurgery residents on the pediatric neurosurgery service with the fellow and their roles, responsibilities, and anticipated hierarchy in the operating room
   • Formal educational conferences in which the fellow will participate
   • Research expectations of the fellow, if any
3. A Case Log of operations performed during the immediately preceding year (July 1–June 30)
   • The program’s annual number of cases must be 400 or greater. All programs must provide a comprehensive surgical experience to fellows, including meeting minimum case standards for each graduating fellow at the completion of the fellowship year.
4. Support letters from the following departments/divisions/sections within the institution:
   • Pediatric Neurology
   • Critical Care Medicine
   • Pediatric Anesthesiology
   • Pediatric Surgery
   • Neuropathology
   • Pediatric Neuroradiology
   • The Chair of the Neurosurgical Residency Program

Timeline for the Submission of an ACPNF Fellowship Application

The ACPNF Board of Directors meets in person once per year in conjunction with the Pediatric Neurosurgery Joint Section meeting in late November–early December and virtually in April where new program applications are discussed. Institutions wishing to establish an ACPNF-accredited fellowship should provide all written materials described above to the ACPNF Board of Directors at least 30 days prior to the Pediatric Section meeting. Once these materials are received, the Board of Directors will review the materials and coordinate a site visit with the institution. The applying institution is responsible for all travel expenses for the site evaluator, as well as a $1000 application fee payable to the ACPNF.

The suggested timeline for the application is as follows:

III. ACPNF Match Rules and Timeline

• Fellowship interviews may be virtual and/or in person at the applicant’s preference. The program may offset some or all of the expenses (travel, hotel, etc.) at their discretion. Interviews must be completed prior to rank list submission.

  Timetable: 2026 Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowship Match for 2027 Positions

  Action	Relevant Dates	Specifics
  Applications	April 1 – August 31, 2026	Registration opens April 1, 2026; application deadline August 31, 2026.
  Interviews	May – October, 2026	Interviews begin May 1, 2026; must be complete prior to submission of rank list.
  Final Rank List Submission	Monday, October 26, 2026	All rank lists must be submitted by 12:00 PM PT. After the deadline, rank list choices will be locked and no changes can be made.
  Match Results	Monday, November 2, 2026	Match results made available to programs and applicants at 09:00 am PT. Log into your SF Match account to view match results.
  Post-Match Vacancies	Tuesday, November 3, 2026	Any vacancies that remain after the match will be announced on the Immediate Vacancies page at 09:00 AM PT. Vacancy listings are managed by individual programs.
  Training begins	July 2027

• Withdrawing from the SF Match

  If a program decides to accept someone outside of the match prior to the interview period, the program will not get credit for matching a fellow that year. Once the interview period commences, out of match agreements and program withdrawal from the match are unacceptable and may result in revocation of accreditation.

  Programs not participating in the current match cycle should click on the “withdraw” button in “Match Cycle Settings”. Withdrawals must be submitted before April 1. Late withdrawals (after applicant registration has started) must be requested in writing to the SF Match Manager. Please note that late withdrawal fees may apply. Withdrawn programs must pay their annual membership fees to maintain accreditation status.

  Please review the Conduct, Rules, and Regulations of the Fellowship Match in Pediatric Neurosurgery on the ACPNF website: https://acpnf.org/Conduct.htm