Establishing a core curriculum in headache medicine: Best practices from the international headache society education committee.

Abstract

Headache disorders remain one of the most disabling and prevalent neurological diseases worldwide. Headache medicine and care have evolved tremendously over the past few years. In order to foster adequate education in headache medicine in medical school curricula and clinical residency programs, the Education Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS) updated the core curriculum in headache medicine for establishing core competencies in general neurologists and headache specialists. This document describes the background and methodical approach of the IHS in developing and updating the current core curriculum in headache medicine and presents the output of the endeavor. The process has been guided by international expert consultation, evidence-based content development, and alignment with evolving scientific and clinical advances. The 2026 updated Core Curriculum outlines a tiered approach for general neurologists and headache specialists, which includes advances in pathophysiology, diagnosis, therapeutics, multidisciplinary management, and internationally transferable training standards. This revised core curriculum will guide headache education worldwide and enable higher-quality patient care across a range of healthcare settings.