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Shlobin NA, Ellenbogen Y, Hodaie M, Rosseau G. Education and Training in Global Neurosurgery: Current State and Path Toward a Uniform Curriculum. Neurosurg Clin N Am 2024; 35:429-437. [PMID: 39244315 DOI: 10.1016/j.nec.2024.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Education is a sustainable long-term measure to address the global burden of neurosurgical disease. Neurosurgery residencies in high-income countries are accredited by a regional governing body and incorporate various educational activities. Few opportunities for training may be present in low-income and middle-income countries due to a lack of neurosurgery residency programs, tuition, and health care workforce reductions. Core components of a neurosurgical training curriculum include operative room experience, clinical rounds, managing inpatients, and educational conferences. A gold standard for neurosurgical education is essential for creating comprehensive training experience, though training must be contextually appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A Shlobin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute of New York, New York Presbyterian Hospital - Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 710 West 168th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Yosef Ellenbogen
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Stewart Building 149 College Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada. https://twitter.com/YosefEllenbogen
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Stewart Building 149 College Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada; Division of Brain, Imaging & Behaviour, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. https://twitter.com/mhodaie
| | - Gail Rosseau
- Department of Neurological Surgery, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2150 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 7-420, Washington, DC 20037, USA; Barrow Global, Barrow Neurological Institute, 2910 N 3rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA. https://twitter.com/grosseaumd
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The Efficacy of Blended Learning in a Pediatric Spine Deformity Management Program in Sub-Saharan Africa. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev 2023; 7:01979360-202302000-00001. [PMID: 36745534 PMCID: PMC9902016 DOI: 10.5435/jaaosglobal-d-22-00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Our study assessed the efficacy of blended learning, which combines in-person learning and e-learning, in a pediatric scoliosis training program through an international collaborative effort. METHODS The course comprised two parts: the online portion, where participants reviewed educational materials for 3 weeks and met with faculty once/week for discussion, and the in-person session, where participants reviewed cases in a team-based approach and came to a consensus on treatment strategy, followed by discussion with an international expert. All participants completed a needs assessment (NA) and clinical quiz at three points: before the course, after the online session, and after the in-person session, which covered various topics in pediatric spine deformity. RESULTS Thirty-six surgeons enrolled in the course from 13 College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa countries. The NA assessment scores improved significantly over the course of the surveys from 67.3, to 90.9, to 94.0 (P = 0.02). The clinical quiz scores also improved from 9.91, to 11.9, to 12.3 (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION The blended learning approach in a pediatric spine deformity program is effective and feasible and shows a statistically significant change in participants' confidence and knowledge base in these complex pathologies. This approach should be explored further with larger numbers and/or other spinal pathologies.
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Hoffman C, Härtl R, Shlobin NA, Tshimbombu TN, Elbabaa SK, Haglund MM, Rubiano AM, Dewan MC, Stippler M, Mahmud MR, Barthélemy EJ, Griswold DP, Wohns R, Shabani HK, Rocque B, Sandberg DI, Lafuente J, Dempsey R, Rosseau G. Future Directions for Global Clinical Neurosurgical Training: Challenges and Opportunities. World Neurosurg 2022; 166:e404-e418. [PMID: 35868506 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Expanded access to training opportunities is necessary to address 5 million essential neurosurgical cases not performed annually, nearly all in low- and middle-income countries. To target this critical neurosurgical workforce issue and advance positive collaborations, a summit (Global Neurosurgery 2019: A Practical Symposium) was designed to assemble stakeholders in global neurosurgical clinical education to discuss innovative platforms for clinical neurosurgery fellowships. METHODS The Global Neurosurgery Education Summit was held in November 2021, with 30 presentations from directors and trainees in existing global neurosurgical clinical fellowships. Presenters were selected based on chain referral sampling from suggestions made primarily from young neurosurgeons in low- and middle-income countries. Presentations focused on the perspectives of hosts, local champions, and trainees on clinical global neurosurgery fellowships and virtual learning resources. This conference sought to identify factors for success in overcoming barriers to improving access, equity, throughput, and quality of clinical global neurosurgery fellowships. A preconference survey was disseminated to attendees. RESULTS Presentations included in-country training courses, twinning programs, provision of surgical laboratories and resources, existing virtual educational resources, and virtual teaching technologies, with reference to their applicability to hybrid training fellowships. Virtual learning resources developed during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and high-fidelity surgical simulators were presented, some for the first time to this audience. CONCLUSIONS The summit provided a forum for discussion of challenges and opportunities for developing a collaborative consortium capable of designing a pilot program for efficient, sustainable, accessible, and affordable clinical neurosurgery fellowship models for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Hoffman
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Roger Härtl
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nathan A Shlobin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Tshibambe N Tshimbombu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth University, Hannover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Samer K Elbabaa
- Section of Pediatric and Fetal Neurosurgery, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Michael M Haglund
- Division of Global Neurosurgery and Neurology and Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrés M Rubiano
- Neurosciences Institute, Neurosurgery Service, El Bosque University, El Bosque Clinic, MEDITECH-INUB Research Group, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Michael C Dewan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Martina Stippler
- Division of Neurosurgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Muhammad Raji Mahmud
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Kaduna, Nigeria; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; School of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ernest J Barthélemy
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Dylan P Griswold
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; School of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Hamisi K Shabani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Brandon Rocque
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - David I Sandberg
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, McGovern Medical School and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jesús Lafuente
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Universitario del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert Dempsey
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gail Rosseau
- Department of Neurological Surgery, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.
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Sommer F, Waterkeyn F, Hussain I, Goldberg JL, Kirnaz S, Navarro-Ramirez R, Ahmad AA, Balsano M, Medary B, Shabani H, Ng A, Gadjradj PS, Härtl R. Feasibility of smart glasses in supporting spinal surgical procedures in low- and middle-income countries: experiences from East Africa. Neurosurg Focus 2022; 52:E4. [PMID: 35921190 DOI: 10.3171/2022.3.focus2237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Telemedicine technology has been developed to allow surgeons in countries with limited resources to access expert technical guidance during surgical procedures. The authors report their initial experience using state-of-the-art wearable smart glasses with wireless capability to transmit intraoperative video content during spine surgery from sub-Saharan Africa to experts in the US. METHODS A novel smart glasses system with integrated camera and microphone was worn by a spine surgeon in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, during 3 scoliosis correction surgeries. The images were transmitted wirelessly through a compatible software system to a computer viewed by a group of fellowship-trained spine surgeons in New York City. Visual clarity was determined using a modified Snellen chart, and a percentage score was determined on the smallest line that could be read from the 8-line chart on white and black backgrounds. A 1- to 5-point scale (from 1 = unrecognizable to 5 = optimal clarity) was used to score other visual metrics assessed using a color test card including hue, contrast, and brightness. The same scoring system was used by the group to reach a consensus on visual quality of 3 intraoperative points including instruments, radiographs (ability to see pedicle screws relative to bony anatomy), and intraoperative surgical field (ability to identify bony landmarks such as transverse processes, pedicle screw starting point, laminar edge). RESULTS All surgeries accomplished the defined goals safely with no intraoperative complications. The average download and upload connection speeds achieved in Dar es Salaam were 45.21 and 58.89 Mbps, respectively. Visual clarity with the modified white and black Snellen chart was 70.8% and 62.5%, respectively. The average scores for hue, contrast, and brightness were 2.67, 3.33, and 2.67, respectively. Visualization quality of instruments, radiographs, and intraoperative surgical field were 3.67, 1, and 1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Application of smart glasses for telemedicine offers a promising tool for surgical education and remote training, especially in low- and middle-income countries. However, this study highlights some limitations of this technology, including optical resolution, intraoperative lighting, and internet connection challenges. With continued collaboration between clinicians and industry, future iterations of smart glasses technology will need to address these issues to stimulate robust clinical utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Sommer
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Francois Waterkeyn
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.,2Department of Neurosurgery, Clinique Universitaire Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.,3Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Ibrahim Hussain
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Jacob L Goldberg
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Sertac Kirnaz
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Rodrigo Navarro-Ramirez
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Alaaeldin Azmi Ahmad
- 4Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Palestine Polytechnic University, Ramallah, Palestine; and
| | - Massimo Balsano
- 5Regional Spinal Department, UOC Ortopedia A, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy
| | - Branden Medary
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Hamisi Shabani
- 3Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Amanda Ng
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Pravesh Shankar Gadjradj
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Roger Härtl
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
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Shlobin NA, Kanmounye US, Ozair A, de Koning R, Zolo Y, Zivkovic I, Niquen-Jimenez M, Affana CK, Jogo L, Abongha GB, Garba DL, Rosseau G. Educating the Next Generation of Global Neurosurgeons: Competencies, Skills, and Resources for Medical Students Interested in Global Neurosurgery. World Neurosurg 2021; 155:150-159. [PMID: 34464771 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.08.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global neurosurgery operates at the intersection of neurosurgery and public health. Although most global neurosurgery initiatives have targeted neurosurgeons and trainees, medical students represent the future of global neurosurgery. METHODS A narrative review of the literature regarding research methodology, education, economics, health policy, health advocacy, relevant to global neurosurgery was conducted. RESULTS We summarize pearls that all medical students interested in global neurosurgery should know. DISCUSSION To become effective agents of change within global neurosurgery, medical students must master competencies of motivation, organization, collaborativeness, dependability, flexibility, resilience, creative problem-solving, ethical thinking, cultural humility, and global awareness and gain knowledge and skills regarding research, education, policy making, and advocacy. Discussions with neurosurgeons and trainees, neurosurgery interest groups, conferences, university global neurosurgery initiatives, and student organizations represent opportunities for learning and becoming involved in global neurosurgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A Shlobin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA; World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Global Neurosurgery Committee, Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland; Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery; G4 Alliance, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | - Ulrick Sidney Kanmounye
- World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Global Neurosurgery Committee, Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland; Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery; Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Cameroon; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Kinsasha Faculty of Medicine, Kinsasha, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Ahmad Ozair
- Faculty of Medicine, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India
| | | | - Yvan Zolo
- World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Global Neurosurgery Committee, Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Kinsasha Faculty of Medicine, Kinsasha, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Irena Zivkovic
- School of Medicine, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Milagros Niquen-Jimenez
- World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Global Neurosurgery Committee, Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland; Facultad de Medicina Humana Alberto Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Leslie Jogo
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Ngaoundéré, Garoua, Cameroon
| | | | - Deen L Garba
- World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Global Neurosurgery Committee, Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland; Department of Neurosurgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gail Rosseau
- World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Global Neurosurgery Committee, Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland; Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery; G4 Alliance, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
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