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Shakir M, Irshad HA, Altaf A, Ladak S, Aziz HF, Enam SA. Does gender disparity exist in neurosurgery training? Evidence from a nationwide survey from Pakistan. MEDICAL EDUCATION ONLINE 2024; 29:2310385. [PMID: 38290059 PMCID: PMC10829840 DOI: 10.1080/10872981.2024.2310385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Gender disparities are prevalent in the neurosurgical field, particularly for female trainees, despite the growing demand for neurosurgeons. The situation is bleaker in low-and middle-income countries, where gender disparities among neurosurgical trainees have not been evaluated. We aimed to gauge the gender differences in opportunities and perceptions of neurosurgery training in Pakistan by comparing responses between males and females. A nationwide web-based survey was conducted in Pakistan, covering 22 College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP) accredited neurosurgery training programs. Convenience sampling was used with a pilot-tested questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26. A total of 120 trainees participated in our survey. The mean age of the participants was 30.4 ± 4.1 years, with 29.2% females and 70.8% males. Concerns about gender equity were more among females (34.3%) than males (27.1%). Poor work-life balance was reported by more females (34.3%) than males (30.6%). Burnout due to working hours was strongly agreed by more females (54.3%) than males (35.3%). More females (40%) acknowledged sufficient mentorship opportunities versus males (25%). Female respondents (65.7%) worked 50-100 hours per week, less than males (69.4%). Satisfaction with surgical exposure was lower among females (2.9%) compared to males (18.8%). More females reported access to teaching courses (82.9% vs. 77.6% males) and neurosurgical conferences (85.7% vs. 80.0% males), cadaver workshops (17.1% vs. 12.9% males), morbidity and mortality meetings (88.6% vs. 82.4% males), case-based sessions (82.9% vs. 75.3% males), and radiology discussions (82.9% vs. 74.1% males). Our study highlights substantial gender gaps in neurosurgical training, concerns over working hours, burnout, mentorship, work-life balance, and gender equity. These findings underscore the necessity for interventions to rectify these disparities and foster gender equity in neurosurgical training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shakir
- Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Hammad Atif Irshad
- Medical Student, Medical College, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Ahmed Altaf
- Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Shamila Ladak
- Medical Student, Medical College, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Hafiza Fatima Aziz
- Neuro-oncology Fellow, Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Syed Ather Enam
- Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
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Mangham W, Parikh KA, Motiwala M, Gienapp AJ, Roach J, Barats M, Lillard J, Khan N, Arthur A, Michael LM. A Scoping Review of Professionalism in Neurosurgery. Neurosurgery 2024; 94:435-443. [PMID: 37819083 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Milestones provides a foundation for professionalism in residency training. Specific professionalism concepts from neurosurgery could augment and expand milestones for the specialty. We reviewed the current literature and identified professionalism concepts within the context of neurosurgical practice and training. METHODS We used a scoping review methodology to search PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus and identify English-language articles with the search terms "professionalism" and "neurosurgery." We excluded articles that were not in English, not relevant to professionalism within neurosurgery, or could not be accessed. Non-peer-reviewed and qualitative publications, such as commentaries, were included in the review. RESULTS A total of 193 articles were included in the review. We identified 6 professionalism themes among these results: professional identity (n = 53), burnout and wellness (n = 51), professional development (n = 34), ethics and conflicts of interest (n = 27), diversity and gender (n = 19), and misconduct (n = 9). CONCLUSION These 6 concepts illustrate concerns that neurosurgeons have concerning professionalism. Diversity and gender, professional identity, and misconduct are not specifically addressed in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Milestones. This review could be used to aid the development of organizational policy statements on professionalism.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Mangham
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Kara A Parikh
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Mustafa Motiwala
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Andrew J Gienapp
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
- Children's Foundation Research Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Jordan Roach
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Michael Barats
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Jock Lillard
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Nickalus Khan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
- Semmes Murphey, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Adam Arthur
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
- Semmes Murphey, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - L Madison Michael
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
- Semmes Murphey, Memphis , Tennessee , USA
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Anand A, Ibrahim IA, Kathayat P, Ansari A, Aggarwal Y, Kaur Wahi R, Satapathy P, Rustagi S. Need to address the gender disparities in neurosurgery in India. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2024; 86:20-22. [PMID: 38222733 PMCID: PMC10783270 DOI: 10.1097/ms9.0000000000001544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ayush Anand
- B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
- Global Consortium of Medical Education and Research, Pune
| | - Ismail A. Ibrahim
- Fenerbahçe Üniversitesi, Faculty of Health Sciences, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Pr, Istanbul, Turkey
- Global Consortium of Medical Education and Research, Pune
| | - Priyangi Kathayat
- Smt NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
- Global Consortium of Medical Education and Research, Pune
| | - Ayesha Ansari
- Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha
- Global Consortium of Medical Education and Research, Pune
| | - Yash Aggarwal
- Global Consortium of Medical Education and Research, Pune
- Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida
| | - Riddhpreet Kaur Wahi
- Global Consortium of Medical Education and Research, Pune
- Grant Government Medical College and Sir J.J Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, Maharashtra
| | - Prakasini Satapathy
- Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai
- School of Pharmacy, Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
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Malhotra K, Dagli MM, Santangelo G, Wathen C, Ghenbot Y, Goyal K, Bawa A, Ozturk AK, Welch WC. The Digital Impact of Neurosurgery Awareness Month: Retrospective Infodemiology Study. JMIR Form Res 2023; 7:e44754. [PMID: 37155226 DOI: 10.2196/44754] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurosurgery Awareness Month (August) was initiated by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons with the aim of bringing neurological conditions to the forefront and educating the public about these conditions. Digital media is an important tool for disseminating information and connecting with influencers, general public, and other stakeholders. Hence, it is crucial to understand the impact of awareness campaigns such as Neurosurgery Awareness Month to optimize resource allocation, quantify the efficiency and reach of these initiatives, and identify areas for improvement. OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to examine the digital impact of Neurosurgery Awareness Month globally and identify areas for further improvement. METHODS We used 4 social media (Twitter) assessment tools (Sprout Social, SocioViz, Sentiment Viz, and Symplur) and Google Trends to extract data using various search queries. Using regression analysis, trends were studied in the total number of tweets posted in August between 2014 and 2022. Two search queries were used in this analysis: one specifically targeting tweets related to Neurosurgery Awareness Month and the other isolating all neurosurgery-related posts. Total impressions and top influencers for #neurosurgery were calculated using Symplur's machine learning algorithm. To study the context of the tweets, we used SocioViz to isolate the top 100 popular hashtags, keywords, and collaborations between influencers. Network analysis was performed to illustrate the interactions and connections within the digital media environment using ForceAtlas2 model. Sentiment analysis was done to study the underlying emotion of the tweets. Google Trends was used to study the global search interest by studying relative search volume data. RESULTS A total of 10,007 users were identified as tweeting about neurosurgery during Neurosurgery Awareness Month using the "#neurosurgery" hashtag. These tweets generated over 29.14 million impressions globally. Of the top 10 most influential users, 5 were faculty neurosurgeons at US university hospitals. Other influential users included notable organizations and journals in the field of neurosurgery. The network analysis of the top 100 influencers showed a collaboration rate of 81%. However, only 1.6% of the total neurosurgery tweets were advocating about neurosurgery awareness during Neurosurgery Awareness Month, and only 13 tweets were posted by verified users using the #neurosurgeryawarenessmonth hashtag. The sentiment analysis revealed that the majority of the tweets about Neurosurgery Awareness Month were pleasant with subdued emotion. CONCLUSIONS The global digital impact of Neurosurgery Awareness Month is nascent, and support from other international organizations and neurosurgical influencers is needed to yield a significant digital reach. Increasing collaboration and involvement from underrepresented communities may help to increase the global reach. By better understanding the digital impact of Neurosurgery Awareness Month, future health care awareness campaigns can be optimized to increase global awareness of neurosurgery and the challenges facing the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kashish Malhotra
- Department of Surgery, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India
| | - Mert Marcel Dagli
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Gabrielle Santangelo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Connor Wathen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yohannes Ghenbot
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kashish Goyal
- Department of Surgery, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India
| | - Ashvind Bawa
- Department of Surgery, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India
| | - Ali K Ozturk
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - William C Welch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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