Neurosurgical in Medical Education School Alan R Cohen

Neurosurgical in Medical Education School Alan R. Cohen, M. D. Chair, SNS Undergraduate Education Committee

So You Want to be a Neurosurgeon

A. John Popp, M. D.

Undergraduate Education Committee • • • Raj Murali Andy Parent Don Quest Dave Roberts Jim Rutka

Vision 20/20 How do we attract the best and brightest medical students to the field of neurological surgery?

Problems • Information overload • Limited input from neurosurgeons • Limited exposure to neurosurgeons

Misperceptions • • Non-cognitive specialty Neurosurgeons just technicians Little patient contact No long-term patient relationships

Demands of the Field • • Long residency Stressful job Diminishing reimbursement Medical liability crisis

Recommendations

Tool Kit • Society of Neurological Surgeons

Capture Students Early 1 st year of medical school

Get Them on Their Own Turf • E-mail • Internet

Introductory Letter

Tool Kit • So You Want To Be A Neurosurgeon

Tool Kit • AANS. org

Faculty Involvement • Junior and senior faculty • All 4 years of medical school • Reward teaching efforts

Curriculum Committees • Neurosurgeon on curriculum committee

Unorthodox Teaching Methods • Case-based sessions • Face time

Unorthodox Teaching “A lecture is a process by which the notes of the professor become the notes of the students without passing through the minds of either. ” R. K Rathbun

Novel Topics Neurological Emergencies

Combine Rather than Compete with Neurology Third year Neuroscience Clerkship

Core Competencies • Physical diagnosis (patient care) • Professionalism • Breaking bad news (communication)

The Art of Healing • • • to to to cure sometimes relieve often comfort always

Not This Way

Neurosurgery Focus Groups “If you grab them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow. ” Gen. William C. Westmoreland

Neurosurgery Focus Groups “If you feed them, you can lead them. ” Al Cohen

Neurosurgery Focus Groups

Neurosurgery Focus Group • Identify student class leader • Communicate via e-mail • Informal evening meetings

Mentoring • Get to know the student advisors and society deans • Make sure neurosurgical faculty members are on the list of mentors

Shadowing • Encourage shadowing electives beginning in the first year

Summer Research • Offer summer or year-round research • NREF: 15 $2500 fellowships/year • AANS. org

Neurosurgical Laboratory

Neuroanatomy • Encourage residents and faculty to participate as teaching fellows

Vision 20/20 • We need to recruit more women to neurosurgery

Vision 20/20 • Women comprise 50% of the medical school class • In 1990 women accounted for 3% of the neurosurgery residency slots • In 2007 women accounted for 10% of the neurosurgery residency slots

Vision 20/20 • Goal: To increase the number of women in neurosurgery to 20% by the year 2020

NASA Percentage of Women Astronauts 1980 0% 2007 25%

Vision 20/20 • 170 PGY-1 positions filled 2007 • 10% of residents are women • Thus, 17 PGY-1 s are women

Vision 20/20 • 850 residency slots overall • 85 women • 10% of neurosurgery residents

Vision 20/20 • If we replicated NASA and immediately accepted 20% to the freshman class, we would still be a long way off

Vision 20/20 • Medical students begin applying for residency in their 3 rd year • Thus, two years from now, in 2009, the first new group would be PGY-1

Vision 20/20 • The percentage of women in neurosurgery would not hit 20% until 8 years from now, or 2015

Vision 20/20 • Unlikey that programs will immediately match 20% women • Unlikely we will reach Vision 20/20 before the year 2020

Vision 20/20 Society of Neurological Surgeons 2007 • • Active Senior Members: Members, Women: 188 168 4 1

Vision 20/20 • Women as mentors

Vision 20/20 Take Home • Goal: 20% women by 2020 • SNS should reach out to women • Women should join SNS based on ability, not gender • Goal best achieved by encouragement, not quota

Vision 20/20 Take Home • Gotta get to ‘em early