Abstract
ObjectivesNeurosurgery is a tertiary specialty, and exposure to medical students limited. One way to increase engagement and offer experience in neurosurgery is through Student Selected Components (SSC), Special Study Modules (SSM), or independent projects. Our aim was to assess the educational value of such projects and evaluate their effectiveness in exposing students to the field.MethodsA survey was designed and distributed to Edinburgh University medical students and alumni who completed a neurosurgical project within the last 5 years. The survey was anonymous and collected responses over a fortnight. The results were analyzed in Microsoft Excel 2020 Software.ResultsTwenty-four respondents completed the survey −42% were students and 58% junior doctors. Respondents overwhelmingly enjoyed their project (96%) and reported increased interest in neurosurgery (62%). The project helped improve their knowledge of neurosurgical procedures, pathologies, and/or clinical presentations and allowed connections with the local department. On a Likert scale, 37% felt they gained a good insight into the field. Only 33% felt the project was a good “taster” for the specialty. This is reasonable given that 92% of projects focused on data analysis, and none were designed as clinical attachments. A large number of students had their work published (50%) and presented at conferences (55%).ConclusionLack of exposure to neurosurgery at medical school is a known limitation within a busy curriculum. Selected Components/Special Study Modules/independent projects help students learn about certain aspects of neurosurgery and raise their level of interest. A majority of participants either achieved presentation at conferences or published their work. However, our results suggest neurosurgical projects complement but do not replace traditional clinical attachments in providing insight into the craft of this specialty.
Highlights
Neurosurgery is a tertiary medical specialty that has been underrepresented in the medical school curriculum
Respondents were asked to rank the impact the project had on their interest in the field; the level of insight they had gained into the specialty; the amount and type of knowledge they had acquired; the connections they had made with the local department; the research output achieved throughout the project; the impact the project had on their career trajectory and their interest in the field; if they considered the experience to be a good taster for neurosurgery and if it provided a unique type of exposure which could not have been achieved through traditional clinical placements
In 2004, the Northern Medical Schools Student Selected Components (SSC) Consortium proposed the purpose of these projects to be: (i) to ensure all students have opportunities to extend their studies beyond the core curriculum, (ii) to develop skills involved in clinical research, (iii) and provide opportunities for personal and professional development [9]
Summary
Neurosurgery is a tertiary medical specialty that has been underrepresented in the medical school curriculum. A study by Skarparis et al found that as many as one-third of final-year medical students in the United Kingdom (UK) have difficulty identifying the need for a neurosurgical referral [5] This is a concerning finding, considering the importance of early presentation and devasting consequences of common neurosurgical emergencies when left untreated. Medical students rated experimental neurosurgical teaching sessions highly and overwhelmingly recognized the benefits of such sessions in their professional and clinical development [6]. Taken together, these papers demonstrate there is a clear need and benefits to be gained from increased neurosurgical teaching at an undergraduate level
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