Needs assessment of neurosurgery trainees: a survey study of two large training programs in the developing and developed worlds

Abstract

Background There are challenges facing surgical education in both the developing and the developed worlds. Few studies have examined trainee perceptions of their educational needs in a systematic way. We undertook a study to examine this issue, focusing on two large training programs, one in the developed world and one in the developing world. Methods Neurosurgical trainees at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, and at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, Indonesia, were surveyed with a comprehensive questionnaire assessing both the content and the methods of their training. The questionnaire had 37 quantitative questions requesting responses on a 7-point Likert scale and three open-ended questions to give more qualitative data. Results Sixty-four percent of all trainees responded. A number of interesting findings about the strengths and weaknesses of training emerged. For example, Bandung trainees felt they had excellent training in trauma but not in specialty areas, especially spine and vascular, with ample opportunity to operate as the primary surgeon. Toronto trainees felt that the volume and the variety of cases were excellent but they did not have enough ambulatory experience, and that they had suboptimal experience as the primary surgeon. Trainees in both centers agree that they will feel competent to practice neurosurgery upon completion of their training. Conclusion This study defined different educational needs for neurosurgical trainees in two centers that reflect both their individual training environments and the local culture of medicine. As such, trainees' perceptions of these needs represent an important adjunct to program evaluation.