The neurosurgery research & education foundation-young neurosurgeons committee webinar series: Providing education and inspiration during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ana G. Rodriguez-Armendariz, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Tecnologico de Monterrey. 2501 Eugenio Garza Sada, Nuevo León, Monterrey 64849, Mexico. Electronic address: a01568377@itesm.mx.
Max A. Saint-Germain, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 1800 Orleans St. Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: msaintg1@jhmi.edu.
Adham M. Khalafallah, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1475 Northwest 12th Avenue, Floor 1, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Sakibul Huq, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Presbyterian, Suite B-400, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Neil D. Almeida, The George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, 23000 St NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, 131 Biomedical Education Building, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA. Electronic address: nalmeida@ubns.com.
David L. Dornbos, Department of Neurosurgery, Semmes-Murphey Clinic, 6325 Humphreys Blvd, Memphis, TN 38120, USA.
Christopher S. Graffeo, Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Walavan Sivakumar, Department of Neurosurgery, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, 2125 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA.
Debraj Mukherjee, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 1800 Orleans St. Baltimore, MD, USA 21287. Electronic address: dmukher1@jhmi.edu.
Jeremiah N. Johnson, Department of Neurological Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, 7200 Cambridge, Suite 9A, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, 300 Stein Plaza, Suite 562, Box 956901, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6901, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2-1-2024

Journal

Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia

Volume

120

DOI

10.1016/j.jocn.2024.01.021

Keywords

AANS; COVID-19; Medical education; Neurosurgery; Virtual education; Webinar

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Young Neurosurgeons Committee (YNC) and Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation (NREF) launched the YNC-NREF Webinar Series to provide young and aspiring neurosurgeons with timely information, education, and inspiration in the absence of in-person programming. DESIGN: Five 90-minute Zoom webinars were evaluated, each including 1-2 keynote speakers, a panel discussion, and an audience question-and-answer section. Topics included overviews of neurosurgery, the match, subspecialties, and inspirational career stories. Optional pre- and post-webinar surveys with 11-point Likert-type scores were distributed to attendees. We compared groups using chi-squared and Kruskal-Willis tests, and perceptions pre- and post-webinar using Mann-Whitney tests. SETTING: The webinars were live using Zoom, and the recordings were published on NREF's YouTube channel. PARTICIPANTS: The webinar series targeted young neurosurgeons. The first five episodes had a particular focus on medical students and undergraduates. RESULTS: A total of 673 unique participants attended the webinar series; 257 (38%) and 78 (11%) attendees completed the pre- and post-webinar survey, respectively. Respondents had high baseline interest in neurosurgery and were motivated to learn about the match and training in the US, understand neurosurgeons' day-to-day lives, and ask questions. There were significant differences in perceptions between USMSs, IMSs, and undergraduate students. The webinar improved attendees' knowledge about neurosurgical specialties, the match, and US neurosurgery training. CONCLUSIONS: The YNC and NREF effectively engaged a large, diverse audience through an online webinar series, building a foundation for future virtual programming by organized neurosurgery. ACGME competencies.

Department

School of Medicine and Health Sciences Student Works

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