Availability and Visibility of Global Neurosurgery Training in United States Neurosurgical Residency Programs

Introduction: In 2015, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery emphasized the critical need to prioritize surgical care within global health agendas. Despite this, there remains a paucity in the number of neurosurgical residency programs in the United States that emphasize global neurosurgery and international collaborations. This cross-sectional study measures the prevalence of global neurosurgery education and the ease of access to this information on neurosurgical training program websites.

Methods: Data was extracted from the websites of all U.S. neurosurgical residency programs listed on the American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ Neurosurgical Residency Program Directory (As September 2024). Information was gathered on variables including program size, presence of global neurosurgery electives and rotations, international medical mission trips, faculty trained in global neurosurgery, international faculty, relationships with international sister hospitals, and the specific webpage where the information was found. Descriptive statistics were used, and proportions were calculated to determine the prevalence of each characteristic across the programs.

Results: Of the 117 U.S. neurosurgical residency programs analyzed, eight programs (6.8%) offered a global neurosurgery elective, six programs (5.1%) offered global neurosurgery rotations, and 12 programs (10.3%) offered international medical mission trips for residents. Approximately 17 programs (14.5%) had established relationships with international sister hospitals. Seven programs (6.0%) had faculty members trained in global neurosurgery, while 70 programs (59.8%) had internationally-trained faculty. Overall, 78 programs (66.7%) included any international component at all. On program websites, “Curriculum/Education” and “Residents” sections were the most common locations for global neurosurgery information.

Conclusion : This study provides valuable insights into the current lack of availability and visibility of global neurosurgery training in neurosurgical residency programs in the U.S. Advancements in this are essential to expanding the field of global neurosurgery and addressing the unmet need for neurosurgical care in resource-limited settings worldwide.