Resident University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Introduction: Since 2010, the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) has offered a Skull Base for Senior Residents Course, utilizing didactics and cadaveric dissections to teach senior neurosurgery residents the basics of skull base surgery. The primary objective of this work is to evaluate the impact of this course on the careers of previous attendees.
Methods: A list of attendees between 2010 and 2023 from the NREF Skull Base for Senior Residents Course was obtained. Data was collected for each attendee, including demographic information, career advancement, and academic productivity. Outcomes included advancing into a skull base neurosurgery fellowship and career, clinical practice setting, and academic productivity measured by publication count and h-index. A survey of previous participants was also collected to assess perceived individual benefit of participation.
Results: From 2010 to 2023, 203 US neurosurgery residents attended the NREF Skull Base for Senior Residents Course. 174 have graduated from residency as of July 2024. Of these, 122 (70.1%) are pursuing careers in complex cranial neurosurgery - 73 (41.9%) in skull base neurosurgery, and 49 (28.2%) in cerebrovascular neurosurgery. Of the 174 currently in practice, 118 (67.8%) practice in an academic setting. 136 have completed fellowship (78.2%), with 65.4% of these being complex cranial fellowships. The mean ± SD number of publications after the course and total h-index were 29.4 ± 56.1 and 10.4 ± 9.5, respectively. In survey responses, 81.8% of participants agree that course attendance influenced their decision to pursue their current subspecialty, and 100% agree that the course has positively impacted their career.
Conclusion : Young neurosurgeons who attended the NREF Skull Base for Senior Residents Course have demonstrated a strong pattern of pursuing complex cranial neurosurgery, with the majority choosing academic practice settings. The course has also subjectively positively impacted career choices and success, as reported by participants. Participants also subsequently produce substantial academic output. The successful academic and career trajectories of participants highlights the influence that this educational initiative has on the future of complex cranial subspecialties.
.jpg)
