A Medical Student's Guide to Online Resources in Neurosurgery

The impact of a neurosurgical boot camp upon medical student preparedness for sub-internships

BACKGROUND

The sub-internship is a formative experience for neurosurgical applicants. No formal neurosurgery sub-internship curriculum exists, with students preparing via ad hoc online resources and guidance from mentors. Students can feel unprepared for these crucial rotations, impacting their subsequent performance and application success. Therefore, we developed a neurosurgical sub-internship boot camp and evaluated its impact on student preparedness.

METHODS

A one-day boot camp was conducted, including lectures and a pig cadaver lab. Surveys were distributed before and after to assess competency and comfort with neurosurgery topics and skills, including knowledge-based multiple-choice questions. Pre- and post-scores were compared with one-sided paired t-tests; a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Attendees included 30 in-person and 80 virtual students. Both pre-and post-surveys were completed by 22 students, 10 (45 %) in-person and 12 (55 %) virtual. Attendees were predominantly male (73 %) and third-year medical students (55 %). Participants' self-reported knowledge increased by a mean of >=1 point on a 1-5 scale within skull base, spine, and trauma domains (p < 0.001). Participants self-reported preparedness increased by a mean of >=1 point for extraventricular drain placement (p < 0.001), burr hole drilling (p < 0.001), shunt reprogramming (p < 0.001), patient positioning (p = 0.004), pedicle screw placement (p < 0.001), drain removal (p < 0.001), and image guidance registration (p = 0.009). Participants reported feeling more prepared for sub-internships (p < 0.001) with a better grasp of expectations (p < 0.001). Specifically, students felt more confident in performing a neurological exam (p < 0.001), creating spine pathology differentials (p < 0.001), reading brain and spine images (p < 0.001), and performing well on overnight call (p = 0.004). For content-based questions, participant scores increased by an average of 2 out of 14 points (14.2 %) after boot camp participation (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Through the boot camp, students improved their knowledge and felt more prepared for upcoming rotations. Other institutions can conduct similar boot camps at minimal cost, expanding access to these critical educational opportunities.

Assessing the Accessibility, Engagement, and Value of the Virtual Global Spine Conference as an Educational Platform for Spine: A Three-Year Review

INTRODUCTION

The Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic ushered a paradigm shift in medical education, accelerating the transition to virtual learning in select cases. The Virtual Global Spine Conference (VGSC), launched at the height of the pandemic, is a testament to this evolution, providing an independent educational series for spine care professionals worldwide. This study assesses VGSC's 3-year performance, focusing on accessibility, engagement, and educational value.

METHODOLOGY

Through retrospective data analysis from April 2020 to August 2023, we examined our social media metrics to measure VGSC's reach and impact.

RESULTS

Over the study period, VGSC's webinars successfully attracted 2337 unique participants, maintaining an average attendance of 47 individuals per session. The YouTube channel demonstrated significant growth, amassing over 2693 subscribers and releasing 168 videos. These videos collectively garnered 112,208 views and 15,823.3 hours of watch time. Viewer demographics reveal a predominant age group of 35-44 years, representing 56.81% of the audience, closely followed by the 25-34 age group at 40.2%. Male participants constituted 78.95% of the subscriber base. Geographically, the viewership primarily originates from the United States, with India, Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom also contributing substantial audience numbers. The VGSC's presence on the "X account" has grown to 2882 followers, significantly enlarging the digital community and fostering increased engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

The VGSC has demonstrated significant value as a virtual educational tool in spine education. Its diverse content and ease of access will likely enable it to drive value well into the post-pandemic years. Maintaining and expanding engagement, beyond North America in particular, remains a priority.