Peer mentorship to build research capacity among members of the International Student Surgical Network (InciSioN): a proof of concept study

BACKGROUND

International Student Surgical Network (InciSioN) is the largest student and trainee global surgery interest group worldwide and its members have contributed significantly to global surgery research. The InciSioN Research Capacity-Building (IReCaB) program aimed to enhance the research skills and confidence of participants via a peer mentorship model.

METHODS

After an open call to members of InciSioN to enroll, participants' knowledge of research methods and the process was evaluated through a test to assign mentor and mentee roles, with mentors being those who scored ≥ 20/25. Mentors then delivered a series of four webinars to help disseminate research methodology to mentees. Finally, mentees were tested on their knowledge of research and their satisfaction with the program was also evaluated.

RESULTS

Fifty-two participants, mostly from LMICs (n = 23/52, 44.2%) were enrolled, and 36 completed the program. There was a significant improvement in the proportion of questions answered correctly on the post-program test (R = 0.755, p < 0.001). Post-IReCaB test scores were greater than pre-IReCaB scores (p < 0.001). The difference in confidence after the course was also significant (p < 0.001). IReCaB participants successfully designed, implemented, and published an international cross-sectional study.

CONCLUSION

This study showed improvements in participants' understanding of theoretical components of scientific research. We offer a model for research capacity building that can be implemented, modeled, and further refined by similar organizations with academic research goals.

Training the Next Generation of Academic Global Neurosurgeons: Experience of the Association of Future African Neurosurgeons

Introduction: Although the past decade has seen a substantial increase in African neurosurgeons' academic productivity, productivity remains low compared to their colleagues from other regions. Aspiring neurosurgeons can contribute to the academic neurosurgery workforce by taking care of less technical and time-consuming research tasks. Fortunately, global neurosurgery institutions have also made efforts to increase research exposure and scholarly output in academic global neurosurgery. The Association of Future African Neurosurgeons (AFAN) created a research incubator for aspiring academic global neurosurgeons in Africa to provide enrollees with mentorship, skills, and experience. This study assesses and reports the activities and results of the research incubator.

Methods: Aspiring academic global neurosurgeons were enrolled in the AFAN Research Incubator Program (ARIP), whose primary objective was to provide enrollees with foundational skills in all aspects of the research cycle. ARIP enrollees participated in didactic and practical activities with the aim of publishing ≥1 article and presenting ≥1 abstracts at international conferences in one year.

Results: Fifteen AFAN members aged 25.0 ± 3.0 years enrolled in ARIP: 7 (46.7%) medical students, 4 (26.7%) general practitioners, and 4 (26.7%) residents. Eleven (73.3%) were male, 6 (40.0%) were from Cameroon and 6 (40.0%) had no previous research experience. Two (13.3%) enrollees dropped out. ARIP enrollees published a total of 28 articles, and enrollees published a median of 1.0 (IQR = 2) first-author articles on neurosurgical system strengthening. Additionally, ARIP enrollees presented 20 abstracts with a median of one abstract (IQR = 3.0).

Conclusion: South-South research collaborations like ARIP can contribute to improving global neurosurgery research capacity and output. These collaborations can set up the foundations for robust research in low- and middle-income countries.

Exploring factors associated with research involvement of undergraduate students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda

BACKGROUND

Early involvement of students in research processes is an important step in professional development and can increase the academic output of the university. Previous studies indicate low research involvement amongst undergraduate students, however limited research has been done in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to describe the level of research involvement amongst undergraduate students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) at University of Rwanda (UR) and to assess factors associated with research involvement.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study covered the three CMHS campuses. A survey was shared in class WhatsApp groups from July to September 2020. Data were analyzed using Stata IC 16.0 with descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

In total, 324 students participated with the mean age being 23.3 (standard deviation 2.27). Males constituted 65.1% of respondents vs. 33.3% females. The largest portion of respondents were from the School of Medicine and Pharmacy (46.6%), and Medicine was the most frequent department (33.3%). On a Likert scale from 1 to 10, 60.0% of the respondents thought that research was 10/10 important for undergraduate students, with the mean value being 8.8. Rating their interest in taking part in research during undergraduate studies, 48.2% scored it 10/10, with the mean value being 8.57. 80.3% of respondents had attended a research module, course, or workshop; however, only 48.8% had participated in a research project and 72.0% of them had been involved in data collection. Inadequate knowledge about research processes and lack of mentors were the main barriers to research participation in 48.0 and 40.2% of respondents respectively. Establishment of a UR-Undergraduate research support center (77.2%), and involving students in ongoing UR projects (69.4%) were the most frequent suggestions to improve students' research participation.

CONCLUSION

Undergraduate students at the CMHS in the UR have a large research interest, yet their involvement is currently low. Limited knowledge about research processes and shortage of mentors remains potent barriers to participation. Inviting undergraduate students to partake in ongoing projects and establishing a UR undergraduate research support center are recommended to strengthen undergraduate research experience at the UR-CMHS.

Understanding the motivations, needs, and challenges faced by aspiring neurosurgeons in Africa: an E-survey

INTRODUCTION

Three million African patients need a neurosurgical consultation every year, but there are not enough neurosurgeons to meet this need. Efforts have been made to increase the neurosurgical capacity through the creation of training programs in Africa. Although these programs have been successful, there is still a long way to go. Aspiring African neurosurgeons (AANs) will become neurosurgeons in the future if they are given the resources and opportunities. The authors set out to understand the perceptions, needs, and difficulties faced by AANs.

METHODS

An e-survey containing 45 questions was created using Google Forms and distributed via social media. The survey was anonymous, and it was distributed from June 2, 2020, to June 16, 2020. Summary descriptive statistics and the Chi-Square test were calculated. The p-value was considered to be significant below .05.

RESULTS

A total of 221 AANs aged 23.5 ± 3.3 years and from 22 African countries responded to the survey. Most were male (66.1%) and medical students (84.6%). Few had assisted a neurosurgical intervention in-person (24.9%), had a mentor (29.0%) or attended a journal club (10.3%). A small proportion was unwilling to train in their home country (19.5%) or a neighboring country (16.3%). The top three reasons for choosing neurosurgery were prestige, advice from a family member, and projected income. Also, respondents felt neurosurgery was expensive.

CONCLUSION

AANs are passionate about neurosurgery but lack the information, guidance, or opportunities to fulfil their wish.