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Rodriguez-Armendariz AG, Saint-Germain MA, Khalafallah AM, Huq S, Almeida ND, Dornbos DL, Graffeo CS, Sivakumar W, Mukherjee D, Johnson JN. The neurosurgery research & education foundation-young neurosurgeons committee webinar series: Providing education and inspiration during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Neurosci 2024; 120:221-228. [PMID: 38295463 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2024.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana G Rodriguez-Armendariz
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Tecnologico de Monterrey. 2501 Eugenio Garza Sada, Nuevo León, Monterrey 64849, Mexico.
| | - Max A Saint-Germain
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 1800 Orleans St. Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
| | - 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.
| | - 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.
| | - 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
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Smith LGF, Chiocca EA, Zipfel GJ, Smith AGF, Groff MW, Haid RW, Lonser RR. Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation funding conversion to National Institutes of Health funding. J Neurosurg 2021; 136:287-294. [PMID: 34116507 DOI: 10.3171/2020.11.jns203871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) provides research support for in-training and early career neurosurgeon-scientists. To define the impact of this funding, the authors assessed the success of NREF awardees in obtaining subsequent National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. METHODS NREF in-training (Research Fellowship [RF] for residents) and early career awards/awardees (Van Wagenen Fellowship [VW] and Young Clinician Investigator [YCI] award for neurosurgery faculty) were analyzed. NIH funding was defined by individual awardees using the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting tool (1985-2014). RESULTS Between 1985 and 2014, 207 unique awardees were supported by 218 NREF awards ($9.84 million [M] in funding), including 117 RF ($6.02 M), 32 VW ($1.68 M), and 69 YCI ($2.65 M) awards. Subspecialty funding included neuro-oncology (79 awards; 36% of RF, VW, and YCI awards), functional (53 awards; 24%), vascular (37 awards; 17%), spine (22 awards; 10%), pediatrics (18 awards; 8%), trauma/critical care (5 awards; 2%), and peripheral nerve (4 awards; 2%). These awardees went on to receive $353.90 M in NIH funding that resulted in an overall NREF/NIH funding ratio of 36.0:1 (in dollars). YCI awardees most frequently obtained later NIH funding (65%; $287.27 M), followed by VW (56%; $41.10 M) and RF (31%; $106.59 M) awardees. YCI awardees had the highest NREF/NIH funding ratio (108.6:1), followed by VW (24.4:1) and RF (17.7:1) awardees. Subspecialty awardees who went on to obtain NIH funding included vascular (19 awardees; 51% of vascular NREF awards), neuro-oncology (40 awardees; 51%), pediatrics (9 awardees; 50%), functional (25 awardees; 47%), peripheral nerve (1 awardees; 25%), trauma/critical care (2 awardees; 20%), and spine (2 awardees; 9%) awardees. Subspecialty NREF/NIH funding ratios were 56.2:1 for vascular, 53.0:1 for neuro-oncology, 47.6:1 for pediatrics, 34.1:1 for functional, 22.2:1 for trauma/critical care, 9.5:1 for peripheral nerve, and 0.4:1 for spine. Individuals with 2 NREF awards achieved a higher NREF/NIH funding ratio (83.3:1) compared to those with 1 award (29.1:1). CONCLUSIONS In-training and early career NREF grant awardees are an excellent investment, as a significant portion of these awardees go on to obtain NIH funding. Moreover, there is a potent multiplicative impact of NREF funding converted to NIH funding that is related to award type and subspecialty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke G F Smith
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - E Antonio Chiocca
- 2Department of Neurological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gregory J Zipfel
- 3Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri; and
| | - Adam G F Smith
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Michael W Groff
- 2Department of Neurological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Russell R Lonser
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
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