Role of a medical student neuro-society organized neurosurgical conference: The Glasgow neuro experience

Abstract

Background: Entering neurosurgical training in the United Kingdom demands extensive prior commitment and achievement, despite little to no exposure to the specialty in medical school. Conferences run by student "neuro-societies" offer a means to bridge this gap. This paper describes one student-led neuro-society's experience of curating a 1-day national neurosurgical conference supported by our neurosurgical department.

Methods: A pre-and post-conference survey was distributed to attendees to ascertain baseline opinions and conference impact using a five-point Likert Scale, and free text questions explored medical students' opinions of neurosurgery and neurosurgical training. The conference offered four lectures and three workshops; the latter provided practical skills and networking opportunities. There were also 11 posters displayed throughout the day.

Results: 47 medical students participated in our study. Post-conference, participants were more likely to understand what a neurosurgical career involves and how to secure training. They also reported increased knowledge about neurosurgery research, electives, audits, and project opportunities. Respondents enjoyed the workshops provided and suggested the inclusion of more female speakers in future.

Conclusion: Neurosurgical conferences organized by student neuro-societies successfully address the gap between a lack of neurosurgery exposure and a competitive training selection. These events give medical students an initial understanding of a neurosurgical career through lectures and practical workshops; attendees also gain insight into attaining relevant achievements and have an opportunity to present research. Student neuro-society-organized conferences have the potential to be adopted internationally and used as a tool to educate on a global level and greatly aid medical students who are aspiring neurosurgeons.

Keywords: Medical education; Medical school; Neuro society; Neurosurgery conference; Undergraduate.

Figure 1:

Illustrates entire conference workflow and contents and duration of lectures and workshops. Figure design courtesy of coauthor Ameerah Gardee.

Figure 2:

QR code system for accessing pre- and post-conference surveys. Scanning the QR code with a smartphone directs the user to the respective survey to complete.

Figure 3:

Thematic analysis for the question “what did you enjoy about the conference” in our delegates. Figure design courtesy of coauthor Ameerah Gardee.