Excelencia en Neurocirugía: María Cristina García-Sancho, the First Latina Neurosurgeon in the World

Abstract

Background: Neurosurgery is a specialty that has been dominated by males. Although there has been an increase in the number of women in the field, it is not yet close to being equal. Some noteworthy women who have carved the path for other women to follow in their footsteps include Drs. Sofía Ionescu and Diana Beck, the first and second female neurosurgeons worldwide, respectively. However, there are limited publications on Dr. María Cristina García-Sancho, the first Latina neurosurgeon.

Methods: The purpose of this review was to illuminate the neurosurgical community on the life of Dr. García-Sancho. A thorough literature was performed on medical and non-medical publications that were either authored by Dr. García-Sancho or mentioned her directly.

Results: Dr. García-Sancho earned her medical degree at the School of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico under the guidance of Dr. Clemente Robles, who founded Mexico's first neurosurgical department. Her training took her worldwide.

Conclusions: Her expertise allowed her to pioneer a revolutionary advancement known as the one-step bilateral cordotomy. Her perseverance led her to becoming the head of the Department of Neurosurgery at the National Cancer Institute of Mexico and co-found the Mexican Society of Neurological Surgery, where she served on the board of directors. This review aims to advocate for an equitable environment in the field of neurosurgery with Dr. García-Sancho's story.

Keywords: Female; First; Latin America; Mexico; Neurosurgeon; Women.