Educating the Next Generation of Global Neurosurgeons: Education for Medical Students Interested in Global Pediatric Neurosurgery

Abstract

Objective: Education is a critical component of global pediatric neurosurgery with increasing attention being placed on the role of medical students in global neurosurgery. We provide a background of education for medical students interested in global pediatric neurosurgery, present existing pediatric neurosurgery resources with a focus on virtual modalities, and describe the need to create accessible resources for medical students.

Methods: A narrative and anecdotal review was performed.

Results: Education of medical students regarding pediatric neurosurgery is particularly important due to multidisciplinary collaboration and advocacy. Benefits of virtual education include accessibility across the world, convenience, easily updatable nature, incorporation of multimedia, minimal cost, and personalization. Existing online resources include courses focused on medical webinars, general courses, on-demand content, journals, online simulation, and social media. Few resources focused exclusively on medical students exist in pediatric neurosurgery, and none address the intersection of pediatric neurosurgery and global neurosurgery. Additional educational resources that incorporate neurosurgical knowledge with special applicability to the medical student population will capture the interest of medical students, while those incorporating global health elements will develop a commitment to global neurosurgery.

Conclusion: Education of medical students is important for the sustainability of global pediatric neurosurgery. The development of educational resources for medical students interested in global pediatric neurosurgery should be encouraged.