{"id":"16084966-92d6-4c91-a563-46d36fe19f02","slug":"neurosurgical-skills-conference-for-medical-students-a-before-and-after-study","title":"Neurosurgical skills conference for medical students: A before and after study","authors":["Abdel Rahman Osman","Daniel Sescu","Aminta Chansiriwongs","Natthaya Eiamampai","Hassan Ismahel","Mohammad Ashraf","Ioannis Tsonis","Peter Bodkin","Saleem I. Abdulrauf"],"abstract":"Background: Undergraduate conferences may improve exposure to neurosurgery among medical students. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of a neurosurgical skills conference on medical students’ comprehension and perceptions of the specialty. Methods: A before-and-after (BA) study design was employed to assess the effects of a conference that integrated presentations with hands-on sessions. Practical workshops covered craniotomy, spinal fixation, surface anatomy, intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring, basic surgical skills, and microsurgical simulation. Pre-conference and post-conference surveys, utilizing Likert scales, gauged participants’ attitudes, prior neurosurgical exposure, and understanding of neurosurgical skills. Statistical analysis was conducted on dichotomized responses. Results: Thirty-one participants completed both surveys, with the majority being 1st and 2nd-year medical students. Among the participants, 58.1% were female, and 77.4% identified with BAME ethnicities. Following the conference, there was a notable increase in comprehension regarding neurosurgical careers (from 58.1% to 96.8%, P P P P P P P P P = 1.000), a majority of participants, both BA the conference, expressed concerns about the impact on personal life (from 58.1% to 64.5%, P = 0.774). Conclusion: This study underscores the role of undergraduate mixed-method conferences in augmenting understanding of neurosurgery and nurturing early interest.","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/16084966-92d6-4c91-a563-46d36fe19f02/featured/hero-1781559133851.png","publishDate":"2024-10-25T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.25259/SNI_660_2024","categories":["General Neurosurgery","Original Article"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/13166/SNI-15-380.pdf"}