As neurosurgeons, continuous improvement is essential to our growth. Self-reflection and self-improvement are core tenets instilled in us throughout training. During residency, this is built into our education, with discussions of quality, service and opportunities for improvement at the forefront. But what about after residency? As we transition, we continue to refine what we do and how we practice, often adding new techniques to our repertoires. Residency and fellowship provide the framework to continue to grow, but the educational environment of practice may differ drastically depending on ..read more

After fast-paced, rewarding, but often exhausting years of completing highly technical neurosurgical training as a resident, the decision to pursue an additional one to two years of fellowship training is ultimately highly personal. As a mid-level resident, I weighed the pros and cons of this path after graduating in the context of my professional and personal goals. Among the pros: Greater job opportunities for those who have completed advanced subspecialty fellowship training; Marketing opportunities in areas with significant market competition; Exposure to and education on new procedures ..read more

On Feb. 16, Medscape published an article, “‘Blog MD’: Medical Blogs That Physicians Love,” including Neurosurgery Blog on their list of 10 medical blogs for physicians. The article states, “the blog authored by the AANS and CNS tackles topics beyond brain surgery. Physicians and other specialists could learn from writings about a neurosurgeon’s approach to mentorship, artificial intelligence in the treatment of stroke patients, and creating a pathway for the next generation of neurosurgeons.” In the last 12 years, the Neurosurgery Blog has published nearly 550 blog posts. The article notes th ..read more

Morbidity and mortality (M&M) is a common conference across medical specialties. It originated in the early 1900s when a surgeon named Ernest A. Codman, MD, attempted to create a systematic way of reporting errors and standardizing practices and procedures. Back then, error tracking and reporting were not the norm, and he lost privileges at his hospital for trying to introduce any evaluation of surgeon competence. He persevered in his work and is now recognized as the founder of the M&M conference. This conference allows surgeons to reflect upon their performance and receive invaluable ..read more

There is nothing more important to a neurosurgeon than patient safety. We strive daily to provide the right care to the right patient at the right time and place in the best possible way. Beyond each individual encounter, achieving this requires constant assessment and reassessment of all aspects of care delivery — a process called quality improvement. For decades, medicine and neurosurgery addressed quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) but not in a focused, scientific way. Today, however, this represents one of the fastest-growing areas of investigation and implementation in almost e ..read more

Until the 19th century, surgical training was haphazard with no standardization. The surgical trainee learned through observation of a mentor and finished training when the mentor decided it was time. As surgery evolved from a trade to a profession, surgical training also evolved, pioneered by William S. Halsted, MD. Dr. Halsted’s principles of surgical training included the need to understand the scientific basis of disease, provide supervised care of surgical patients and gain increasing responsibility during training, leading to independent practice. The last 25 years have been a time of dr ..read more

Our current series on Making and Maintaining a Neurosurgeon discusses how one transitions from student to resident to practicing neurosurgeon. In particular, we highlight what our field is doing to improve diversity and the importance of mentorship to those considering neurosurgery. How impactful can mentorship be? Incredibly. This cross-post highlights the recent article in The Varsity, the University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper by Parsa Babaei Zadeh, Veronica Papaioannou, Zahn Bariring and Lauren Shaw titled, “Neurosurgery’s glass ceiling: Addressing the gender imbalance in the field.” Th ..read more

Research has always been integral to the field of neurosurgery. Its purpose is to improve patient treatment paradigms and stimulate innovation. Given these efforts, an emphasis on research quality and productivity has become a minimal requirement to enter and progress in academic neurosurgery. However, the barrier to entry in neurosurgery research remains relatively high for medical students, neurosurgery residents and young neurosurgeons — which may be prohibitive for academic progress. Providing transparency in the research process is a necessary step in reducing the barriers that have been ..read more

It has been a pleasure to serve as the chair of the Society of Neurological Surgeons (SNS) Medical Student Committee. This group of neurosurgical leaders is deeply engaged in finding better approaches to training future neurosurgeons. Our responsibilities include enhancing exposure to the field for students exploring future careers, providing a framework of mentorship for those considering a neurosurgical residency, and ensuring that The Match® is fair and efficient for both applicants and programs. It has been clear that forces are making this last goal more challenging for some time. First ..read more

On the Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting or linking to items from other places when we believe they may interest our readers. In case you missed it, we wanted to bring attention to a recent op-ed by Reps. Greg Murphy, MD, (R-N.C.), Brad Wenstrup, DPM, (R-Ohio) and Michael Burgess, MD, (R-Texas) in Washington Times titled, “Medicare cuts ensure disaster to doctor-patient relationship.” On Jan. 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cut payments to physicians by nearly 3.4% for services rendered to Medicare patients, which will cripple independent physicians and ..read more