Neurosurgery Education in Andean Latin America: Disparities in Access to Neuroanatomy Lectures and their Effect on Academic Excellence.

Abstract

To evaluate the number of operative neuroanatomy lectures and their impact on the academic and surgical excellence of neurosurgery trainees in Andean Latin America. A total of 132 residents and early-career neurosurgeons from Andean Latin America participated in this study. An electronic open-ended survey was distributed. Participants completed preintervention and postintervention surveys, and neuroanatomy knowledge was assessed before and after different educational interventions. Participants were grouped by access to lecture frequency (<5 lectures, 5-10 lectures, and >10 lectures) and format (virtual vs. in person). Comparisons were based on training location (e.g., capital, urban, rural) and residency training level or early-career stage. More than one-half (80 of 132, 61%) of participants reported that they had attended <5 neuroanatomy lectures during their training. Only 16 participants (12%) had attended >10 lectures. Trainees with access to >10 lectures demonstrated higher proficiency levels, particularly in supratentorial anatomy (P < 0.01). In addition, learning outcomes did not differ by lecture format. Chief residents based in capital programs had more access to >5 lectures compared with their urban peers (24 of 29 [83%] and 2 of 9 [22%], respectively) (P < 0.01). These findings support virtual lectures as an effective and scalable approach to bridging gaps in neurosurgery education. Expanding free web-based resources that are tailored to the educational needs of neurosurgery residents in low- and middle-income countries could enhance training and improve workforce competency in underserved regions.