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CC BY 4.0 · Indian Journal of Neurosurgery
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1804537
Original Article

Does Neurosurgery Residency Training Program Meet the Current Clinical Practice Needs? Results of an Online Questionnaire-Based Survey of Alumni

Madhusudhan Nagesh
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Nishanth Sadashiva 
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Gaurav Tyagi 
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Abhinith Shashidhar
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Subhas Konar
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Andiperumal Prabhuraj
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Vikas Vazhayil 
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Nupur Pruthi
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Arivazhagan Arimappamagan
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Dhaval Shukla 
1   Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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Abstract

Background

Neurosurgery as a specialty is evolving daily, and new subspecialties are emerging. New treatment modalities are incorporated into day-to-day practice. The present residency training program must be remodeled to meet current needs. The objective of the study was to evaluate whether the institute's residency training program met the needs of the current practice of the alumni of the institute.

Methods

An online questionnaire-based survey was prepared considering the themes of the residency program, subspecialty exposure, and fellowships. The links were forwarded to the institute's alumni from 2003 to 2021 batches, and the responses were analyzed.

Results

In total, 102 responses were received (85% response rate). Ninety-two respondents practice within the country, most at private multispecialty hospitals. In all, 92.2% were satisfied with the overall training they received; most deemed it adequate for their current clinical practice. Satisfaction levels were low for training on surgical anatomy, follow-up assessments, and multidisciplinary interactions. Exposure to subspecialties like endovascular was the least, and exposures to spine, functional, endoscopic skull base, and radiosurgery were deemed subpar. Forty-eight pursued additional fellowships in various specialties, and 85.4% reported that the fellowship significantly contributed to their current practice.

Conclusion

Transition from residency to individual practice is often challenging for young neurosurgeons. This survey highlights the expectations and satisfaction levels of the alumni. It also emphasizes the need for exposure to upcoming subspecialties.

Keywords

neurosurgical residency - residency training program - fellowship - subspecialty training

Data Availability Statement

The relevant data are provided in the manuscript.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Article published online:
02 April 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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