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The Neurosurgeon as a High-Performance Athlete: Parallels and Lessons Learned from Sports Psychology
Alejandro M Spiotta1, Avery L Buchholz1, Alyssa K Pierce1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Background:
Top performing neurosurgeons and elite athletes require years of sacrifice, discipline, and dedication to their art to be finely attuned to their physical abilities and limitations, and a singular mental focus to reach their full potential under moments of pressure.
Methods:
We outline strategies and techniques commonly used by high-performance athletes and how they may be applied to neurosurgery to achieve the highest possible surgeon preparation, patient outcomes, and career longevity.
Results:
Further investigation and integration of well-established cognitive psychology applications to surgical performance is needed. These principles are broad-reaching and may be applied to the training of our residents, our own daily routine, and as a life philosophy to enhance the longevity of our careers.
Conclusions:
Maintaining peak performance for a neurosurgeon may prove to be more challenging than that of the elite athlete.
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