SNI/SNI Digital-Baghdad neurosurgery educational series

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Medical Education
• Global Health

Background:

• High-quality neurosurgery online learning is limited in low- and middle-income countries, including Iraq.
• There is a global need for neurosurgical collaboration and idea exchange.
• Surgical Neurology International (SNI)/SNI Digital initiated joint online meetings between the US and Iraq.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of online collaborative meetings for neurosurgery education.
• To evaluate the mutual educational benefits of international virtual neurosurgery discussions.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to attendees of the SNI-Baghdad neurosurgery meetings (May 2021-April 2022).
• The survey utilized Google Forms and a 5-point Likert scale.
• Survey sections covered demographics, meeting aspects, research, surgical anatomy, neuroradiology, and capacity building.

Main Results:

• A total of 84 out of 115 participants responded (73.1% response rate).
• Participants included medical students to attending neurosurgeons, with a 1:1 male-to-female ratio.
• Most attendees were from Baghdad (77.6%), primarily from the University of Baghdad (54.1%).

Conclusions:

• Online collaborative meetings, like SNI-Baghdad, are effective for international educational exchange in neurosurgery.
• These virtual formats provide a mutually beneficial learning experience.
• The study highlights the success of such initiatives in bridging geographical and resource gaps in neurosurgical education.