A Scoping Review of Professionalism in Neurosurgery

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Neurosurgery Professionalism

Background:

• The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Milestones offer a framework for professionalism in residency.
• Neurosurgery-specific professionalism concepts can enhance existing milestones.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature and identify professionalism concepts relevant to neurosurgical practice and training.
• To expand the understanding of professionalism within neurosurgery.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review methodology was employed.
• Searches were conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus using terms 'professionalism' and 'neurosurgery'.
• English-language articles were included; non-peer-reviewed and qualitative publications were considered.

Main Results:

• 193 articles were included in the review.
• Six major themes of professionalism were identified: professional identity (53), burnout and wellness (51), professional development (34), ethics and conflicts of interest (27), diversity and gender (19), and misconduct (9).

Conclusions:

• The identified themes reflect current neurosurgical concerns regarding professionalism.
• Key areas such as diversity, gender, professional identity, and misconduct are not explicitly addressed in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Milestones.
• This review can inform the development of organizational policies on neurosurgery professionalism.