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Bridging the gap in neurosurgical education: Lecture exposure and student confidence among Argentinian medical
Francisco Rivera1, Matias Ignacio Cosimano2, Cyrus Elahi3
1Centro de Educacion Medica e Investigaciones Clinicas University Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Barrow Global, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Introduction:
Latin America faces a critical shortage of neurosurgeons, with disparities in training opportunities for medical students. In Argentina, the extent of neurosurgical exposure during medical school and its impact remain unclear. This study assessed students' exposure to neurosurgery-related education and its influence on self-reported confidence in recognizing neurosurgical conditions.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was distributed to Argentinian medical students and recent graduates (<2 years post-graduation) between December 2024 and March 2025. The survey collected data on demographics, exposure to neurosurgical lectures, research, mentorship, and confidence in clinical and imaging-based neurosurgical diagnosis. Descriptive and correlational statistical analyses were performed using Spearman's rank correlation for ordinal variables.
Results:
A total of 317 responses were analyzed. While 207 participants (65.3 %) received neurosurgery lectures, only 57 (18.0 %) had instruction on operative neuroanatomy. The most covered topics were central nervous system tumors (n = 241, 76.0 %) and traumatic brain injury (n = 225, 71.0 %). Most participants (60.1 %, n = 198) felt lectures were insufficient, and 257 (81.0 %) desired more neurosurgical education. Confidence in diagnosing neurosurgical conditions was low: 164 (51.7 %) lacked confidence using clinical signs, and 145 (45.8 %) lacked confidence using imaging. A positive correlation was found between lecture exposure and diagnostic confidence (rs = 0.430, p < 0.0001).
Conclusion:
Neurosurgical education is inconsistently integrated across Argentinian medical schools, with most students reporting limited exposure and low confidence in neurosurgical diagnosis. Early, structured, and comprehensive curricular reform is essential to address this gap and strengthen the neurosurgical pipeline in low- and middle-income countries.
