A lecture series - neurosurgery in an Irish Medical School without an associated neurosurgical Centre

Background: Neurosurgery is a surgical specialty that is felt to be under-represented in its teaching and education at an undergraduate level in Irish medical schools, particularly in those which are not attached to a specialist neurosurgical centre. We looked at exposure to neurosurgery among undergraduate students by organising two neurosurgical lecture days for the 2020/2021 final year medical class of National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), an Irish medical school which is not associated with a neurosurgical centre. This study sought to ascertain students' engagement with and, respectively, desire for a greater emphasis on common subjects within neurosurgery as part of an undergraduate curriculum, specifically in a medical school without an associated neurosurgical centre. Methods: The lecture series was organised by a final year medical student in NUI Galway in conjunction with the National Neurosurgical Centre, Beaumont Hospital. The lectures took place over the course of two separate lecture days on Saturday October 10th and Saturday November 14th, respectively. Both lecture days were broadcast virtually, in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, to the NUIG 2020/2021 final year medical class and the content covered therein composed part of the examinable syllabus for their final year medical exams. All class members were provided with an online pre-lecture survey prior to the initial lecture day and two post-lecture surveys, one at the end of each respective lecture day. Results: 194 final year medical students from a class of 205 attended over the course of the two given lecture days. Of the 148 students that completed the pre-lecture survey only 13 students had previously attended a neurosurgical lecture or conference. Of the 194 attendees, there were 116 students who completed the final post-lecture survey, 62% of whom agreed that they would like to receive further teaching and clinical exposure to neurosurgery as part of their undergraduate medical education.