Developing a neurosurgical simulation-based educational curriculum: an overview.
BACKGROUND
The science of medicine has undergone rapid advancement and expansion as a result of significant technological innovations, and this has affected the training of neurosurgical residents.


OBJECTIVE
To develop a simulation-based neurosurgical educational curriculum to improve resident education.


METHODS
The Congress of Neurological Surgeons established a Simulation Committee to explore the use of this technology in maximizing neurosurgical education. Simulators were incorporated into an educational curriculum with both a didactic and a technical component. The simulators and didactic portions were validated with objective pretests and posttests.


RESULTS
The Simulator Committee has continued to expand the use of simulators in neurosurgical education and has organized several practical courses. The simulator use continues to expand into vasculature, spinal, and cranial modules. Each module has independently shown improved training scores in both didactic and technical skills.


CONCLUSIONS
The Congress of Neurological Surgeons has successfully incorporated simulation into an educational curriculum with both didactic and technical components. This appears to be a powerful educational tool, and its uses are being further expanded.
*Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; ‡Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; §Department of Neurosurgery, Northwestern University Hospital, Chicago, Illinois; ¶Department of Neurosurgery, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
James
J
Harrop
Darlene A
DA
Lobel
Bernard
B
Bendok
Ashwini
A
Sharan
Ali R
AR
Rezai
D003198:Computer Simulation; D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000193:education*; D014584:User-Computer Interface