Virtual Neurosurgery Education for Medical Students Without Home Residency Programs: A Survey of 2020 Virtual Neurosurgery Training Camp Attendees.

OBJECTIVE To examine the perceived effectiveness of the Virtual Neurosurgery Training Camps (VNTC) among medical students with and without home neurosurgery residency programs. METHODS A survey assessing demographics, baseline interests, and ratings of utility and interest of programming was sent to attendees after the VNTC. Ratings were quantified on modified seven-point Likert scales. Ratings were compared between attendees with (HP) and without (NHP) home neurosurgery residency programs using Wilcoxon sum-rank or Chi square tests. A p-value of 0.05 determined significance. RESULTS There were 119 respondents, with 80 (67.2%) HP and 39 (32.8%) NHP students. Differences were observed between the groups for medical school type ( p = 0.002), highest degree achieved (p = 0.030), previous participation in a MSNTC event (p = 0.004), having a neurosurgery interest group (p < 0.001), and primary reason for VNTC attendance (p = 0.028). Increased interest in peripheral nerve neurosurgery was greater for the NHP (p = 0.047) but not neurosurgery or other subspecialties. A significant difference in utility of the different VNTC sessions was observed (p = 0.002), while none was seen in willingness to pursue neurosurgery (p = 0.33), likelihood of taking a year off (p = 0.44), and preparedness for sub-internships (p = 0.57) or applications (p = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS The 2020 VNTC benefited medical students both with and without home programs, but there were differences in perceived utility of virtual education. Future initiatives should continue to be tailored toward disadvantaged students.