• Esen AydinAysegulADepartment of Neurosurgery, Arnavutkoy State Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: aysegul_esen@hotmail.com., Nurperi Gazioglu, Anastasia Tasiou, Stiliana Mihaylova, Niina Salokorpi, Maria Karampouga, BroekmanMarike L DMLDDepartment of Neurosurgery, Haaglanden Medical Center and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands., Insa K Janssen, Hulda B Magnadottir, Teresa Somma, Ermira Pajaj, Silvia Hernandez Duran, Pia Vayssiere, Ana Rodríguez-Hernández, Xanthoula Lambrianou, Eleni Tsianaka, Gail Rosseau, and Mary Murphy.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Arnavutkoy State Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: aysegul_esen@hotmail.com.
• World Neurosurg. 2024 May 1; 185: e523e531e523-e531.

BackgroundNeurosurgery, an intricate and dynamic surgical specialty, faces challenges in attracting medical graduates. Despite its potential appeal, a decreasing trend in medical students opting for surgical specialties, including neurosurgery, is noted. This study aims to assess European medical students' perceptions of neurosurgery, focusing on South-East Europe, and address concerns about the declining interest in this field.MethodsA comprehensive digital survey, comprising 33 questions, was distributed to 1115 medical students across 17 European countries. The survey, conducted over 9 months, gathered responses through European neurosurgical societies, the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS), and university channels. Statistical analysis utilized IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, presenting data through counts, proportions, and χ2 tests.ResultsThe study reveals that, over the survey period, 834 medical students completed the questionnaire, with a predominant representation from South-East Europe. While 43.2% of participants were considering a surgical career, neurosurgery emerged as the most preferred specialty (26.37%). Despite this interest, 80.2% reported insufficient knowledge about pursuing a neurosurgical career, with limited exposure during medical education. Concerns about work-life balance, heavy workload, and hierarchical structures were prominent among respondents.ConclusionsThe findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address concerns influencing medical students' decisions regarding neurosurgery. Improving neurosurgical education, dispelling misconceptions, and creating a supportive work environment are crucial steps to attract and retain diverse talented individuals in neurosurgery. These efforts will be vital in narrowing the gap between the demand for neurosurgeons and the number of medical graduates entering the field, ensuring a sustainable future for this essential surgical specialty.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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