Impact of the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation skull base course on academic and career outcomes

OBJECTIVE: Since 2010, the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation (NREF) has offered a Skull Base for Senior Residents course, using didactic sessions and cadaveric dissections to teach senior neurosurgery residents the basics of skull base surgery. In this paper, the impact of this course on the careers of previous attendees was evaluated. METHODS: A list of attendees between 2010 and 2023 from the NREF Skull Base for Senior Residents course was obtained and data were collected for each attendee, including demographic information, career advancement, and academic productivity. Outcomes included advancing into a skull base neurosurgery fellowship and career, clinical practice setting, academic professorship appointment, and academic productivity as measured by publication count and the h-index. A survey of participants was also collected to assess the perceived individual benefit of participation in the course. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2023, 203 US neurosurgery residents attended the NREF Skull Base for Senior Residents course. Of all attendees, 174 have graduated from residency, with 95 (54.6%) of these graduates pursuing careers in complex cranial surgery. Of the 174 graduates, 94 (54.0%) practice in an academic neurosurgery setting and 83 (88.3%) of the 94 have academic appointments. More past participants completed skull base fellowships (n = 59) and practice skull base neurosurgery (n = 73) than any other single neurosurgical subspecialty. The mean (± SD) number of publications after the course and total h-index by the participants were 29.4 ± 56.1 and 10.8 ± 9.4, respectively. The mean number of literature citations after the course was 434.5 ± 929.8. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of young neurosurgeons who attend the NREF Skull Base for Senior Residents course pursue academic neurosurgery careers across the US, with more choosing to pursue fellowships and jobs in a skull base subspecialty compared to choosing any other subspecialty. This finding highlights the career trajectory of participants and the utility of relevant subspecialty training to hone skills and foster growth in the careers of young skull base surgeons.