Tailoring neurosurgical operating room education to medical undergraduates: Integrative review and meta-synthesis

Introduction: Integrating medical students into the neurosurgical operating room (OR) presents significant pedagogical challenges, compounded by the phenomenon of neurophobia, or aversion to neuroscience. Despite the importance of early neurosurgical exposure, there is a lack of structured educational strategies for undergraduates. Research Question How can neurosurgical OR education be effectively tailored to address undergraduate medical students' educational needs and mitigate neurophobia? Material and methods: This study employs an integrative approach, combining narrative synthesis and critical interpretive synthesis (CIS). A comprehensive literature review was conducted across databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and ERIC. Key themes and patterns were identified through iterative reading, coding, and thematic analysis. CIS was utilized to integrate these themes into a coherent theoretical framework, focusing on applicability, feasibility, and educational impact. Results: The study presents twelve targeted strategies to optimize neurosurgical OR education. These include preoperative planning, fostering a positive learning environment, emphasizing technological integration, involving students in decision-making, prioritizing safety, providing regular feedback, facilitating active participation, leveraging teachable moments, managing time constraints, offering follow-up opportunities, emphasizing professionalism, and fostering a learning culture. Discussion and conclusion: This framework addresses a critical gap in neurosurgical education for undergraduates, tackling neurophobia and enhancing learning experiences. By integrating educational theories with practical insights, it offers a robust, adaptable approach suitable for various global resource settings. Through continuous evaluation and refinement, these strategies can evolve to meet the dynamic demands of neurosurgical education, preparing students to navigate the complexities of modern neurosurgical practice with confidence and competence.