Department of Medicine, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil.
Department of Medicine, Metropolitan University of Health Sciences, Barranquilla, Colombia.
Neurosurg Rev. 2024 Sep 7;47(1):570. doi: 10.1007/s10143-024-02818-x.
Neurosurgery is an intensely competitive field. With the USMLE Step 1 transitioning to a pass/fail system, research has become a crucial component of the neurosurgery residency application process. This emphasis on research is particularly critical for international medical graduates (IMGs), who often face greater challenges compared to their U.S. counterparts. IMGs typically need more publications and higher H-indices to stand out. However, accessing quality research opportunities is significantly more difficult for those from low- and middle-income countries. This mini-review aims to provide a new perspective for IMGs, demonstrating that publishing in prestigious neurosurgical journals is possible even with limited resources.
We searched Scopus and reviewed Brazilian publications from 2014 to 2023 in Neurosurgery and the Journal of Neurosurgery. We extracted the methodological designs of the studies and the graduation status of the first authors.
In 2023-2024, four Brazilian medical students published systematic reviews in major neurosurgical journals as first authors, marking a revolutionary change in the Brazilian neurosurgical landscape not seen in the past decade. These achievements illustrate that high-impact publications are attainable without geographical proximity, substantial financial support, or access to extensive institutional databases. Letters to the editor also represented a considerable Brazilian contribution.
Literature reviews and letters to the editor are accessible methods for IMGs to engage in impactful research. IMGs can maximize their abilities and significantly contribute to neurosurgery by embracing literature reviews and meta-analyses. These approaches can open doors for those without other avenues to begin their research careers.
神经外科学是一个竞争激烈的领域。随着 USMLE 第 1 步过渡到通过/失败制，研究已成为神经外科学住院医师申请过程的关键组成部分。这种对研究的重视对国际医学毕业生 (IMG) 尤为重要，他们通常比美国同行面临更大的挑战。IMG 通常需要更多的出版物和更高的 H 指数才能脱颖而出。然而，对于来自低收入和中等收入国家的人来说，获得高质量的研究机会要困难得多。本篇迷你综述旨在为 IMG 提供新的视角，表明即使资源有限，在有声望的神经外科期刊上发表文章也是可能的。
我们在 Scopus 上进行了搜索，并回顾了 2014 年至 2023 年发表在神经外科和《神经外科学杂志》上的巴西出版物。我们提取了研究的方法设计和第一作者的毕业状态。
在 2023-2024 年，四名巴西医学生作为第一作者在主要神经外科期刊上发表了系统评价，这标志着巴西神经外科学领域发生了过去十年未见的革命性变化。这些成就表明，即使没有地理位置的接近、大量的财政支持或访问广泛的机构数据库，也可以获得高影响力的出版物。给编辑的信也是巴西的一项重要贡献。
文献综述和给编辑的信是 IMG 参与有影响力的研究的可及方法。IMG 可以通过接受文献综述和荟萃分析来最大限度地发挥自己的能力，并为神经外科学做出重大贡献。这些方法可以为那些没有其他途径开始研究生涯的人打开大门。
