Graziano Francesca, Gerardi Rosa Maria, Nicoletti Giovanni Federico, D'Amico Valentina, Ghodratitoostani Iman, Palmisciano Paolo, Chaurasia Bipin, Umana Giuseppe Emmanuele, Scalia Gianluca
Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, ARNAS Garibaldi, Catania, Italy.
Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Residency Program in Neurological Surgery, Neurosurgical Clinic, AOUP "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy.
Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025 Sep 12;87(11):7239-7248. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000003854. eCollection 2025 Nov.
The main objective of the study is to trace the history and evolution of neurosurgical education, examining the parallels between pre-Hellenistic, Islamic Golden Age, and modern educational methods. The study explores how the pioneering teaching approaches can inspire continuous improvements in current neurosurgical education. Additionally, the importance of mentorship and clinical clerkships in advancing international neurosurgical education is highlighted.
This is a historical narrative review study, aiming to trace the evolution of neurosurgical education from antiquity to the present. The literature search was conducted between January 2020 and March 2024 using the databases PubMed, Scopus, JSTOR, and Google Scholar. Search terms included: "history of neurosurgical education," "cadaveric dissection in medical training," "Al-Zahrawi surgery," "anatomy teaching Renaissance," and "VR simulation in neurosurgery." Sources included primary historical texts (e.g., Edwin Smith Papyrus, Sushruta Samhita), secondary academic reviews, classical medical treatises, surgical textbooks, and biographies of key historical figures. Inclusion criteria focused on relevance to neurosurgical teaching, anatomical education, and educational methods, spanning both Western and non-Western civilizations.
As this is a historical narrative review, the results are presented through qualitative data - primarily events, milestones, educational practices, and biographical contributions - rather than statistical or outcome-based data. The historical analysis reveals a continuous link between mentorship, clinical clerkships, and hands-on neuroanatomy training as key factors that have shaped modern neurosurgical education. Notable advancements include Osler's introduction of bedside rounds and clerkships, and Rhoton's modern method of dissection of cadaveric heads for neuroanatomy teaching.
The study concludes that historical insights into neurosurgical education methods provide valuable lessons for future improvements in teaching and mentoring in the field. The legacy of figures such as Sir William Osler and Dr. Albert Rhoton continues to inform and inspire modern neurosurgical education, particularly in clinical and anatomical learning practices.
本研究的主要目的是追溯神经外科教育的历史与演变，审视前希腊化时期、伊斯兰黄金时代和现代教育方法之间的相似之处。该研究探讨了开创性的教学方法如何激发当前神经外科教育的持续改进。此外，还强调了导师指导和临床实习在推进国际神经外科教育中的重要性。
这是一项历史叙述性综述研究，旨在追溯神经外科教育从古代到现代的演变。于2020年1月至2024年3月期间使用PubMed、Scopus、JSTOR和谷歌学术等数据库进行文献检索。检索词包括：“神经外科教育史”、“医学培训中的尸体解剖”、“宰赫拉维外科学”、“解剖学教学文艺复兴”以及“神经外科中的虚拟现实模拟”。资料来源包括原始历史文献（如《埃德温·史密斯纸草书》《妙闻集》）、二次学术综述、经典医学论著、外科教科书以及关键历史人物的传记。纳入标准侧重于与神经外科教学、解剖学教育和教育方法的相关性，涵盖西方和非西方文明。
由于这是一项历史叙述性综述，结果通过定性数据呈现——主要是事件、里程碑、教育实践和传记贡献——而非基于统计或结果的数据。历史分析揭示了导师指导、临床实习和实践神经解剖学培训之间的持续联系，这些是塑造现代神经外科教育的关键因素。显著进展包括奥斯勒引入床边查房和实习，以及罗顿用于神经解剖学教学的现代尸体头部解剖方法。
该研究得出结论，对神经外科教育方法的历史见解为该领域未来教学和指导的改进提供了宝贵经验。威廉·奥斯勒爵士和阿尔伯特·罗顿博士等人物的遗产继续为现代神经外科教育提供信息并带来启发，特别是在临床和解剖学学习实践方面。
