Neurosurgery training in Pakistan: Follow-up survey and critical analysis of National Training Programmes

This cross-sectional nation-wide survey was planned to assess the current status of neurosurgery residency training in Pakistan and to compare it with the results of a previous study. The duration of study was from July to December 2015. It comprised of neurosurgery trainees enrolled with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP). In this study, 43 trainees from 13 centres were included. The mean duration of training acquired by participants was 2.8±1.9 years. The mean work hours were 73.8±21.9 per week. Moreover, 28(65%) trainees had access to at least one neurosurgery journal while 29(67%) did not have any indexed publication. Besides, 2(15.4%) centres did not have internet facility and more than half did not have a regular morbidity and mortality meeting. Training facilities were highly variable in different institutes. When compared with previous study, little improvement occurred during the previous six years. We recommend a uniform academic curriculum and standardisation of training facilities among different institutes.