How to become a pediatric neurosurgeon in Latin America: training opportunities, current status, and future challenges.

PURPOSE: To provide an analysis of pediatric neurosurgery educational opportunities in Latin America in order to characterize and evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations to assume a career in pediatric neurosurgery. METHODS: An online survey was distributed to pediatric neurosurgeons in Latin America to assess aspects of pediatric neurosurgical education, working conditions, and training opportunities. The survey was open to neurosurgeons that treat pediatric patients, whether or not they had completed fellowship training in pediatrics. A descriptive analysis was done with a subgroup analysis stratified the results among certified pediatric neurosurgeons and non-certified pediatric neurosurgeons. RESULTS: In total, 106 pediatric neurosurgeons completed the survey, of whose the vast majority completed their training in a Latin American pediatric neurosurgery program. A total of 19 accredited academic programs in pediatric neurosurgery were found in Latin America distributed in 6 different countries. On average, the pediatric neurosurgical training in America Latina has a duration of 278 years, ranging from 1 to > 6 years. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first of its kind to review pediatric neurosurgical training in Latin America, in which both pediatric and general neurosurgeons provide neurosurgical care to children in the continent; however, we found that in the majority of the cases, children are treated by certified pediatric neurosurgeons, of whose the vast majority were trained in Latin American programs. On the other hand, we found areas of improvement in the specialty in the continent, including regulation of training opportunities, increased support for funding, and more opportunities for education among all countries.

History of pediatric neurosurgery in Latin America: the early years.

PURPOSE: Pediatric neurosurgical history in Latin America possesses rich and fascinating origins; the large number of neurosurgical societies that form the continent and the inspiring achievements of the pioneers in the field in every single Latin American country are described here. This unique text explores the aspects of this neurosurgical specialty since its beginnings by neurosurgeons trained outside Latin America, who brought the pediatric practice to their home countries, writing a new chapter in the neurosurgical history, constructing the foundations for the present pediatric practice and the few fellowships found in the continent. METHODS, RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A formal search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and national libraries focused on the historical and biographical aspects of pioneers' pediatric neurosurgeons of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, and Ecuador, with an important session that describes the fellowships' opportunities in pediatric neurosurgery found in the continent, dividing all the programs according to the countries that offer the subspecialty education.