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Cross-Post: Medical Student Tamia Potter Makes History

By Career, DEI, MentoringNo Comments

Our current series on Making and Maintaining a Neurosurgeon discusses how one transitions from student to resident to practicing neurosurgeon. In particular, we highlight what our field is doing to improve diversity and the importance of mentorship to those considering neurosurgery. How impactful can a mentor be? Incredibly. Especially when it comes to forging a path few before have traveled.

This cross-post highlights the impact mentorship had on one newly minted physician, Tamia Potter, MD, who just became the first black female neurosurgery resident at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. Her story made headlines across the country, and she describes those who have inspired her along the way.

“As a child, watching my mom, a nurse, care for patients — I was always questioning why the body works the way it does,” said Dr. Potter. “I knew [then] I wanted to learn and understand how the brain and nervous system worked; I wanted to be a neurosurgeon.”

Only about 5.7% of physicians in the United States identify as Black or African American, according to recent data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Dr. Potter stresses the importance of the many mentors who have been just as instrumental throughout medical school. She recognizes her responsibility as a mentor for future students, “I didn’t get here by myself.”

Click here to read the full article published by Case Western Reserve University.

Editor’s Note: We hope you will share what you learn from our posts in the Making and Maintaining a Neurosurgeon series. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and using the hashtag #Neurosurgery.

Krystal L. Tomei, MD, MPH, FAANS, FACS, FAAP
Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
Cleveland, Ohio

January 3, 2024
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Bridging the Gap: A Pathway to Neurosurgery for Underrepresented Students

By CNS Spotlight, DEI, EquityNo Comments

Dedicated to alleviating health care disparities, the Pathway to Neurosurgery program encourages high school students from underrepresented groups and/or disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue a career in neurosurgery. On Monday, Sept. 11, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Foundation will host the program at the 2023 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Forty high school students from the E.L. Haynes Public Charter School will participate in a hands-on activity lab to give them insight into a day in a neurosurgeon’s life. Students will also attend lectures from leading neurosurgeons and hear from plenary talk guest speakers.

In recognition of this noteworthy program, the District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaimed Sept. 7-13 as Pathway to Neurosurgery Week. “The CNS is thrilled that Mayor Bowser has recognized the Pathway to Neurosurgery program. As CNS president, it has been a privilege to witness the growth and development of this critical mission-centric project, offering exposure to the wonders of neuroscience to these exceptional students,” states Elad I. Levy, MD, MBA, FAHA, FACS, FAANS, CNS president and professor and chair of neurosurgery at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

“African Americans, Hispanic Americans and women are significantly underrepresented in neurosurgery, and the CNS Pathway to Neurosurgery program aims to address this problem by promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in neurosurgery. Our goal is to inspire students to consider neurosurgery as a career option to foster innovations in patient care that can improve outcomes and reduce minority health disparities,” said Tiffany R. Hodges, MD, co-chair of the CNS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and associate professor of neurosurgery at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. Only 4% of practicing neurosurgeons in the U.S. are Black, 5% are Hispanic and 8% are women. In contrast, approximately 14% of the U.S. population are Black, 19% are Hispanic and 50% are women.

Click here to read Neurosurgery’s press release.

Editor’s Note: We hope you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and @CNS_Update and using the hashtag #PathwaytoNeurosurgery.

September 9, 2023
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The Long Game: The CNS’ Investment in the NINDS/CNS Getch K12 Scholar Award

By Career, DEI, Guest Post, HealthNo Comments

In 2012, the Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP) set a goal to grow a diverse corps of neurosurgeon scientists at institutions across the United States. The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) and the CNS Foundation became early partners in this effort by establishing the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)/CNS Getch K12 Scholar Award, named in honor of the CNS Past President Christopher C. Getch, MD, FAANS, a respected neurosurgeon, friend and leader, who passed away unexpectedly soon after his presidency.

Having invested $500,000 to fund Getch Scholars alternate years since 2015, why is the CNS doubling down with a $1,200,000 pledge for the next five years to make the Getch K12 award annual?

According to the CNS Past President Ganesh Rao, MD, FAANS, who championed the CNS’s investment in the K12 Awards, “NRCDP is a major driver for improving neurosurgical patient care. Support for neurosurgical research is critical, particularly at the beginning of one’s career; the commitment to mentorship is unparalleled, and we are seeing increasingly diverse awardees. I am a firm believer that the K12 program will improve neurosurgery overall.”

New data from Emad N. Eskandar, MD, FAANS, director of the NRCDP, reveals that the program has successfully hit the three drivers mentioned by Dr. Rao. The result is a remarkable increase in overall grant support for neurosurgeons.

Protected Research is Linked to Subsequent Funding

The following data points demonstrate the continued success of K12 scholars:

  • From 2013 through 2017, the NRCDP supported thirteen scholars. Eleven out of the thirteen scholars received subsequent National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for an overall success rate of 85%.
  • The second five-year cycle, 2018 through 2022, looks equally promising. During this period, the NRCDP supported sixteen scholars. Thus far, six have completed the program, and three have received additional substantive grants.
  • The number of years from a scholar’s initial NRCDP application until they obtained subsequent NIH funding also revealed success. Within five years, 50% of program alumni received NIH funding, and 85% received NIH funding within nine years.

According to 2017 winner Jennifer Strahle, MD, FAANS, “Winning a K12 award provided me with time and resources to complete the foundational hydrocephalus and iron metabolism experiments that laid the groundwork for my subsequent successful R01.”

While all K12 awards provide two years of protected research time, unique to the Getch award, the awardee may remain at their institution. Preserving this continuum of established relationships and research in their home laboratory is essential to the CNS.

Babacar Cisse, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical School and a 2018 winner of the NINDS/CNS Getch K12 Scholar Award, explained, “When I was hired by my chairman, we both agreed that I needed at least 50% of protected research time. The K12 solidified that agreement and extended it to 5 years.” Three years later, Dr. Cisse is about to publish his findings for the first time.

Diversity of Neurosurgeon Scientists is Just Beginning

The CNS shares the NIH goal to increase the diversity of all health care providers and, in particular, researchers. According to NRCDP data, the K12 program has seen critical areas of improvement since 2012:

  • In the first five years (2013-2017) of the NRCDP, two (15%) of the total thirteen scholars were women, and zero (0%) were underrepresented minorities.
  • In the second five years (since 2018), female scholars increased to three (20%) and underrepresented minorities increased to four (27%).

Sustainable Mentorship

Like all early-career neurosurgeons, mentorship and a community of colleagues are valuable to the K12 awardees. All awardees must attend the annual retreat hosted by the CNS for five years, and new awardees seek the guidance of the Advisory Committee and past K12 winners. Since awardees are committed to attending the retreat for five years, mentees naturally transition into mentors. One awardee responded, “the NRCDP K12 community represents an important community of mentors and colleagues with whom we can envision and affect future paradigm changes in the care of patients with neurological diseases.”

Galvanizing Investment

Compared to other surgical specialties — including orthoapedic surgery, otolaryngology and urology — neurosurgery saw a significant increase in grant funding from 2012 to 2021 (265%). One cannot help but marvel at the increased funding that has occurred since the inception of the NRCDP.

The CNS and the CNS Foundation are proud partners of the NIH, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, the NINDS and the NRCDP. The future for our specialty is bright.

Editor’s Note: We hope that you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery, @CNS_Update and @NINDSnews.

Alexander A. Khalessi, MD, MBA, FAANS
UC San Diego Medical Center
San Diego, Calif.

May 6, 2022
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Neurosurgical Oncologists as Champions of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

By DEI, Neuro-oncology, Tumor SeriesNo Comments

Recent events of systemic discrimination have led to national introspection on the importance of tolerance and diversity. The tragic killing of George Floyd in May 2020 was a sentinel event that raised awareness of the pervasive nature of systemic discrimination and served as a significant impetus for positive change. This was a clear reminder that we still face substantial challenges to tolerance and equal treatment for all as a society. It is also a unique opportunity to reflect on our common purpose as humanity.

In the immediate aftermath of Mr. Floyd’s death, many organizations issued statements reaffirming their commitments to promoting and advancing diversity through anti-discriminatory policies and initiatives. On their part, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) released the following joint statement:

As a profession, we in neurosurgery aim to promote the highest quality of patient care and advance the specialty of neurosurgery and neurosurgical education while espousing the values of integrity, leadership, excellence, and professionalism. As organizations and as a profession, we are committed to inclusion and diversity within our neurosurgical community. As neurosurgeons, we are committed to providing the highest quality of care to all segments of our society. Indeed, our principles are only relevant to the extent they apply to the most disadvantaged in our society.

The Society of Surgical Oncologists (SSO) also released a similar statement:

The Society of Surgical Oncology condemns racism and violence in all forms. We recognize racism as an underpinning to health disparities, and recent events serve as a clarion call to all of us that there is a need to do more than what we do on a daily basis — provide the best cancer care to individual patients regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

Diversity requires the core elements of equity and inclusion. Equity requires deliberate, fair and just treatment of our patients and colleagues irrespective of their background. Inclusion requires a conscious effort in thoroughly engaging diverse patients and colleagues in all aspects of the care we deliver and the decisions that govern our care through tolerance. Through equity and inclusion, our colleagues and patients feel respected and valued.

A firm commitment to the core elements of diversity is critical to the impactful delivery of neurosurgical care to society’s most vulnerable members. In treating life-threatening disorders of the nervous system, neurosurgeons can positively impact patients from all works of life. To render the best possible care, neurosurgeons should understand the diverse patient population they serve in the context of race, gender and ethnicity. When we deliver neurosurgical care in an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding, we serve as role models to those who look up to us.

Neurosurgical oncologists are integral to cancer care in the central nervous system, one of the most critical battle lines in the fight against systemic cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in oncology, there is still a considerable disparity in cancer care. Racial and ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic patients are disproportionately impacted by cancer. As part of the multidisciplinary management of diverse patients with central nervous system tumors, neurosurgical oncologists perform surgeries, stereotactic radiosurgery and clinical trials. Therefore, it is imperative for neurosurgical oncologists to incorporate diversity-informed clinical decision-making approaches to positively impact cancer patients who are affected by health disparities. Moreover, neurosurgical oncologists should be mindful of the barriers and challenges to recruiting underrepresented minorities into clinical trials, given historical precedence of mistrust. Identifying, acknowledging and addressing such barriers would undoubtedly enhance participation.

From a workforce perspective, organized neurosurgical oncology should strive to reflect the diverse cancer patient population they serve. Concerted efforts are needed to diversify the pool of neurosurgeons. We should strive to attract, train and mentor neurosurgeons from under-represented groups into the subspecialty of neurosurgical oncology. If we embrace diversity efforts, we should also establish benchmarks to assess progress in this journey. Beyond diversity in its members’ composition in general, neurosurgical oncology should strive to include diverse membership and leadership in committees. Such diversity efforts will strategically position us to address the neurosurgical oncologic needs of a multifaceted society uniformly.

As a profession, we should strive for the ideals of diversity and its associated tenets of equity and inclusion. Neurosurgical oncologists are in a unique position to understand and reduce health disparities. Our patients deserve that from us. We should never forget that our future is only as bright as the future of the patients whom we serve.

Editor’s Note: We hope that you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery, @AANSDiversity and @NSTumorSection and using the hashtag #TumorSeries.

Arnold B. Etame, MD, PhD, FAANS

Moffitt Cancer Center

Tampa, Fla.

February 2, 2022
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