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AANS Neurosurgeon

Cross-Post: First Female Neurosurgeon to Become a Medical School Dean: Julie G. Pilitsis Shares Her Path to Success

By CareerNo Comments

Our current series on Making and Maintaining a Neurosurgeon discusses how one transitions from student to resident to practicing neurosurgeon. This cross-post highlights the second chapter after practicing neurosurgery. Eleven years ago, Julie G. Pilitsis, MD, PhD, FAANS, set a goal to become a dean for a college of medicine.

To achieve this goal, Dr. Pilitsis worked toward gaining experience in the clinical, educational and research aspects of medicine at Albany Medical College. After a national search, she became the chair of The Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics. Subsequently, she obtained additional leadership training through the Harvard course for chairs, Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine and earned a Masters in Business Administration. To help garner institutional budget experience, she joined the system’s finance committee. To gain philanthropy experience, she obtained formal training and worked closely with her institutional foundation.

In 2022, Dr. Pilitsis became the dean and vice president of medical affairs at Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). She is the first female neurosurgeon to become a medical school dean. “A community is essential for all of us to get to where we are going. The central tenet of my time at FAU will echo that spirit of developing a health care workforce ‘of the community, for the community.’ I am proud to be a part of the neurosurgical community,” states Dr. Pilitsis.

Click here to read the full article in the AANS Neurosurgeon.

Editor’s Note: Effective Jan. 8, Dr. Pilitsis is now the of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

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.

April 25, 2024
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Cross-Post: Patient Advocacy in Neurosurgery

By Access to Care, Cross PostNo Comments

From time to time on Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-post articles that we believe are of interest to our readers. Today’s post comes from a recent article in the AANS Neurosurgeon, the official socioeconomic publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). In the article, Sarah I. Woodrow, MD, FAANS, outlines the importance of patient advocacy in neurosurgery and lists opportunities for neurosurgeons to get involved.

“Physician advocacy should be part of the daily practice of all neurosurgeons. Many of us advocate for our patients routinely as we participate in their care. It is important, however, to think beyond the needs of an individual patient and engage in system-level advocacy to promote a larger concept of societal well-being,” according to Dr. Woodrow. Opportunities include:

  • Working locally within one’s own health care system or organization to improve access and quality of care to patients, particularly those whose care has traditionally been neglected.
  • Interacting with local media to draw attention to issues faced by patients.
  • Engaging with local or national special interest groups (e.g., ThinkFirst, National Brain Tumor Society and Hydrocephalus Association) to promote ideas such as awareness or disease prevention.
  • Collaborating with colleagues at state neurosurgery medical societies and engaging with the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies — whose role in organized neurosurgery focuses on socioeconomic policy impacting neurosurgery practice and the quality of care delivered to our patients.
  • Engaging with state or federal lawmakers to advocate for legislation and policies that promote equitable health and safety for all.
  • Supporting the AANS/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Washington Committee and the Washington Office, the voice of organized neurosurgery at the national level. The committee, comprised of a cross-section of neurosurgeons, oversees neurosurgery’s health policy and advocacy efforts.
  • Donating to NeurosurgeryPAC, the non-partisan political action committee of the AANS that makes campaign contributions to political candidates that support issues important to neurosurgery.

For neurosurgeons interested in strengthening their role as physician advocates, starting small and local may seem like the best option. For others, organized neurosurgery has numerous opportunities to affect systemic change. Regardless of the approach, Dr. Woodrow notes that neurosurgeons must never underestimate the power of their voice to advocate for patients.

Click here to read the full article in the AANS Neurosurgeon.

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 @AANSNeurosurg.

July 22, 2022
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AANS Neurosurgeon Spotlight: The State of Neurosurgical Education

By AANS Spotlight, Burnout, COVID-19, GMENo Comments

Recent global circumstances have had considerable effects on neurosurgery. In the latest articles from AANS Neurosurgeon, the official socioeconomic publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), authors discuss the state of neurosurgical education. Practices have taken steps to not only adapt to a multitude of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but to thrive among them, while helping their patients do the same. Browse the Education issue for a scientific, artistic and realistic view from those tasked with providing and navigating valuable educational experiences during a time when there is no such thing as “normal.”

Article Spotlight

This Crisis is an Opportunity
Lola B. Chambless, MD, FAANS

Dr. Chambless explains how the pandemic has provided an unprecedented opportunity to study, learn and reform.

A Combined Spine Surgery Fellowship
Jason Savage, MD ꟾ Michael P. Steinmetz, MD, FAANS

Discover the makings of a successful spine fellowship – strong leadership, constant re-evaluation and a collaborative surgeon group.

Pen versus Penfield: A Proposed New Training Modality for Neurosurgery Residents
Erin N. D’Agostino, MD

Dr. D’Agostino describes how art “can serve a role in surgical skill building, learning and teaching of anatomy, patient education and combating burnout.”

Read More

Follow @aansneurosurg on Twitter, Instagram and like AANS Neurosurgeon on Facebook!

July 10, 2020
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AANS Neurosurgeon Spotlight: Winter 2020 – The Mind of a Neurosurgeon Part III

By AANS Spotlight, Career, Faces of Neurosurgery, Food for thoughtNo Comments

From training appraisal to relocation, authors explore the neurosurgeon perspective in AANS Neurosurgeon’s The Mind of a Neurosurgeon. Prominent neurosurgeons discuss their unique experiences in a field in which few have the opportunity to work and thrive.

Changing Gears: Mid-Career Relocation as a Catalyst for Better Patient Care
Daniel Orringer, MD, FAANS

  • Inspirational leadership; state-of-the-art facilities; a cumbersome electronic medical record; affiliation with a top-notch medical school; and a culture and history of excellence.
  • Navigating geographic change – from Ann Arbor to New York.
  • Navigating institutional change – evaluating essential components of a routine.
  • A new team – leading with the patients’ interest in mind.

The Mindful Neurosurgeon and the Art of Doing What’s Right
Edward C. Benzel, MD, FAANS

  • The desire for personal gratification, professional advancement and monetary gain can lead one to their neurosurgical calling.
  • The mindful neurosurgeon does not look at a job from the perspective of the job being a commodity generator, but from the perspective of the job as a calling.
  • Good leaders are selfless guides, reflective and empathetic.
  • The truly mindful neurosurgeon values doing what is right over all else.

Building the Neurosurgical Mind: Critical Appraisal in Neurosurgical Training
Beverly C. Walters, MD

  • Neurosurgical training goals focus on specialty knowledge acquisition, development of technical skills involving eye-hand coordination, learning how to collect important patient data and enhancement of critical thinking ability.
  • Look at the structure of research that tries to promote changes in practice to develop skills in evaluation of data and to be able to decide, factually, whether the ideas are worthy of inclusion in clinical practice – or, more importantly, if they are not worthy.
  • This basic concept of understanding the successes and failures of clinical research in our specialty and development of the ability to use data in the treatment of patients became known at the end of the twentieth century as evidence-based medicine.

Read More from The Mind of a Neurosurgeon.

February 6, 2020
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AANS Neurosurgeon Spotlight: Winter 2020 – The Mind of a Neurosurgeon Part II

By AANS Spotlight, MedEd, Medical Liability, MentoringNo Comments

Articles in the latest issue of AANS Neurosurgeon: “The Mind of a Neurosurgeon” take on the daunting task of better understanding what makes us tick! Many of the best and brightest have graciously considered aspects of this question and shared their poignant thoughts:

The Case for Mindfulness and Compassion

James R. Doty, MD, FAANS

  • Focus Lost. Every moment in surgery can be critical, right to the very end.
  • Focus Regained. I am working blind, so I open my heart to a possibility beyond reason, beyond skill and I begin to do what I was taught decades ago, not in residency, not in medical school, but in the back room of a small magic shop in the California desert.
  • For some it manifests as forgetfulness. Others experience compassion fatigue. Some experience moral injury and completely lose their motivation to serve their patients. In the worst cases, as defined by the ICD-10, physician’s burnout results in a state of vital exhaustion.
  • Being able to apply mindfulness training and a self-compassionate attitude to my profession gave me permission to attend to my own health and well-being.

The Impact of Medical Review Panels

Jennifer Kosty, MD; Bowen Jiang, MD; Devon LeFever; Jared R. Broughman; Frederick White, MD; Katie O. Orrico, JD; Bharat Guthikonda, MD, FAANS

  • Between 1990 and 2010, the National Practitioner Data Bank estimated malpractice and liability claims from adverse surgical events to be over $1.3 billion.
  • The Medical Review Panel (MRP) and Patient’s Compensation Fund are completely self-funded by physician participants, filing fees and investment income.
  • Once initiated, the panel has a 180-day period to render a decision with three possible outcomes: (1) Evidence demonstrates breach of the standard of care; (2) Evidence does not demonstrate breach of the standard of care; or (3) A question of fact exists bearing on the issue of liability which does not require expert opinion and therefore the MRP cannot render a decision.
  • Although the MRP has largely been beneficial for Louisiana, not all states have had similar experiences.

Inspiring Diverse Minds: The Value of Online Mentorship

Tiffany Ejikeme; Jennifer A. Sweet, MD, FAANS

  • Mentoring has been shown to be the most important factor for medical students in their choice of a specialty.
  • One specific challenge to mentorship relates to diversity. I have not come across many neurosurgeons who look like me, a black woman.
  • Staff physicians must relate to their students beyond the academic scope to form more authentic and effective relationships.
  • Further complicating the mentorship equation is how the medical student experience has evolved with the advent of technology.
  • Supporting efforts like WINS’ online mentorship portal, will help foster and develop mentorship relationships for students around the world.

Alternative Mind: How Non-traditional Experiences Enrich Neurosurgical Training Part 2

Juliana C. Rotter, MD; Avital Perry, MD; Christopher S. Graffeo, MD

  • Advanced communication skills and training are a crucial skill brought to neurosurgery by those coming in with background in business, administration or leadership.
  • The military mindset has a number of enriching elements including discipline to prioritize mission first as well as creating routinized procedures for debriefing, preparation and review.
  • Taken together, the less-traveled pathways have the potential to improve communication, diversify the collective skillset, enhance leadership and maintain the essential focus on the needs of the patient.

 

January 8, 2020
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AANS Neurosurgeon Spotlight: Winter 2020 – The Mind of a Neurosurgeon

By AANS Spotlight, GME, Loss of Life, MedEd, Voices of Neurosurgery DepartmentsNo Comments

In The Mind of a Neurosurgeon, join authors as they discuss navigating life as a neurosurgeon. From work-life balance to processing loss, pursuing creative outlets to the responsibility of training the next generation, neurosurgeons have a unique calling that leads to a special life serving others. Browse the articles and step into the mind of a neurosurgeon for stimulating conversations about the alternate mind, retirement, mindfulness, the outsider’s perspective, music and much more.

Check back later in January and February for more on The Mind of a Neurosurgeon. Here are just a few articles out now:

Stay Current

Access the Current Table of Contents

Follow @aansneurosurg on Twitter, Instagram and like AANS Neurosurgeon on Facebook!

December 30, 2019
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