Farrah J Mateen1,2, Sarah J Clark1, Mia Borzello1, Jean Kabore3, Osheik Seidi4. 1. Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. 2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. 3. University of Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. 4. University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive understanding of neurology training from the sub-Saharan African perspective. METHODS: A 40-question survey was distributed to attendees of the 7th annual sub-Saharan African neurology teaching course in Khartoum, Sudan (2015). Themes included the student body, faculty, curriculum, assessment and examinations, technology, and work hours and compensation. RESULTS: Of 19 responding countries, 10 had no formal neurology training programs; Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique had an adult neurology program; Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa had adult and pediatric neurology programs (training duration range = 3-6 years). There was a median of 2.5 full-time neurologists on the teaching faculty at the respondents' training institutions (neurologists on-faculty:in-country ratio = 0.48), with the lowest ratios in Sudan and Nigeria. Neurology was perceived to be a competitive specialty for entrance in 57% of countries, with 78% of respondents reporting a requisite entrance examination. Ninety-five percent had access to a personal smartphone, 62% used the Internet more than occasionally, and 60% had access to online neurology journals. The average number of weekly work hours was 51 (range = 40-75), and average monthly salary among those earning income was 1,191 USD (range = 285-3,560). Twenty percent of respondents reported paying for training. The most common barriers to neurology postgraduate education were few training programs and lack of training in neurodiagnostic tests. Among 17 reporting countries, there is an estimated average of 0.6 neurologists per million people. INTERPRETATION: Neurology training programs in sub-Saharan Africa are relatively limited in number and have several unmet needs including a small cadre of faculty and an opportunity to standardize curricula and financing of programs. Ann Neurol 2016;79:871-881.
OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive understanding of neurology training from the sub-Saharan African perspective. METHODS: A 40-question survey was distributed to attendees of the 7th annual sub-Saharan African neurology teaching course in Khartoum, Sudan (2015). Themes included the student body, faculty, curriculum, assessment and examinations, technology, and work hours and compensation. RESULTS: Of 19 responding countries, 10 had no formal neurology training programs; Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique had an adult neurology program; Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa had adult and pediatric neurology programs (training duration range = 3-6 years). There was a median of 2.5 full-time neurologists on the teaching faculty at the respondents' training institutions (neurologists on-faculty:in-country ratio = 0.48), with the lowest ratios in Sudan and Nigeria. Neurology was perceived to be a competitive specialty for entrance in 57% of countries, with 78% of respondents reporting a requisite entrance examination. Ninety-five percent had access to a personal smartphone, 62% used the Internet more than occasionally, and 60% had access to online neurology journals. The average number of weekly work hours was 51 (range = 40-75), and average monthly salary among those earning income was 1,191 USD (range = 285-3,560). Twenty percent of respondents reported paying for training. The most common barriers to neurology postgraduate education were few training programs and lack of training in neurodiagnostic tests. Among 17 reporting countries, there is an estimated average of 0.6 neurologists per million people. INTERPRETATION: Neurology training programs in sub-Saharan Africa are relatively limited in number and have several unmet needs including a small cadre of faculty and an opportunity to standardize curricula and financing of programs. Ann Neurol 2016;79:871-881.
Authors: Jennifer A Williams; Fodé Abass Cisse; Mike Schaekermann; Foksouna Sakadi; Nana Rahamatou Tassiou; Gladia C Hotan; Aissatou Kenda Bah; Abdoul Bachir Djibo Hamani; Andrew Lim; Edward C W Leung; Tadeu A Fantaneanu; Tracey A Milligan; Vidita Khatri; Daniel B Hoch; Manav V Vyas; Alice D Lam; Joseph M Cohen; Andre C Vogel; Edith Law; Farrah J Mateen Journal: Seizure Date: 2019-05-31 Impact factor: 3.184
Authors: Erica D McKenzie; Andrew S P Lim; Edward C W Leung; Andrew J Cole; Alice D Lam; Ani Eloyan; Damber K Nirola; Lhab Tshering; Ronald Thibert; Rodrigo Zepeda Garcia; Esther Bui; Sonam Deki; Liesly Lee; Sarah J Clark; Joseph M Cohen; Jo Mantia; Kate T Brizzi; Tali R Sorets; Sarah Wahlster; Mia Borzello; Arkadiusz Stopczynski; Sydney S Cash; Farrah J Mateen Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2017-04-03 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Esther Cubo; Jacques Doumbe; Emiliano López; Guadalupe A Lopez; Emilia Gatto; Gabriel Persi; Mark Guttman Journal: Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) Date: 2017-10-19
Authors: E Sokolov; D H Abdoul Bachir; F Sakadi; J Williams; A C Vogel; M Schaekermann; N Tassiou; A K Bah; V Khatri; G C Hotan; N Ayub; E Leung; T A Fantaneanu; A Patel; M Vyas; T Milligan; M F Villamar; D Hoch; S Purves; B Esmaeili; M Stanley; T Lehn-Schioler; J Tellez-Zenteno; E Gonzalez-Giraldo; I Tolokh; L Heidarian; L Worden; N Jadeja; S Fridinger; L Lee; E Law; C Fodé Abass; F J Mateen Journal: Eur J Neurol Date: 2020-05-30 Impact factor: 6.089
Authors: Tom Baden; Mahmoud Bukar Maina; Andre Maia Chagas; Yunusa Garba Mohammed; Thomas O Auer; Ana Silbering; Lukas von Tobel; Marie Pertin; Renee Hartig; Jelena Aleksic; Ibukun Akinrinade; Mosab A Awadelkareem; Artemis Koumoundourou; Aled Jones; Fabiana Arieti; Andrew Beale; Daniel Münch; Samyra Cury Salek; Sadiq Yusuf; Lucia L Prieto-Godino Journal: Neuron Date: 2020-07-20 Impact factor: 17.173