Abstract
INTRODUCTION: To describe the opinion of junior doctors in neurosurgery in the UK and Eire about future reforms to training, and to relate this to the establishment of a generic neurosciences training programme. METHODS: A postal questionnaire survey of neurosurgery units in UK and Eire (36 units). All senior house officers (SHOs) taking part in a neurosurgery on-call rota during the 6 months between February and August 2003 (n=236); 190 respondents (response rate 81% overall, 90% neurosurgery SHOs and 55% neurology SHOs. The questionnaire covered most aspects of provision of training, working pattern and job satisfaction gained from the post. Also included were questions on future reforms for training. RESULTS: There is an overwhelming acceptance amongst SHOs for training to be centred on generic programmes. The audit also identified that there are many aspects of neurosurgical training which will be very suitable for trainees from other fields, thus supporting the establishment of a generic neurosciences training programme. CONCLUSIONS: The establishment of a generic training programme would encourage an improvement in training standards for the whole SHO grade. To ensure the success of this proposed generic training programme, support from junior doctors and all those involved in postgraduate education is required. Neurosciences teaching has the excellent potential to move towards the planning and formation of a generic neurosciences training programme in-line with the proposed reforms.