Carving a Path to The Brain: A Study 0n Neurosurgery Career Choices

Background Medical students often face challenges in choosing a career path due to limited exposure to specialized fields like neurosurgery. Understanding their perceptions and experiences is crucial in addressing the gaps in neurosurgical education and inspiring future neurosurgeons. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 461 medical students, utilizing convenience sampling. Data collection employed a validated self-administered tool. Statistical analysis in SPSS Version 25 included t-tests, chi-square tests, comparing scores based on age, gender, year of study, and exposure to the formal neurosurgical rotations in their institute. Significance value was set at p < 0.05. Results In the study of 461 medical students, 79.8% identified with the 19-23 age group, and 63.8% affirmed neurosurgery exposure. Medical students’ perceptions included 167(36.3%) students found neurosurgery teaching sufficient, 164 (35.6%) disagreed on obtaining neurosurgical history is difficult, 224 (48.6%) agreed on neurosurgical disease complexity, and 250 (54.2%) found these diseases challenging and interesting. A majority of 183 (39.7%) respondents agreed that neurosurgical diseases had poor outcomes. Regarding training of the neurosurgical surgery 205 (44.5%) participants strongly agreed on its length, and 215 (46.7%) consented on extensive operating hours. However, 167 (36.3%) strongly disagreed about ample job prospects in Pakistan. Conclusion Enhancing neurosurgery education with quality, consistency, and adaptability is essential to bridge gaps and inspire future neurosurgeons. These findings guide improvements in educational programs, preparing a skilled workforce to meet evolving healthcare demands.