The neurosurgical, surgical and medical training and practice models have to keep up with the technological revolution in the 21st Century as our lives changed on a swift base. Making bioethics and metacognition a cornerstone in medical education and practice will flourish our humane societies. Metacognition is thinking about one’s thinking, to plan, monitor and assess one’s understanding and performance. By adherence to medical ethics and Values-Based Medicine (VsBM) as guiding principles, we can develop benevolent medical practice. To enhance knowledge application, skills, and character qualities in realms beyond the immediate context in which they were learned. In this book, we developed a framework on how to evolve medical education and training by utilizing hi-tech. We divided the book into five principal components; Current and traditional root analysis of the learning process, Ethics and metacognition of education, learning and career development, Obstacles, difficulties and setbacks in learning and career development process, Learning in the digital era, and Mentorship. The author believes we are entering a new era of information technology, which will have a significant impact on the education, sciences, strategies and philosophy. Therefore, in preparation for this colossal transformation, the author brings together the best brains in the neurosurgical field from around the globe. Twenty distinguished Professors of Neurosurgery and educators from Canada, the USA, Colombia, the UK, Italy, the Netherland, India, Japan, China, Rwanda, Egypt and Saudi Arabia gathered their experiences and thoughts in this book to shade light on an evolving world that will be the norm in near future.

Surviving Neurosurgery: Vignettes of Resilience is a practical guide to the inner workings of the lives of neurosurgeons, healthcare partners, and patients. To this end, this text serves as a first-hand documentary of the unique challenges faced as one progresses through their career. It is a snapshot in time capturing the experiences of both patients and providers. The text is divided into seven parts that run the gamut of a neurosurgeon’s career symbolic of the seven years of neurosurgical training. These narratives include, but are not limited to, residency challenges, surgical nuances, research and funding, embracing humanity, patient experiences, and overcoming hurdles along the journey. Chapters share the wisdom and experiences of over 100 authors consisting of patients, trainees, advanced practice providers, and attending neurosurgeons.

The concept of this project is based on the premise that neurosurgeons are vital agents in the application of the American health care apparatus. They remain the true advocates for patients undergoing surgery for a neurological condition. Yet, the tenets of health care economics, health care policy, and the business of medicine remain largely debated within the context of politicians, policy experts, and administrators. This textbook will ease that gap. It will bring material generally absent from medical curricula into discussion. It will make potent features of health care economics, policy, and the business of practice digestible to clinical neurosurgeons in order to help them better treat their patients. The information provided in this text will also provide an excellent foundation for understanding the mechanics of running a neurosurgical practice. It simultaneously addresses career progression and opportunity evaluation.

The Educational Media and Technology Yearbook has become a standard reference in many libraries and professional collections. Examined in relation to its comp- ion volumes of the past, it provides a valuable historical record of current ideas and developments in the ?eld. Part I, “Trends and Issues,” presents an array of chapters that develop some of the current themes listed above, in addition to others. Part II, “Library and Information Science,” concentrates upon chapters of special relevance to K-12 education, library science education, school learning resources, and various types of library and media centers—school, public, and academic among others. In Part III, “Leadership Pro?les,” authors provide biographical sketches of the careers of instructional technology leaders. Part IV, “Organizations and Associations in North America,” and Part V, “Graduate Programs in North America,” are, resp- tively, directories of instructional technology-related organizations and institutions of higher learning offering degrees in related ?elds. Finally, Part VI, the “Medi- raphy,” presents an annotated listing of selected current publications related to the ?eld. For a number of years we have worked together as editors and the sixth with Dr. Michael Orey as the senior editor. Last year as the senior editor, Orey decided to try and come up with a list of the top programs rather than just the list of all the programs. This has proven to be problematic. First of all, bias exists when we are rating a ?eld in which our program is within those to be rated.

An International Conference on "Neurosurgical Training and Reserach” was held in Munich from October 6 – 9, 1996, under the auspices of the EANS, and organized by H.-J. Reulen and H.-J. Steiger. Experts from different countries and neurosurgical organizations have collected information on the present status of resident training in neurosurgery and the mechanisms involved with the training. Various aspects, the recruitment process, the criteria used for selection, the contents and structure of a program, the continuous quality control, exposition to the art of research, fellowships and subspeciality training, etc. have been covered. The present book contains this material and thus provides a unique and comprehensive source of information on the complex of modern neurosurgical training. " ... The beauty of this work is that it puts in one place the many varied aspects of a neurosurgical training program that one needs to be aware of ... should be required reading for the faculty of any academic training program as well as for others who may have a misconception of what residency training is ... an excellent book for any program director or active faculty member. It should be required reading for all faculty members before the next round of resident interviews ...” Neurosurgery "... well edited, published to a high standard and will naturally be of interest to those specifically involved in the areas of selection and training ... a useful text for aspirants to surgical training posts ...” British Journal of Neurosurgery

In reflecting upon my life as a neurosurgeon, perhaps the most salient feature is that period of history involved. Trained by men who studied under Harvey Cushing, considered the father of neurological surgery, we, as early third-generation neurosurgeons, were held to those rigid standards of academic achievement and physical endurance typical of that time. The reader first identifies with the young child who dreams of becoming a doctor, and then sets out on that long path. He then re-lives the experiences of the student of medicine, and later the rigorous demands placed upon the surgeon-in-training. During the later descriptions of the private practice of brain and spinal surgery, the book transitions into an educational experience. It presents to the reader a multitude of neurological disorders requiring surgical treatment, the relevant surgical anatomy and the operative techniques involved. Often interjected are the intangibles of surgical judgment and philosophy when confronting those in pain or critically ill. Of equal importance were the major scientific advancements which occurred during that period of medical history. No longer did we have to bore a hole in the skull, or inject noxious materials into the head or spinal canal to verify a diagnosis. Rather, we had been privileged to enjoy the development of such remarkable machines as the ultrasound, CAT, and MRI. Descriptions of these devices, among others, and their impact on medical practice should prove interesting to the inquisitive reader. After 21 years in practice, and probably at the height of my career as a surgeon, I contracted hepatitis B subsequent to an accidental needle puncture in the operating room. Forced to lay down the scalpel, I turned to my second childhood dream, cattle ranching, as an alternative vocation. This then becomes a secondary focus of the book. A medical colleague, after learning of my book, expressed an interest in learning the common denominator driving a man to both neurosurgery and ranching. One can summarize with the word, “counterpoise.” I had always strived to achieve a balance between the in-hospital, academic, precision-oriented work of the neurosurgeon and the outdoor, physically-demanding life of a rancher― consummating the total American dream. Analogous to surgery I have always enjoyed using my hands in the shop. Throughout the book sections have been devoted to various aspects of woodworking, and an effort not only to share my enthusiasm but also to expose underlying problems and pitfalls; challenges I have encountered in striving to become an artisan of fine furniture. The practice of medicine has undergone significant change during my lifetime. Not only have I witnessed a burgeoning, unsustainable increase in the cost of healthcare, but also major changes in the way in which medicine is being practiced in the new millennium. Having been a proud product of the “Lucky Few” generation, born between the years 1929 and 1945, I am rightfully able to compare today's practice of medicine with those of the latter half of the 20th century.