From the Chair
New Committee Needs Your Help Structural Reorganization Supports Education Goals
In my letter to you in December 2005, I laid out an agenda for my tenure as chair of the AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery. I would like to share with you the progress that has been made.
Increasing demands are being placed on the Pediatric Section for meeting planning, materials for publication and participation with other neurosurgical entities in the education of both the professional and lay public about pediatric neurosurgery. In response to this, we have reorganized the section’s committee structure to better delineate who will be charged with these responsibilities and to streamline the section’s response to such requests.
The ad hoc Education Committee has been formed and a chair appointed. The chair will coordinate the activities of the Scientific Committee, Publication Committee and the newly formed Examination Question Committee and Training Requirement Committee. Additionally, liaisons from the American Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, the Section on Neurological Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics and such international organizations as the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery will be members of this committee.
The chair of the Education Committee will be responsible to the Executive Committee of the Pediatric Section for the performance of these committees and for our educational effort to the lay and professional public both nationally and internationally. It is envisioned that this committee will evolve into a standing committee of the Pediatric Section.
Many of you have asked how you might become more active in the Pediatric Section. As you review the new committee structure, you can see that this new committee has a very full plate, creating ample opportunities for those of you wishing to donate time. The structure of the committee will be as follows:
Ad Hoc Education Committee Chair Ex-officio Members: Section Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer Scientific Committee Chair Publication Committee Chair Examination Question Committee Chair Minimum Training Requirements Committee Chair International Liaison Liaison from ASPN Education Committee Liaison from SONS, AAP
Paul Steinbok, MD, has agreed to serve as chair for the new Education Committee, and the chairs of the listed committees and liaisons also have been appointed.
The Scientific Committee, with Joseph Madsen, MD, assuming its chair, will combine the duties of the Scientific Program and the Continuing Education Committees; the Scientific Program chair will be one of the Scientific Committee’s members.
Douglas Brockmeyer, MD, will be assuming the chair of the Publication Committee. We have received requests from the American Association of Neurological Surgery and the American Academy of Pediatrics for manuscripts on numerous topics in pediatric neurosurgery. It is to be Dr. Brockmeyer’s responsibility to identify those of you willing to participate in this effort. Understand that participants will not only earn the gratitude of the Pediatric Section, they will also gain visibility with the readership of the AANS and AAP.
Corey Raffel, MD, has agreed to serve as chair of the Examination Question Committee, responsible for supplying board questions to the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery. They will also be exploring whether we can create a set of practice board questions, along the lines of the Self Assessment in Neurological Surgery. This will require much work that Dr. Raffel simply cannot do by himself. The section will be deeply indebted to participants in this effort.
Jeffrey Blount, MD, has agreed to be our chair of the Minimum Training Requirement Committee, which will develop a proposed curriculum for both residency and fellowship training in pediatric neurosurgery. These guidelines will undoubtedly have an impact given the vacuum of information currently available on these subjects. Participants in this committee can have a lasting impact in the future of pediatric neurosurgery.
Dr. Steinbok will also be working with George Jallo, MD, our international liaison, to participate in educational courses held outside of North America. Volunteer faculty will be needed for these courses. Some of you have expressed interest in such an endeavor, and the more volunteers we have the easier it will be to structure these courses.
It is my hope that the creation of this Education Committee will allow the Pediatric Section and its members to better meet the last point in our statement of purpose as a section: to assist the AANS and CNS to advance education, research and patient care in the area of pediatric neurosurgery. I look forward to hearing from those of you interested in participating in these exciting new challenges.