Pakistan Academy of Neurological Surgery Journal Club
Dr. Rashid Jooma Director
Amongst the core competencies assigned by medical educationalists to residency trainees are the ability to locate and assimilate evidence from scientific studies and to appraise published information on diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness by knowledge of study design and methodology. Thus, Journal Clubs have become an established feature of residency training programs and allow residents to keep abreast of new developments in the field and most important to train themselves in critical evaluation of scientific papers.
For the past year, the Pakistan Academy of Neurosurgery has been conducting a fortnightly hour-long online Journal Club open to all residents and faculty of teaching departments. Two neurosurgical articles selected for relevance to clinical practice and contribution to patient care are presented as PowerPoints by residents drawn from Aga Khan University and other training units across Pakistan. The presentation is followed by expert comments from a national or international academic neurosurgeon serving as a discussant. This enhances the impact of this valuable educational resource and in feedback has been judged as making useful contributions to the resident’s academic experience.
