How to prepare for neurosurgery elective/shadowing?

[Van Dael]

Hi there, I'm a current medical student and have arranged a short shadowing with an attending/consultant paediatric neurosurgeon to be done in my own free time. Just wanting to learn more about the specialty and gain some clinical experience before choosing my official electives. I'm seeing him next week for a short meeting because he would just like to meet me beforehand for a brief talk and I guess would like to discuss learning objectives etc.
Can anyone please give me a few tips on how i can prepare for a paediatric neurosurgical shadowing experience? The way my surgeon/hospital works is that even though I only arranged to shadow, it'll be treated as an student surgical elective anyway so i dont know how much i'm expected to know or what i'll be expected to do. I'll definitely be observing surgeries and be on the wards but i'm just anxious to be prepared so that it's a productive experience.

Any tips on what to study/what specific learning objectives to set/what questions to ask?

Thanks a lot

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SurgeDO]

Read up on Spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and neural tube development.