Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery, Incorporated

Enhancing Neurosurgical Education in Low- and Middle-income Countries: Current Methods and New Advances

“…16) In partnership with local surgeons, teams often travel to areas with where the need for a specific technique has been identified locally, and operate and teach for a short period of time. 17) Organizations including the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) 18) and Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS) 17) have employed site visits as part of their mandate to create educational initiatives in LMICs. Their efforts consist of regular courses and conferences that take place in LMICs, attracting local and regional neurosurgeons and bringing an international expertise to them.…”

The role of neurosurgery in advancing pediatric CNS tumor care worldwide

“…With hydrocephalus representing the most common neurosurgical condition in children, there is significant urgency to address the unique challenges associated with providing safe, cost-effective, and sustainable treatment for pediatric hydrocephalus in limited resource settings. By developing training initiatives, organizing surgical outreach efforts, and providing high-quality educational tools at no cost, the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN), the International Federation of Neuroendoscopy (IFNE), the Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS), and the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) have substantially impacted global neurosurgical care ( Mosberg et al., 1970 ; Blankstein et al., 2011 ; Teton et al., 2020 ).In countries with a limited number of pediatric neurosurgeons, educational courses such as the Asian Australasian Advanced Course in Pediatric Neurosurgery (AAACPN) and others on all continents serve as transitional measures to educate general neurosurgeons on the standards of neurosurgical care for children.…”

Role of North America and AANS in Global Neurosurgery

“…Canada and many European countries were actively involved in international health affairs long before the active participation of North America. Inspired by these efforts, in 1958, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) began sending neurosurg eons aboard the SS HOPE (Health Opportunity for People Everywhere), a 235-bed US Navy hospital ship dedicated to providing healthcare to remote regions of the globe (7). Later realizing the need for long-term sustainable development of neurosurgical care in low-resource countries, the AANS ad hoc committee proposed establishing the Foundation of International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS) in 1969.…”

“…Later realizing the need for long-term sustainable development of neurosurgical care in low-resource countries, the AANS ad hoc committee proposed establishing the Foundation of International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS) in 1969. The FIENS had a singular focus of exchanging knowledge, experience, and surgical techniques with low resource countr ies; this has further created many fellowships and hands-on training opportunities for neurosurgeons in these countries (7). In line with the goals of FIENS, the Department of Neurosurgery at Rutgers University annually sponsors two fully paid research fellowships for medical graduates and trained neurosurgeons from LMIC s.…”