Surgical teaching: how should neurosurgeons handle the conflict of duty to today's patients with the duty to tomorrow's?

Abstract

The author examines the problem of tension in neurosurgical teaching between the duty to train residents by providing various levels of unsupervised surgery and the duty to patient care. The duty to train the residents also translates into ensuring the provision of good care for patients of tomorrow by producing competent surgeons. The author contends that both duties can be fulfilled simultaneously, but the surgical tension inherent in this situation must not be ignored or taken for granted.

• Conflict Of Interest
• Ethical Tension
• Surgical Teaching