About the Senior Society
Officers
Committees
Members Directory
History
Meeting Information
Match Information
Subspecialty Training & Fellowships
RUNN Course
Related Links
SNS News

History

An Historical Perspective (continued)

Another successful effort spearheaded by the SNS was the creation of the National Neurosurgical Residency Matching Program. Prior to the match, resident selection by the training programs was highly individualistic and in effect pressured the applicant to take the first offered position and the program director to accept the first applicant who came along, both parties fearing going unmatched. The Society, under the leadership of Kemp Clark and many others, instituted the first national match in 1983.

The Society of Neurological Surgeons -- 1964
1964

For many years, the Society has put on the Review and Update in Neuroscience for Neurosurgeons (RUNN) course at Wood's Hole. The course is pitched mostly at residents but is attended by many academic practitioners as well. The annual Grass award given to an outstanding neurosurgical scientist is another reflection of the Society's interest in fundamental nervous system research. In an educational vein, the Society is preparing to accredit fellowships in neurosurgery and also is developing a core neurosurgical curriculum not only for neurosurgical residents but also for medical students. An example of how the Society has influence beyond its membership is that it sends representatives to participate in the activities of many related organizations such as the ABNS, the ACS, the WFNS, the AAMC, and the CMSS.

Archives of Surgery

The fragility of The Society in the early days is nowhere better illustrated than in Dr. Cushing's prefatory remarks at the beginning of the paper he and Tracy Putnam published in the 1924 Archives of Surgery.

So, even this brief look at the history of the Society of Neurological Surgeons reveals that the Society has evolved materially from the exclusive travel club it was at the start 80 years ago. We believe that the founders would have been proud of the path that the members of the Society have chosen to take.

|            

Copyright © 2008 The Society of Neurological Surgeons