What we do?
Mentorship & Networking
Mentorship is provided by the senior members (experienced medical students, medical doctors, neurosurgical residents, neurosurgeons and eminent professors in neurosurgery and related specialities) to proactive students, general practitioners and residents. The top leaders of AFAN are found or have passed through the most prestigious Universities in Africa and the World and this places them in a comfortable zone to offer guidance to members.
We are aware of the determinant role that belonging to a strong network and community plays in career development and AFAN presents itself as the solution to that problem. The availability of a wide variety of members as well as activities organised permits networking and integration in the neurosurgical community worldwide.
Research
We strengthen or provide members with skills in research and promote research in various domains in neurosurgery and related specialities. Assistance is provided in the publication of members’ articles in decent journals around the world.
- From the thesis to a manuscript: We strengthen or provide members with skills in research and promote research in various domains in neurosurgery and related specialities. Assistance is provided in the publication of members’ articles in decent journals around the world.
- Scoping reviews: They are organised by the research department where medical students learn how to perform good articles with neurosurgeons and neurosurgical residents. This exposes them to research experience early in their journey and helps them become proactive surgeons.
- Journal Club: Our social media team is composed of neurosurgical residents and medical students who ensure the propagation of neurosurgical research, visual abstracts and education on our different platforms during the week. We organise frequent online sessions to educate on research and related topics.
- AFAN Research Incubator Project: This provides enrollees with foundational research skills in all aspects of the research cycle: from study design to post-publication communication. Didactic courses follow practical exercises during which enrollees have to contribute significantly to a study. Enrollees must contribute significantly to five manuscripts, submit at least one article as a first-author, present at least one abstract at an international conference, design more than two visual abstracts, create an ORCiD account, create a ResearchGate account, and curate their social media accounts.
Advocacy
We sensitize medical students, general practitioners from Africa on a career in neurosurgery and related specialities, we then arm them with materials and provide opportunities as well as networking needed to attain their dream of becoming neurosurgical residents. Once residents we guide them through their training and help them acquire fellowships.
The unrestricted expression of the talents of each member is encouraged. Each member is oriented (based on his/her talents) to use his or her natural aptitudes to foster his/her career.
AFAN does not look for specialization spots in neurosurgery for members but equips them with all the tools required and necessary to get into the best neurosurgery training (specialisation) spots worldwide!
Research Fellowship
This provides enrollees with foundational research skills in all aspects of the research cycle: from study design to post-publication communication. Didactic courses follow practical exercises during which enrollees have to contribute significantly to a study. Enrollees must contribute significantly to five manuscripts, submit at least one article as a first-author, present at least one abstract at an international conference, design more than two visual abstracts, create an ORCiD account, create a ResearchGate account, and curate their social media accounts.
Education
Weekly webinars are organized every Saturday at 5 PM GMT on Zoom which is an application set up for virtual video, audio conferencing and others. Presentations are done by any volunteer neurosurgeon, neurosurgical residents, general practitioners or medical students.
Capacity Building
We offer the guidance needed for success in public expression passing through writing outstanding resumes to impress recruiters during interviews.
No need to emphasise the high level of professionalism in AFAN which not only permits juniors to learn but also emulates these great skills important for their career. AFAN’s professionalism and diligence ensures an adequate academic acquisition but also cultivates skills important for their future careers..