Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS) Global Health and Neurosurgical Volunteerism.

T he Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS), established in 1969, is dedicated to the provision of neurosurgical care in developing countries through the education of the founding neurosurgeons of those countries. As we enter a time of revolutionary change in health care, as well as communication, and education in neurosurgery, FIENS is transforming itself into a proactive agent of change in the healthcare of these countries. Currently involved in 21 sites around the world, FIENS volunteers are active in assessing the state of local care, tailoring curriculum and training to the needs of graduate neurosurgeons of the region, and supplying infrastructure and electronic education. FIENS has been assisting with providing equipment and instructing in its proper use and, most important, establishing training programs in the countries to ensure an ongoing supply of expertise in those lands.Neurosurgery has a long tradition of extremely altruistic volunteers who enter the specialty to serve and continue to do work globally. FIENS is working to coordinate these volunteer efforts toward a common educational goal by partnering with a wide variety of organizations: the World Federation of Neurological Societies, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the Society of Neurological Surgeons, ThinkFirst, the Africa 100 Program, and the Neurosurgery, Education and Development Foundation. The common philosophy is that building infrastructure and educational programs in adeveloping country is the best way to ensure that well-trained neurosurgeons of that country will succeed and benefit patients in their homelands. FIENS works to coordinate the multiple strengths of different organizations and to direct volunteer efforts to the sites with the most potential for growth and benefit. The key ingredient to volunteerism is volunteers. We need you. For our part, FIENS seeks to make volunteering easier. Integral to the educational mission of FIENS is the Member Services Committee, which is an important asset to prospective volunteers. A toolkit provides important lessons learned from experienced volunteers. It contains information that explains the “nuts and bolts” of how to serve as a neurosurgical volunteer and is meant to facilitate participation. It assists a wide variety of volunteers and decreases the repetition of commonmistakes. Resources include information on credentialing, health concerns, basic equipment needs, acquisition of equipment and supplies, and 2-way education—because volunteers quickly are reminded that they themselves are students as well. FIENS is now establishing a Community Board with global expertise in a wide variety of important topics, including infrastructure, transportation, shipping, Internet-based education, and distribution of health care. This signifies a major change in emphasis and places neurosurgical care clearly in the context of the infrastructure of a growing health system. Our Communications Committee makes use of electronic media for the redesign of Web-based educational needs and draws extensively from organizations such as the Society of Neurological Surgeons for electronic curriculum design for initial education of trainees and milestones of educational accomplishments. As a result Robert J. Dempsey, MD*