(Please do not do this questionnaire again, if you have completed it before)

Survey Consent

Principal Investigator(s):
Dr. Michael Cusimano, MD, MHPE, FRCSC, PhD, FACS, FCAHS
Professor, Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dr. Sylvia Shitsama,
Lecturer, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, Kenya

We would like to invite you to participate in this study by completing this questionnaire. 

The purpose of this study is to identify barriers/opportunities for development and progression of neurosurgeons including gender gaps, and similarities/differences among different regions by collecting your perspectives on the opportunities/challenges affecting neurosurgeons in four main core areas (academia, work-life balance, mentorship, and inclusion/diversity). Your input is important because it will help inform the development of policies and curriculum that minimize gender gaps and other barriers in the field of neurosurgery and provide mentorship to future generations.
 
The questionnaire will take approximately 10-15 minutes. If you are unable to complete it at once, you may return to it at another time by accessing the survey link on the same computer/mobile device.
 
Please feel free to forward the survey to other neurosurgical trainees/staff in your network. 

There are no risks to you from participating in this study. Participation will not involve any additional costs to you. Whether you chose to complete or not complete the survey, it will not have any impact on your professional standing or evaluation. There is no compensation for participating in this study. No identities will be released in the results, results will not be fed back to residency or hospital departments, and your answers will be confidential.

Our research project was reviewed by Unity Health Toronto Research Ethics Board. 

Confidentiality and Privacy
If you decide to participate in this study, the research team will only collect information needed for this study. Data collected using SurveyMonkey resides on the SurveyMonkey servers which are located outside of Canada, and may be subject to privacy laws and legislation which differ from those in Canada (such as the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, which entitles US government bodies to access information held in the US for governmental security and other purposes). Your data will only be used for research purposes and accessed by trained research personnel. We hope to report the results at scientific meetings and in journals. For quantitative analyses only, we will suppress rare responses (cell sizes of 5 or less) to ensure all identities are concealed.

Participation and Withdrawal
Your participation is completely voluntary. You can end your participation in this survey at any time prior to clicking "DONE." You may choose the option "Prefer not to answer" for any question that makes you feel uncomfortable. This questionnaire does not require any identifying information, your specific answers will be anonymous and therefore, impossible to withdraw from the study.

Who do participants contact for questions?
If you have questions about taking part in this study, please contact Dr. Janissardhar Skulsampaopol at NeurosxEducation@smh.ca. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research participant or have any concerns with the study, you may contact the Unity Health Toronto Research Ethics Board Office at 416-864-6060 ext. 2557 on weekdays 9AM- 5PM EST.

By clicking "NEXT" below, I confirm that I have read this form and decided to participate in this study. I understand that I can discontinue participation at any time.
 
 1% of survey complete.

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