The path to becoming a neurosurgeon is long and difficult, involving years of intense education and training. It is not for the faint of heart and requires a level of dedication to the field and skill set required to operate on brain, spine, or nervous system at its most complex form. The following is an in-depth breakdown of the process and specific stages to train as a neurosurgeon.
Undergraduate Education
Duration: 4 Years
To become a neurosurgeon, the first step is to finish your bachelor's degree. Because neurosurgery is a medical degree, most individuals going in this direction will major in pre-med, biology or a similar scientific field. Medical School and Basic Sciences This is the most basic stage of your medical knowledge! This stage is completed when an average high GPA is achieved and where basically standard courses are taken, such as biology, chemistry, physics...
Medical School
Duration: 4 Years
Medical School The third step, or degree 3 is a location in the United States where you would go to school for medical school after undergraduate studies which usually lasts four years. Most of the initial two years of medical school are typically spent in classrooms and laboratory work learning advanced medical sciences. In the remaining two years you get to do a clinical rotation and gain practical exposure in various specialities under supervision of qualified senior doctors. Medical school graduation ultimately results in a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree.
Residency Program
Duration: 6-7 Years
A residency in neurological surgery is one of the longest and most brutal. It usually spans six to seven years, depending on the direction and specialization. The initial year, which is sometimes referred to as the internship year, would typically involve general surgery rotation in order provide basic surgical experience. Following years emphasize neurosurgical work more intently; contrasted with the 1st years, residents gain responsibilities in surgical operations and patient management and decisions.
Fellowship (Optional)
Duration: 1-2 Years
Specialization (optional) - After attending medical school and completing a residency, some neurosurgeons choose to specialize further in other areas of surgery, such as pediatric neurosurgery, spine surgery or neuro-oncology. It is a subspecialty which you would need to do a fellowship for an additional 1 to 2 years. Fellowships are an invaluable resource for mastering ultra-specialized skill sets through the tutelage of world authorities in specific fields within neurosurgery.
Board Certification
For this, once the residents have finished (and for those who chose to subspecialize) their fellowship, neurosurgeons take a very challenging board certification that is organize by the American Board of Neurological Surgery in the US or its equivalence in another countries. To obtain a certificate proves their skills and knowledge on Neurosurgery.
Continuous Education
Neurosurgeons are also lifelong learners with ongoing requirements for education after they [pass the board exam and become] board certified. Ongoing education is important to keep up with advancements and new medical technology, surgical procedures, and standards of care.
The journey to becoming a neurosurgeon is long—it may take 14-16 years in total due to the rigorous training involved (4 years of undergraduate, 4 years of medical school, and up to 7 more years for residency and possibly fellowship beyond that). Years of comprehensive studies are needed because neurosurgery is complicated and delicate work.
To access further in-depth insights on becoming a nuerosurgeon as well as tips on which educational program to choose and what to expect during each stage of the process you can visit how long does it take to become a nuerosurgeon.
Becoming a neurosurgeon is something those interested in this profession commit to long before they become one and it takes hard work, dedication, perseverance and a lot of educational groundwork. Graduates of this demanding program become part of an elite group up to the task to provide highly specialized, interdisciplinary care for many of the most complex medical conditions, resulting in the saving of lives and improved patient quality-of-life.