NS Career 3 Neurosurgeon

Neurosurgeon

What is a neurosurgeon?

1. A neurosurgeon is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system including congenital anomalies, trauma, tumors, vascular disorders, infections of the brain or spine, stroke, or degenerative diseases of the spine.

What tools do they use?

Scalpels 
Clamps 
Drill 
Brain tongs 
Skull lifters 

What do you need to do to become a neurosurgeon?

To become a neurosurgeon, one must first complete the basic requirements of becoming a physician: a bachelor's degree, preferably in pre-med or other related biological, physical or chemical science, plus four years of graduate school in an accredited medical school to obtain an M.D. or D.O. Degree. After completing medical school and successfully obtaining a medical degree, med school graduates must then gain acceptance into a neurosurgery residency training program. According the AMA's department of Graduate Medical Education, there are 99 accredited Neurosurgery residency training programs nationwide. The average length is seven years, with a few programs at six years and many requiring eight years of training. Due to the length of the training program, most programs only accept 1-3 residents each year. As you can see, if you are interested in becoming a physician specializing in neurological surgery, you have a long road ahead. Neurosurgery often attracts some of the best and the brightest of the medical field, due to the extremely challenging and dynamic nature of the field. Neurosurgeons most commonly operate on patients who are victims of trauma to the head, in addition to treating patients with cancerous or benign brain tumors that need to be surgically removed. However, there are a variety of other issues that are treated by neurosurgeons. New advancements and techniques are being developed to help neurosurgeons treat a number of neurological issues that can be traced to physiological abnormalities that can be repaired via surgery.

A daily routine for neurosurgeons 

Daily Tasks

The day of a neurosurgeon starts early, frequently between 5:30 and 7 am. The neurosurgeon's primary daily responsibility is to perform surgery to resolve problems with the nervous system, but there are a number of other tasks that must also be done. These include assessing and diagnosing patients as they come in to the hospital, an unpredictable task because emergency patients cannot be scheduled ahead of time. The neurosurgeon must also meet with the families of patients in surgery and update them on the situation with their family members, as well as keeping records, writing prescriptions and filling out paperwork.

Emergency Surgeries

The neurosurgeon's day might begin with a scheduled surgery to remove a brain tumor or repair some nerve damage, with other elective procedures scheduled for later in the day. However, the elective surgeries can suddenly be preempted by an unscheduled emergency surgery for a patient with an aneurysm or a stroke. The schedule of a neurosurgeon changes constantly to accommodate emergencies, and neurosurgeons are frequently called upon for consultations with other departments in the hospital.

Salary Range

Experience makes a big difference in neurosurgeons' salaries. A survey conducted in 2011 by Profiles found a median starting salary of $395,000 for neurological surgeons. After six years in practice, the average salary grew to $589,500.

1.