The Career of a Neurologist

While many connect neurology with the treatment of brain injuries, such treatment is just one of a neurologist's many responsibilities. In fact, neurology is a branch of medicine that deals with a variety of nervous system disorders, including diseases of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and muscles.

Neurologists diagnose and treat disorders that can be handled on an outpatient basis such as epilepsy, neurological emergencies like meningitis, and chronic disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

How do Neurologists Diagnose?



Neurologists thoroughly examine their patients to find out if their medical conditions are due to some kind of nervous system damage. They test a patient's vision, physical strength, coordination, reflexes, memory, speech, language, and other cognitive abilities. Neurologists conduct the following diagnostic tests to find out the exact causes of their patients' medical problems:

• CAT (computed axial tomography) scans
• MRI/MRA (magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography) scans
• EEG (electroencephalography) tests
• EMG/NCV (electromyography/nerve conduction velocity) tests
• lumbar punctures

In addition to their normal duties, neurologists advise other doctors about treating neurological problems. In many cases, neurologists serve as their patients' principal physicians. On the other hand, while neurologists may sometimes recommend surgery, they do not typically perform surgery themselves.

Education and Training

Aspiring neurologists must first finish their premedical studies at a university or college. This usually takes about four years. Successful candidates then study for four more years to obtain their doctor of medicine (MD) degrees. After acquiring their MDs, the students take one-year internships that are usually in internal medicine. Finally, the students undergo at least three years of training in neurology residency programs.

Residency programs provide the doctors with supervised specialty experience in hospitals and ambulatory care settings. They also give them exposure to educational conferences and research training.

At the end of residency programs, neurologists join fellowship programs to gain further expertise in subspecialties.

Certification and Professional Associations

After completing their decade-long educations, the doctors are certified as neurologists by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. A high degree of competency in the practice of neurology is required to be eligible for certification. Most neurologists are members of professional organizations such as the American Academy of Neurology.

To be eligible for board certification, the aspirant must:

• obtain a degree from an approved college of osteopathic medicine
• possess an unlimited state license
• meet the association's ethical standards
• be an active member of the association for the preceding two years

The Advantages of Becoming a Neurologist

Neurology is a dynamic branch of medicine. Many physicians opt for neurology because of the following advantages offered by the field:

• clinical orientation
• a large variety of clinical diseases
• constant development of new treatments
• a large number of research opportunities
• multidisciplinary medical work
• continuation of links with academic learning centers
• well organized training programs
• lower intensity of on-call work
• high demand for neurologists