Becoming a neurosurgeon is possibly the most arduous, at least in terms of how long it takes to get educated and trained. A pull-quotation: How to navigate the process of becoming an orthopedic surgeon (inpatient and outpatient)This article will dissect the academic path necessary to break into this respected specialization in medicine.
Undergraduate Education
Undergraduate Degree The road to becoming a neurosurgeon starts with an undergraduate degree. The traditional route to become a neurosurgeon is to take a pre-medical undergraduate program, focusing on subjects like biology, chemistry, physics and math. While there is no official prerequisite for what you must major in before applying to medical school, schools favor applicants who have been well-prepared in the sciences. The most neurosurgeon hopefuls out there major in biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience due to their relation to medical studies.
Medical School
Medical School -- So you've graduated from college, and the next step is medical school, which usually takes four years. The first two years are typically classroom and laboratory based and will cover a range of the advanced medical sciences; such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology and biochemistry. The last two years are clinical rotations in different medical specialties allowing students to gain practical experience with the guidance of seasoned doctors. Prospective medical students are required to meet certain prerequisites including passing the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and performing well in undergraduate studies.
Residency Training
One must go through a neurosurgeon residency, possibly the most intense training aspect out there, immediately after completing medical school. After neurosurgery residency, physicians subspecialize for an average of 1-3 years for additional research or specialized clinical training depending on their interests in more diverse fields. Residency, where they are given an extensive education on how to diagnose, treat, and manage neurological disease
Board Certification
Once the residency is over, neurosurgeons should also board-certify in order to become independent practitioner. This step will require taking and passing the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) examination. Board certification, in other words, is the document attesting that this surgeon knows what to do, how to do it and has enough experience doing comprehensive neurosurgically correct treatment.
The Golden Era Of Lifelong Learning And Sub-specialization
As the field continues to evolve with new advances in medical science and technology, what inspiration do you find around you? As such, neurosurgeons have to keep learning and growing. Some neurosurgeons opt for additional fellowship training in areas like pediatric neurosurgery, spine surgery, or cerebrovascular surgery.
Comparing Educational Lengths
Knowing the duration of education in other fields can give a perspective on the magnitude of dedication to neurosurgery. Those curious mainly about how long it takes to become something in a different serious field could be thinking, how many years is an engineering degree? An engineering bachelor's degree would usually be a four-year program, though still way less amount of time it takes to become a certified neurosurgeon. how long is an engineering degree
You can become a neurosurgeon, but only after at least 14 years (post-secondary) of education and training. The path includes traditional educational & professional milestones on which expertise is developed to manage the complexities of neurosurgery. Challenging but rewarding, a career in neurosurgery can be performed at the curricular end of medical science and has the potential to offer live-improving interventions to neurological patients.