The Life of a Neurological Surgeon

Brain surgery – also known as neurosurgery – is the most convoluted surgery that is performed in hospitals almost every day. The surgeon who executes this surgery is simply called a neurological surgeon, or neurosurgeon for short. Patience, physical and mental stamina, reliability on your muscle, and a substantial soul that can withstand the possibilities of an unpleasant outcome are all required of one who seeks to become a neurosurgeon. Neurologists and neurosurgeons have studied the nervous system (brain and spinal cord) excessively to learn how and why our body does what it does. My aspiration is to become a neurosurgeon, and through my research, here is a jist of what my life will be like.

To start off, let’s talk about the training and qualifications required to become a neurosurgeon. It’s not easy, no matter what you think, believe me, it’s not easy. At least 13 years of college are mandatory, but that’s a bare minimum. The 13 “base” years are… 4 year undergraduate degree, 4 year medical degree, and a 5 plus year residency in neurology. Most people also take fellowships, which are basically like subspecialties, like neurology, or cardiology, that would make you either a neurologist or cardiologist. Fellowships do pay, although not nearly as much as your “soon to be” job, and they will bring you between 15-20 total years of college.

Now, with all this college I’m sure you’re wondering about the chances of getting through schooling to get a job, and even if you’re not, I’m still going to tell you. First of all, you must maintain a 3.5 GPA throughout college to even have a chance of becoming a neurosurgeon, which is tougher than you may think. So, if you end up getting through school, you still need to look for jobs. The chances are going up mainly because of the baby boomers (just in case you don’t already know, baby boomers are people born in the United States between 1946 and 1965). You see, all of the baby boomers are beginning to retire, which is leaving huge numbers of job openings for anyone. The growth rate of job openings for a neurosurgeon between 2000 and 2010 is 17.9%, which isn’t bad for any occupation.

So, when you finally get your job, you’re going to want to know about the hours you work, where you work, who you work with, and if you’re picky, the extent of your work. All of this can be simply named as working conditions. Let’s chat about hours first. Neurosurgeons work a grand total of 60-80 hours per week, which yes, is a lot, but worth it if you love the practice. You also get to work in friendly, sanitary place… a hospital of course; specifically in an operating room or specialty wing. The people you get to work with (or more or less work for you) are also nice. They consist of nurses, doctors, anesthesiologists, and even other surgeons. In cases or surgery, under all that pressure, it’s nice to have people you know are watching your back. During these surgeries, the heat builds up. With so many people grouped in a very small area, it gets a bit warm, especially because of the fact that surgeries can take from 3 -10 hours to complete! Imagine doing one single thing for 10 hours… now imagine keeping your hand still for 10 hours. This is the reason that patience, physical and mental stamina, reliability on your muscle, and a rock solid soul are required if you want to turn out to be a neurosurgeon.