Doing primarily brain surgery

[Yoyomama88]

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How difficult is it to find a place where you can do 80% brain operations and potentially more than that. Do only a few select top neurosurgeons carve out this niche for themselves? Is it possible to stay away from spine surgery?

 

[biophysicianai]

As a resident, it will be literally impossible to find a place that will keep you away from spine, as spine composes most of the field of neurosurgery and all neurosurgeons learn it.

Plenty of attendings do 100% intracranial work. This is more typical of academic neurosurgeons, though I suppose its possible in private practice as well. These attendings are not, however, "select top neurosurgeons." The brain guys aren't better than the spine guys. They're just different. A lot of people prefer spine to brain, just like among brain surgeries, some people prefer tumor or vascular or functional or what have you.

Of course, every set of preferences comes with its own baggage, and you have to deal with that baggage if you limit your practice to one area. For instance, saying "I'm going to do 100% brain" will (pretty much) mean "I'm going to work at a major academic medical center," and may mean saying "I'm willing to go where the job market takes me, rather than live in the place of my choosing," etc.

 

[windog]

How difficult is it to find a place where you can do 80% brain operations and potentially more than that. Do only a few select top neurosurgeons carve out this niche for themselves? Is it possible to stay away from spine surgery?

Don't you want to get paid?? ??

 

[Yoyomama88]

that's not my primary goal. I know spine is where the $$$ is, but if im making 200-300k and doing what i love, then I'm fine with that

 

[neusu]

that's not my primary goal. I know spine is where the $$$ is, but if im making 200-300k and doing what i love, then I'm fine with that

You can not get through a neurosurgery residency without doing a significant amount of spine. End of story.

In practice, you will not be able to make $200k/year doing only cranial work, unless it's trauma. Everybody enjoys the craniotomies. That is why most of us went in to neurosurgery. In practices, people do not often pass on craniotomies. Starting out in practice, no reputation, and passing on spine, you will not have the volume nor the referrals to make $200k/year or build a reputation to get referrals.

 

[Yoyomama88]

You can not get through a neurosurgery residency without doing a significant amount of spine. End of story.

In practice, you will not be able to make $200k/year doing only cranial work, unless it's trauma. Everybody enjoys the craniotomies. That is why most of us went in to neurosurgery. In practices, people do not often pass on craniotomies. Starting out in practice, no reputation, and passing on spine, you will not have the volume nor the referrals to make $200k/year or build a reputation to get referrals.

If I go straight into academics, then I can do cranial only and probably make 200k a year correct?