job prospects for neurology

[dspvallion]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to decide what area of medicine to specialize in, and I'm currently interest in neuro among other things. But I'm still trying to sort out the job prospects of the fields I'm interested in.

Can you guys give me a general impression of the job prospects for neurology in the US for the next 5 years or so in both community and academic centers? Is it really hard to land academic jobs? Obviously it will depend on location, but in general, how hard is it get jobs in neurology compared to other specialties?

I think that fellowships/subspecialties are required for getting academic jobs correct? What subpecialties in neuro are generally considered the most in-demand?

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[MU420]

This might be of some help:

http://www.beckershospitalreview.co...-20-most-recruited-physician-specialties.html

Top Specialties with the Highest Hiring Demand (2013)

1. Family medicine
2. Internal medicine
3. Hospitalist
4. Psychiatry
5. Emergency medicine
6. Pediatrics
7. Obstetrics and gynecology
8. General surgery
9. Neurology
10. Nurse practitioner
11. Orthopedic surgery
12. Physician assistant
13. Hematology and/or oncology
14. Otolaryngology
15. Cardiology
16. Gastroenterology
17. Urology
18. Pulmonolgy
19. Dermatology
20. Geriatrics

According to that, neurology appears to be doing pretty well just behind primary care, psych, gen surg, and EM. Hiring demand for neurology has steadily increased over the past few years.

Most neurology physicians at my academic center have not done a fellowship unless they focus on specific areas like stroke or interventional neurology. It's a Midwest hospital and sample size of n=1, so obviously take what I say with a pinch of salt.

 

[Funke]

I've always wanted to do a residency in Nurse Practitioner.

 

[typhoonegator]

Why do you want an academic job? If you want to teach, then you could be a hospitalist and do that in an academic center and have exposure to residents. If you love SOD1 mice, then you're asking a different question, and then yes, you absolutely would want to specialize, because you don't want to have a neurodegeneration lab and see migraines and r/o seizure on the side.

 

[07mcattaker]

"...because you don't want to have a neurodegeneration lab and see migraines and r/o seizure on the side"

try not to laugh too hard, but i have been thinking exactly about something like this because you can have fun in the lab (and maybe hit lotto) but also do something good for an actual patient too...

 

[typhoonegator]

Wouldn't you want to help people with the diseases you've devoted your life to studying? There's a natural synergy there.

Your scenario is like devoting all of your time to becoming a piano virtuoso and then making money on the side teaching guitar lessons to teenagers.

 

[07mcattaker]

true, and yes i would
but in neurodegenerative, i would have nothing to offer patients that prevents or modifies their decline. how am i helping them? thats my frustration and major hesitation with the field.

conversely tPA, AEDs, PLEX, warfarin, mannitol, botox, L-dopa etc etc i have seen these things be very helpful and you're right, you don't need to be a virtuoso - how does one balance the high minded ideals with the routine but useful aspects of neuro?

once i figure this out for myself i can move forward in my residency

 

[typhoonegator]

You can certainly give PLEX to people during your 2 week inpatient service requirement each year. Most people strive for synergy in their professional lives. If you care enough about neurodegenerative disease to devote your life to studying and improving it, it would make sense that this is the patient population you would like to care for. Funding agencies and donors would look at you pretty funny if you were totally into your ALS mouse model but had a general neurology clinic because "ALS is such a bummer". Credibility comes from doing the best you can with the patients you are devoted to, while working to make progress in understanding their condition and finding new ways to treat it.

This isn't just me. I don't know any neurologist at my academic institution who has a clinic that is intentionally different from their area of interest.

 

[Acherona]

I think it's completely plausible and even common to be interested in something from a research perspective but not clinically. Many neurologists have the same dilemma with neurodegenerative. The patient care is difficult and basically ends up being social work, while the research is very interesting, perhaps precisely because there are no treatments. You basically need to rotate in a behavioral neuro clinic and see if you can stand it. If not you can always combine interests, e.g. studying dementia in MS etc.