Neurology but drawn to procedural specialties

[premed1234567891011]

I really enjoyed our neurology block and am attracted by the great job market for neurology, but I see myself in a procedure-heavy specialty. Great work/life balance is also important to me. I want to enjoy (enough) what I do at work but also have plenty of time outside of work for hobbies, travel, etc.
Would someone drawn to working with their hands be satisfied in neurology? It seems like the two procedures neurologists do are EEG and EMG outside of interventional (which likely wouldn't offer lifestyle I want).

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[Entadus]

Why not consider Neuro interventionalist? Fellowship in neurovascular ... not sure what it's called
It's a long training path but you could make your own hours when you're done (most are workaholics)

 

[IM-2019]

There's a small percentage of neuro people who go on to do pain fellowships, but it's mostly anesthesia and PM&R who fill those spots, so IDK how competitive it would be coming from neuro. Also, pain seems pretty polarizing and a lot of people seem to dislike the patient population, but it does have procedures with nice reimbursement and lifestyle.

 

[premed1234567891011]

Why not consider Neuro interventionalist? Fellowship in neurovascular ... not sure what it's called
It's a long training path but you could make your own hours when you're done (most are workaholics)

I've considered interventional but I imagine getting called into work in the middle of the night to treat a stroke patient would get old pretty soon.

 

[ortnakas]

Look at PM&R, as well.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Neurocritical care

You'll on a daily basis be doing intubations, central lines, a-lines, lumbar punctures, +/- EVDs (depending on the program and the relationship with neurosurgery, wouldn't count on this, but it could happen)

EMG is a procedure technically, but probably only something you'll be doing routinely if you're neuromuscularly specialized.

EEG is not a procedure and the actual placement of EEG is usually done by a tech.

 

[Little Green Mensch]

If you like neuro, and you like procedures, neurosurgery all the way. Work-life balance is overrated.

In all seriousness, though, neuro patients are commonly the sickest patients in the hospital, and the endovascular guys are about as busy as the neurosurgeons. Especially with all the mechanical thrombectomies for stroke and the improvements in aneurysm treatment (stent-assisted coiling, flow diverters, etc.). Neurocritical care can be pretty hairy as well, for much the same reason.

People don't pick convenient times to to get in MVCs, stroke out, etc. As in the rest of medicine, your patients will be depending on you to be available to help. In interventional/procedural neuro (not just neurosurgery) you generally don't have a large enough roster for shift work. If you haven't shadowed, I definitely would to get a feel for the rhythm and pace of each specialty.