Neurology vs Neurosurgery

[PhilliesPhan]

Hey everyone! I'm a rising senior in high school and I've pretty much decided that I want to be a neurologist or neurosurgeon. I like the investigative part of neurology where you try to figure out what's wrong with the patient, something you don't get to do in neurosurgery. Another problem with neurosurgery is I don't exactly have a "surgeon's hand." But a lot of neurological disorders can't be cured, which is why I like neurosurgery. In neurosurgery, you get to fix the problem. Either way, I am interested in neurology and would love to help people with neurological abnormalities. Which one did you choose and why?

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[deleted103644]

Are you really picking a medical specialty before getting into college?

You have several years before you need to make this decision.

Use them.

 

[typhoonegator]

I wanted to be a neurosurgeon all the way until I did my surgery clerkship in medical school and spent time in the neuro-ORs. After getting over how cool it was to look at someone's brain, I was bored.

You can treat a lot of neurological diseases, and you can treat a lot of neurosurgical diseases. But there are plenty on either side that you can't "cure", so it's a false dichotomy to say that neurosurgeons cure while neurologists only treat and monitor. Neurosurgeons don't cure glioma, or metastatic cancer, or often even back pain (not that anyone else can either).

There are plenty of surgeons with shaky hands (including my wife). Don't let that stop you. Besides, many teenagers have pronounced physiologic tremors that can improve as you age.

I chose neurocritical care. Same amount of training as a neurosurgeon for a third of the pay and half the malpractice. I'm happy with my choice. You have time to sort it out.

Welcome to the forum. If you cross posted this in neurosurgery, I will destroy you

 

[Domerr]

First, worry about getting into a good college.

 

[bustbones26]

Hey everyone! I'm a rising senior in high school and I've pretty much decided that I want to be a neurologist or neurosurgeon. I like the investigative part of neurology where you try to figure out what's wrong with the patient, something you don't get to do in neurosurgery. Another problem with neurosurgery is I don't exactly have a "surgeon's hand." But a lot of neurological disorders can't be cured, which is why I like neurosurgery. In neurosurgery, you get to fix the problem. Either way, I am interested in neurology and would love to help people with neurological abnormalities. Which one did you choose and why?

I know that every surgeon told you that he/she was the worlds most gifted surgeon that day that they stepped into an OR but I get that many were not. You want to do something mechanical, you have to develop your skills. Don't worry about that.

The one thing I do like about neurology is that every once in a while, a case will come along where you have to think. It keeps things less boring that way. I am sure that many neurologists have considered neurosurgery, even I have. But I'll share with you my reason as to why I did not go that route.
--6 to 7 years of training (I was in military, their program is 7 years)!!! I just would have gotten out of residency a few weeks ago
--I did a neurosurgery rotation in medical school and there was something I figured out just after two weeks. Neurosurgeons still work long hours even after residency!! Horrible hours!!
--That is one profession where you are pretty much guaranteed to be sued, no matter who you are, or how good you are.
---Agh, surgery on the brain is cool, what could be more fun than that? Well, I also learned that neurosurgeons spend 90% of their time ripping open backs and yanking on spines.

Now, those were just my considerations. But hey, give it time, you may change your mind long before then. Whenever I started medical school, the guy who was 100% certain that he wanted to be a cardiologist is a family doctor, the guy that was 100% certain that he wanted to be a family doc is now a bariatric surgeon, the guy that was 100% certain that he wanted to be a general surgeon is now an internist/pulmonologist.

 

[deleted103644]

Both fields will likely change in unpredictable ways in the next decade.

It would be foolish to advise you what to do in a decade right now.

 

[liquidshadow22]

Would you all say that neurologists tend to see a broader range of diseases than neurosurgeons?

Ie. Neurology- M.S., ALS, Peripheral Neuropathies, Alzheimers, Stroke, Headaches, Psychiatric Ilness, Epilepsy, Meningitis etc.

Neurosurgery- Mostly CVA, tumors, spine surgery... maybe if you have special training epilepsy surgery or DBS for parkinsons....