Questions about interventional neurology!

[Ataraxy]

I had some questions about interventional neurology and would love if someone can help me out.

1) What are the different pathways towards it and how long does it take after the normal 3-year neurology residency?
2) What is the average pay and work hours?
3) How is the job security? I heard from a student that pathways to interventional neurology were closing and that nsurg and IR were breaching into the normal workload.
4) How is the job satisfaction? Any resentments you had or limitations of the field?

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[Aldertonghen]

My current understanding:

1) Neurology, radiology, or neurosurgery. After neurology residency, you need to do either stroke (1 yr), or Neurocritical care (2 years) before doing the 2 year interventional neurology fellowship.
2) For stroke-NIR: 350-400k starting for academia, 600k+ for private practice in a decent area, I know a guy who makes 1.2m (3 years out) but lives in a smaller city in Arkansas and has call every other day. For NCC-NIR, pay is higher by around 50-100k for both as NCC bills more than stroke and you spend significant time in your other specialty.

Work hours is around 60-70/ week, but a 3 hour emergency procedure at 2am imo isn’t really comparable to an elective 9am 3 hour surgery.
3) NIR is now more open to neurology than ever before. 15% of NIR program directors have a neurology background (Analysis of Demographic and Educational Backgrounds of Interventional Neuroradiology Fellowship Program Director Workforce in North America), which is small but significant. It’s still super hard but not as hard as before.
4) can’t say because I’m a resident

 

[Ataraxy]

Thank you for the in-depth reply!