Road into Neurosurgery.

[MedAhmed]

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Is the road to becoming a Neurosurgeon as arduous as they say it is, and what math skills are needed?

 

[Arijos0222]

Is the road to becoming a Neurosurgeon as arduous as they say it is, and what math skills are needed?

MedAhmed,

I'm sure this topic has been discussed before. Please use the "Search Function" before starting a thread 🙂

I cannot personally attest to the "Road of Neurosurgery" as you speak of, but the math skills are your basic Pre-Med classes These are courses such as Calculus and Physics, which are high level mathematics based courses.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Is the road to becoming a Neurosurgeon as arduous as they say it is, and what math skills are needed?

Depends on your definition of arduous. It is very long and medicine in general requires a lot of hard work. Minimal math is used unless you areinterested in certain areas of research. Even then, you'd probably pair up with someone with more math education.

 

[MedAhmed]

Depends on your definition of arduous. It is very long and medicine in general requires a lot of hard work. Minimal math is used unless you areinterested in certain areas of research. Even then, you'd probably pair up with someone with more math education.

How would you describe your first year of med school? Have there been times where you just feel as though you made a huge mistake going into med school?

 

[I'm No Superman]

😉

 

[Arijos0222]

How would you describe your first year of med school? Have there been times where you just feel as though you made a huge mistake going into med school?

😉

This is a deceiving wink. 😎

 

[Druggernaut]

Is the road to becoming a Neurosurgeon as arduous as they say it is, and what math skills are needed?

4 years for your bachelors degree, 4 years of medical school, a 7 year residency (6 is the minimum, but many programs include research years that make it longer). You will work many hours in residency, and probably many hours after residency. There's an old joke that goes something like this: "How do you hide a dollar from a neurosurgeon? Tape it to his son's forehead."

You don't need any extra math skills beyond what it takes to get into medical school. All but a few schools only require you go as far as college algebra, but you'll likely want to do trigonometry as well prior to taking your physics prerequisite. But as mmmcdowe said, more would probably be helpful. You're required to do research as a neurosurgery resident, and it's helpful to know what you're doing with statistics.

 

[mmmcdowe]

How would you describe your first year of med school? Have there been times where you just feel as though you made a huge mistake going into med school?

Im in my fourth year of medical school, but no i have never felt that med school was a mistake. Some would say yes to this question though. Med school is like eating ten pancakes every day. Doable, until you decide to stop eating them for a week.

 

[MedAhmed]

Im in my fourth year of medical school, but no i have never felt that med school was a mistake. Some would say yes to this question though. Med school is like eating ten pancakes every day. Doable, until you decide to stop eating them for a week.

What under-grad school did you graduate from, and what med school are you currently in If you don't mind me asking?

 

[mmmcdowe]

What under-grad school did you graduate from, and what med school are you currently in If you don't mind me asking?

Arizona State -> Columbia.

 

[loveoforganic2]

Im in my fourth year of medical school, but no i have never felt that med school was a mistake. Some would say yes to this question though. Med school is like eating ten pancakes every day. Doable, until you decide to stop eating them for a week.

This is what worries me about my MPH gap year after second year. Going to have to stay busy and not taste the glorious free time too freely!

 

[MedAhmed]

Arizona State -> Columbia.

What specialty do you plan on going into as of now?

 

[mmmcdowe]

What specialty do you plan on going into as of now?

I'm applying to Neurosurgery.

 

[MedAhmed]

I'm applying to Neurosurgery.

What did you major in under-grad? I plan on majoring in Psychology. Also, may I ask where were you ranked in you're class?

 

[mmmcdowe]

What did you major in under-grad? I plan on majoring in Psychology. Also, may I ask where were you ranked in you're class?

Biochemistry and dance. My university (and most) did not rank the same way high schools do, but I was academically successful in both arenas.

 

[I'm No Superman]

You guys are asking the wrong questions. I'll help you out.

What specifically attracted you to neurosurgery?

At what point in your medical education did you decide that neurosurgery is what you want to do for the rest of your life?

What specialties were you considering (if any) in high school and college?

 

[mmmcdowe]

What specifically attracted you to neurosurgery?

like neurological disease, enjoy working with my hands, etc, but I also enjoy the prospects for great innovations in the field within my lifetime that I can strive to be a part of. I also think a core part of choosing a specialty is based on the people within the specialty. I like a lot of fields, but I resonate really well with my mentors who broke a lot of preconceptions that I had about neurosurgeons.

At what point in your medical education did you decide that neurosurgery is what you want to do for the rest of your life?

Affirmed in 3rd year, but it was an interested I discovered in 1st year

What specialties were you considering (if any) in high school and college?
Emergency medicine

 

[Arijos0222]

What specifically attracted you to neurosurgery?

like neurological disease, enjoy working with my hands, etc, but I also enjoy the prospects for great innovations in the field within my lifetime that I can strive to be a part of. I also think a core part of choosing a specialty is based on the people within the specialty. I like a lot of fields, but I resonate really well with my mentors who broke a lot of preconceptions that I had about neurosurgeons.

At what point in your medical education did you decide that neurosurgery is what you want to do for the rest of your life?

Affirmed in 3rd year, but it was an interested I discovered in 1st year

What specialties were you considering (if any) in high school and college?
Emergency medicine

Do you have a significant other? Are you raising children? If so, how does he/she feel about your life choice? How do your family members, friends, and classmates think?

 

[mmmcdowe]

Do you have a significant other? Are you raising children? If so, how does he/she feel about your life choice? How do your family members, friends, and classmates think?

Yes, not currently, she is fine with it. Family is proud, friends don't care either way, classmates don't care either way. It isn't like I'm going off to war or the Olympics or something!

 

[I'm No Superman]

(Guys, residency is 8-12 years away for you... ask relevant questions like: )

What should I, as a high school student be doing now?

 

[loveoforganic2]

(Guys, residency is 8-12 years away for you... ask relevant questions like: )

What should I, as a high school student be doing now?

If that's the only question that people should be asking, the answer should be "staying off these forums and having fun." As long as you do well enough in high school to get into a non-CC at a reasonable cost, you've done everything you need to.

You can quit being so bossy now 😉

 

[I'm No Superman]

If that's the only question that people should be asking, the answer should be "staying off these forums and having fun." As long as you do well enough in high school to get into a non-CC at a reasonable cost, you've done everything you need to.

You can quit being so bossy now 😉

🙄

lol

If you can show me where I'm bossing them around, v.s. helping them out by asking relevant questions, I'll concede to your reasoning.

A 16 year old shouldn't be worrying about what his future wife might think of his decision to pursue neurosurgery.

 

[loveoforganic2]

You're discouraging questions based on your own notions of what's relevant to an individual. If the inability to maintain a family life during neurosurgery training would have axed the career as a consideration for someone, it's an incredibly relevant question. If you have your own questions to ask, go for it, I promise not to criticize them 😉 Just try not to let your likely 2-3 additional years of experience in question-asking lord over the 16 year olds too much 🙂

 

[loveoforganic2]

Mmmcdowe - just out of curiosity, where do you see the breakthroughs coming? I have hopes for DBS and mental illness, but probably not for a few decades (if the defects are even localized enough to be targeted at all)

 

[MedAhmed]

What specifically attracted you to neurosurgery?

like neurological disease, enjoy working with my hands, etc, but I also enjoy the prospects for great innovations in the field within my lifetime that I can strive to be a part of. I also think a core part of choosing a specialty is based on the people within the specialty. I like a lot of fields, but I resonate really well with my mentors who broke a lot of preconceptions that I had about neurosurgeons.

At what point in your medical education did you decide that neurosurgery is what you want to do for the rest of your life?

Affirmed in 3rd year, but it was an interested I discovered in 1st year

What specialties were you considering (if any) in high school and college?
Emergency medicine

What should I be doing now as a high school student?

 

[mmmcdowe]

What should I be doing now as a high school student?

Worrying about college, exploring other possible careers, making money.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Mmmcdowe - just out of curiosity, where do you see the breakthroughs coming? I have hopes for DBS and mental illness, but probably not for a few decades (if the defects are even localized enough to be targeted at all)

Enhanced prosthetic devices that are wifi based, neuroregeneration techniques, better tumor targeting and control, improved endovascular treatment modalities.

 

[I'm No Superman]

You're discouraging questions based on your own notions of what's relevant to an individual. If the inability to maintain a family life during neurosurgery training would have axed the career as a consideration for someone, it's an incredibly relevant question. If you have your own questions to ask, go for it, I promise not to criticize them 😉 Just try not to let your likely 2-3 additional years of experience in question-asking lord over the 16 year olds too much 🙂

🙄

okay dude, whatever. I never told them to stop asking their questions. I was trying to create more questions, but take it which ever way you like.

 

[Arijos0222]

Thank you for the time everyone takes out to reply to my questions Not everyone likes to answer the same questions that every high school students ask about medicine.

There is a particular reason why I want to be a pre-med student, and that is for Neuromuscular Neurology/Neurosurgery, and if the stigma about neurosurgery is true (aka lifestyle) then I am not sure that it would be best for me, and I would then go into a field that calls for a different Professional school (Podiatry, Dentistry)

I am close to graduating high school, and I am thinking about applying to combined BA/MD programs, or BA/DMD programs and I want to know what would be the best fit for me before I go out and take out 200K in loans that i'll end up paying off over a multitude of years 🙄

 

[mmmcdowe]

Thank you for the time everyone takes out to reply to my questions Not everyone likes to answer the same questions that every high school students ask about medicine.

There is a particular reason why I want to be a pre-med student, and that is for Neuromuscular Neurology/Neurosurgery, and if the stigma about neurosurgery is true (aka lifestyle) then I am not sure that it would be best for me, and I would then go into a field that calls for a different Professional school (Podiatry, Dentistry)

I am close to graduating high school, and I am thinking about applying to combined BA/MD programs, or BA/DMD programs and I want to know what would be the best fit for me before I go out and take out 200K in loans that i'll end up paying off over a multitude of years 🙄

I'm a big fan of going to normal college rather than BS/MD programs, but in the case of you who is still not 100% sure of what they want then you should definitely not waste your time with combined programs.

 

[phikapdoctor]

I'm applying to Neurosurgery.

I pmed you


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling

 

[mmmcdowe]

I pmed you


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling

Yes you did.

 

[sector9]

Thank you for the time everyone takes out to reply to my questions Not everyone likes to answer the same questions that every high school students ask about medicine.

There is a particular reason why I want to be a pre-med student, and that is for Neuromuscular Neurology/Neurosurgery, and if the stigma about neurosurgery is true (aka lifestyle) then I am not sure that it would be best for me, and I would then go into a field that calls for a different Professional school (Podiatry, Dentistry)

I am close to graduating high school, and I am thinking about applying to combined BA/MD programs, or BA/DMD programs and I want to know what would be the best fit for me before I go out and take out 200K in loans that i'll end up paying off over a multitude of years 🙄

I agree with mmmcdowe. If you have any uncertainty about the direction you want your career to take (and it looks like you do, with mention of med school, podiatry school, and dental school), you should just go to college and apply out of college. There's no rush

Yes you did.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

Enhanced prosthetic devices that are wifi based, neuroregeneration techniques, better tumor targeting and control, improved endovascular treatment modalities.

ECOG (Dr.Leuthardt at Wash U) is going to be huge--amazing stuff on the horizon.

 

[Life Sucks]

Worry about getting into MD or D.O school. That in its self is hard. Once you get there, it will work out for you.

 

[MedAhmed]

Im in my fourth year of medical school, but no i have never felt that med school was a mistake. Some would say yes to this question though. Med school is like eating ten pancakes every day. Doable, until you decide to stop eating them for a week.

How are you when it comes to mathematics?

 

[Arijos0222]

How are you when it comes to mathematics?

Probably somewhat decent at minimum considering he's in medical school.

 

[nysegop]

After high school:

-4 Years of Undergraduate College. You must take at least two semesters of upper level math classes. Calculus will suffice. Statistics is acceptable too. Here are specific math requirements by medical school:

http://www.cse.emory.edu/sciencenet/additional_math_reqs.pdf

It's slightly dated but still. You get the general idea.


-4 Years of Medical School.
-6 Years of neurosurgical residency (technically a job, but you make minimum wage or less and it's basically just more school.

+You might want to do a fellowship to become more specialized which could be 1-3 years.

=Minimum of 14 years after high school. Plus maybe a fellowship.

 

[IlDestriero]

🙄

lol

If you can show me where I'm bossing them around, v.s. helping them out by asking relevant questions, I'll concede to your reasoning.

A 16 year old shouldn't be worrying about what his future wife might think of his decision to pursue neurosurgery.

He's right in target. Priority one at 16. Worried about chasing girls. 👍

 

[MedAhmed]

He's right in target. Priority one at 16. Worried about chasing girls. 👍

I don't need to worry about getting girls, I already have plenty. 👍

 

[Arijos0222]

I don't need to worry about getting girls, I already have plenty. 👍

You go kiddo 😉

 

[mmmcdowe]

How are you when it comes to mathematics?

I'm fairly strong in mathematics, but that has nothing directly to do with

You need enough math to do well in algebraic physics for the MCAT, that's about as far as you need to go unless you have desire to go further (statistics, public health/epi, research involving radiation or imaging, etc).

 

[Eiot]

MedAhmed,

I'm sure this topic has been discussed before. Please use the "Search Function" before starting a thread 🙂

I cannot personally attest to the "Road of Neurosurgery" as you speak of, but the math skills are your basic Pre-Med classes These are courses such as Calculus and Physics, which are high level mathematics based courses.

Pretty much the above plus statistics. You'll need to perform well in your math courses during undergrad. After that any math is very science based.