Neurology deals with disorders and diseases of the nervous system, including central, autonomic and peripheral systems in the human body. A neurologist is one trained to diagnose and properly treat these neurological conditions.Therefore, one who is interested in a career specializing in neurology must be medically competent in the deal with the brain, the spinal cord and the nerves that extend in the peripheral system from these areas.
Neurological training
Like all other medical professionals, the neurologist must begin his career as early as middle school, if possible, and specialize in sciences and mathematical concepts (and, as for one who has no aptitude for math or science, it can safely be said they should never be medically inclined).S/he should progress through advanced classes in biology, chemistry, anatomy, medical ethics and the areas of training for the neurological system, including extensive study and clinical work with the brain and spinal cord treatment innovations currently in use in the medical field.
His/her college career should begin at an accredited pre-medical institute, with an eye to completing a term in medical school after college. Education does not end there; the educational field of neurology is always expanding, and new concepts and treatments are constantly being discovered.Medical school must include at least 4000 hours of internship training in a hospital or suitable medical facility (this is the minimum number of experiential hours to make the candidate employable in todays market).And post-certification, yearly expectations are set to maintain and continue professional development to keeps licensure current.
The Neurological career
Once he begins a neurologist career, the prospective specialist usually will work as a diagnostician, taking medical histories from patients and performing examinations with CAT (computer axial tomography) scans, ultrasounds and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), all common testing instruments in diagnosing and treating neurological disorders. Lumbar punctures are usually a standard neurological test as well; this is a process that drains a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from a patient for purposes of testing and analysis.
Some neurologist career paths include the specialization in diagnosis and treatment for head traumas, epilepsies, effects and treatments of strokes, treatments for dementia, multiple sclerosis, sleep and neuromuscular disorders and treatments for Parkinsons disease, to name just a few fields.
The neurological specialist may be led into the field of hospice care and other applications of palliative medicine, s/he may staff clinics that specialize in sleep disorders, or s/he may specialize in facilities for pain management and vascular neurology.The specialist may be inclined to work exclusively as a therapist and diagnostician with stroke victims, a very busy field that is always seeking new professionals. Or s/he may devote him/herself to working with victims of degenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimers and Parkinsons, conditions that are unfortunately seeing a vast upswing in frequency, not only among the elderly but among middle-aged and even youthful patients.
The specialists career path may move toward research of the nervous system, the use of EEG and EMG (also known as electrodiagnostic techniques), used to identify and diagnose neurological conditions and disorders.S/he may specialize entirely in research for new cures or new facets of treatment for recognized neurological diseases, or s/he may even manage a neurological unit in later years, devoting time to the education of new specialists.
Neurologists salary
According to Bureau of Labor and Statistics and the AMGA (American Medical Group Association), the average yearly neurologist income runs between $180,000 (for first and second years) and $250,000 (for more experienced specialists). The maximum neurologist income identified by these two groups is $345,000 per annum. A more lucrative salary still is earned by the neurological surgeon (which any neurologist could attain to with sufficient training and clinical experience); these individuals make on average $550,000 yearly.
