How to become a Neurosurgeon?

hi, kayla. i'm a family physician with 20 years in practice. here's the typical neurosurgical career path in the USA. 4-5 years of college. then 4 years of medical school. then ~7 years of Residency. so, most likely, you'd be around 33 years old when you've finally completed your medical education and neurosurgical training. attempting to condense that time frame would be extremely difficult. if you're dead set on that then my best advice would be to consider medical schools and training outside of the country. however, i wouldn't advise you to do that. it takes a lot of time to develop experience and skills. the 7 years of Residency could be shortened if you chose a different medical specialty. the shortest Residencies are 3 years.

another of your questions is about classes to take in college. you will need Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Calculus, and Biology. definitely helpful would be Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology, Physiology, and Medical Ethics. i would also strongly suggest courses in Medical Terminology and Medical Spanish. however, as for your actual Major that is completely up to you. medical schools have been making incredible efforts to admit non-science Majors who also have the completed the required classes. so, for instance, i graduated with a degree in Business Management.

another question you had was about where you'd do your Residency. during your last year of medical school you will investigate your Residency options and interview with those programs. there's a process called The Match whereby students rank their residency choices and residency programs rank applicants. you can choose residency programs near and far. it's really up to you to decide where you want to train.

i couldn't agree more with the previous professional's answer. you really have to take the initiative to find out as much as possible about the career you desire. your college's Health Professions Advisor is an excellent place to start. they can tell you what grades and test scores you'll need, the requirements for each medical school, locations of schools and residency programs, connect you with medical students and other pre-med students, discuss available volunteer opportunities, etc.

probably the most helpful experience you could get would be to get a job as a medical scribe. there are several credentialling organizations that can tell you more about this. and whether you are employed as a scribe or whether you simply shadow a doctor while he practices you will gain invaluable insight.

good luck!

Hi, Kayla: that's great you have identified a career that you're really excited to pursue! If you're taking college courses now, that's terrific. As for Med School, you really need to go to college first. Med Schools are looking for well-rounded candidates who want to help people, are good at science, and are very good students. Depending on the college you attend, you may be able to finish in fewer than four years, but I would urge not to rush things too much. Getting into a good college with a good record of getting their graduates into med schools is a good first goal. Once you get to college you can begin working with the Health Professions Advisor(s) to navigate your way to the best med school for you. Residencies usually come after you finish the first four years of Med School. You can get some clues by looking at this website that is designed for college students: http://careers.williams.edu/career-exploration/healthstem/. (I used to work at Williams College up in Massachusetts and about 60 students a year applied to med school each year.)

In the meantime, if you can find ways to work in hospitals as a volunteer that'd be great. Or, there are probably nursing homes or assisted living centers in your area that would love volunteers. It will give you a good feeling by helping people and it will give you an idea of what sort of illnesses are most common amongst older folks. As a neurosurgeon you would be working with many different kinds of people, so getting a good idea of who you'd be working with and for is an excellent way to begin.

Finally, next time you have a check up, be sure to ask your doctor lots of questions. He/she may be busy, but once they know you're interested in becoming a doctor they should be happy to help. If you have more questions, let me know.