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Is becoming a neurosurgeon a good career choice?

I've been looking into it however I'm not really sure if it's what I want to do for a living due to the time I would be required to be in school and how the healthcare industry works.

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Erin’s Answer

Hi, Davina! You’re correct; neurosurgery is a demanding field. After all of the education you would require (typically 4 years of undergraduate, 4 years of med school, then a 7 year residency), at about age 33, you would be looking at long shifts, being on call, standing and/or sitting for hours while performing surgeries. You may give up quite a bit of your family and social life, and it would be imperative for you to have a dependable support system. Of course it is also a field that is high-reward in terms of salary and you would be helping many people who have very serious health issues improve their quality of life, even saving lives. It is an admirable life goal, and I wish you the very best no matter what you decide!
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Talia’s Answer

Hi Davina,

If neurosurgery interests you, you can also look into associated fields that may still allow you to be close, but not require you to actually be the neurosurgeon. Perhaps there are some technical machines or tools they use that require specialists, or assistants or other roles within a neurosurgeon's office that would be a lighter lift, but still allow you to be close enough to transition to full surgeon role in the event you find yourself interested to the highest level.

For example, every radiologist I have met in the hospital has loved their jobs. I'm sure roles like this are needed in such an office/field, but they require a much lower lift to accomplish and provide a good foundation to transition.
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Karin’s Answer

Hi Davina,

I agree with everything Erin said, so I am not going to repeat it. But, there is no need for you to decide on a specialty right now. If you are sure you want to be a doctor, go for it, study your undergrad, study medicine. You'll be exposed to all the specialties, you'll experience life as a doctor and make many contacts. If neurosurgery is still your thing, you can weigh that against your life situation and make a decision. But maybe, you'll have fallen in love with something totally different in the meantime. Maybe you'll be a dermatologist or a pediatrician.

Good luck!

KP
Thank you comment icon I agree with what Karin said. I am a physician recruiter and I have recruited physicians from all specialties. I always ask them why they wanted to go into medicine and if the specialty they ended up choosing was what they thought they would go into and often times they went into a speciality they sometimes didn't expect to go into. My brother is a general surgeon but when he started medical school he was convinced he was going to go into radiology. So like Karin stated study hard in undergrad, get exposure to all the specialties in medical school and if neurosurgery is still top of your list I say GO FO IT!!!! Best of luck to you :) Lauren Smith
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Waseem’s Answer

It is good choice to become a neurosurgeon. But you have to work hard . First you have to join some medical school followed by residency training for 4 year and then doing fellowship in neurosurgery subspecialty. So there's a long road you have to travel . But if your are passionate enough you will achieve your goal. God bless you more
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Daniel’s Answer

Absolutely! Neurosurgery is a mentally stimulating and highly gratifying field within the medical profession. You'll be at the forefront of surgical advancements and scientific breakthroughs, and the work you undertake will significantly enhance the quality of life for your patients! Yes, it's a long and rigorous journey, but the rewards are immense once you make it to the other side, as I've witnessed. You can anticipate about 5-6 years of specialized training following your 4 years of medical school, and potentially another 1-2 years for fellowship training. Once you've completed that, you'll likely establish your own private practice or join an academic group that combines research with patient care. Remember, every step you take on this journey will have a profound impact on the lives of your patients!
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