What you need to know before becoming a neurosurgeon?

Patience, understanding and empathy are all essential soft skills, not just for a neurosurgeon but for anyone in the medical profession. For surgery in particular, a serious amount of physical stamina will be necessary for those long brain operations.

What education and training is required to be a neurosurgeon?

Training and Certification The education needed to become a neurosurgeon is rigorous and extensive, requiring no less than four years of undergraduate studies, four years of medical school, and five to seven years of fellowship training.

How hard is it to become neurosurgeon?

What propels us is that neurosurgery is technically very challenging and intellectually very challenging. Prospective neurosurgery candidates should do well on the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA), but they don’t need stratospheric scores.

What education do I need to become a neurosurgeon?

What Education Do I Need? The first step toward becoming a neurosurgeon is earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Generally, it takes 3-4 years to complete a bachelor’s program. You might consider pre-med or a related major, such as biology or chemistry.

How can I become a neurosurgeon without speaking English?

So being active in your community on a volunteer basis could give you an edge. Learn a foreign language – Including 3-4 years of a foreign language while in college is helpful. Neurosurgeons and neurologists work with many patients who do not speak English.

Do neurosurgeons need to learn a second language?

Neurosurgeons and neurologists work with many patients who do not speak English. Learning a second language, especially Spanish, will help you stand out against other medical school candidates. All medical schools require potential students to take an admissions exam known as the MCAT® (Medical College Admission Test).

How long does it take to become a neurologist?

For the non-surgical neurologist, your residency will be about three years in length. You’ll make hospital rounds with a supervising neurologist and have opportunities to monitor patients and perhaps examine them yourself. For a neurosurgeon, the residency is six to eight years.