A Neurologist is
a physician who
specializes in neurology, and is trained to
investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological
disorders.
Neurology is the medical specialty related to the
human nervous system. The nervous system
encompasses the
brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. A
specialist physician who treats patients suffering
from neurological disease is called a neurologist.
Persons who are interested in becoming a neurologist
must first attend
medical school. Good grades in high school
and university are generally required, as well as
taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) if
one is to pursue a Doctor of Medicine degree.
Undergraduate and Med school students are required
to take classes such anatomy, biochemistry,
physiology, pharmacology, psychology, microbiology,
pathology, medical ethics, and laws governing
medicine. Matriculants generally hold at minimum a
bachelor's degree. Medical school provides a general
medical education and grants students a Doctor of
Medicine (MD),
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), or
Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS,
MBChB) upon successful completion. Graduating
medical students then elect a post-graduate or
residency program in neurology or pediatrics or one
year of internal medicine. Residents in either
pediatrics or internal medicine must then enroll
into neurology fellowships such as pediatric
neurology, or general neurology. Neurologists may
chose from a variety of subspecialties.
Neurology residency consists of practical,
on-the-job training, in hospitals or other medical
settings. The training program provides residents
with specific training as a neurologist, and usually
takes about four years to complete. In the United
States, the first of these four years consists of
either a transitional or internal medicine
internship, which includes broad exposure to general
adult medicine. The second through fourth
postgraduate years are spent in a devoted neurology
residency, after which time the successful graduate
can apply for licensure. After residency, graduates
may choose to pursue board certification through the
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Some
neurologists will complete voluntary, additional
training in a fellowship program in order to gain
experience in a subspecialty area.
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