Postgrad Neurology

[Chris@G&C]

Hi. I woul also like to pursue a specialisation in Neurology. I am awaiting replies from the medical colleges I have applied to. After my internship though I would like to begin specialisation in Brain surgery or neuromuscilar surgery. Does anyone know where the best place to pursue specialisation is? Is Oxbridge good?

[munkeey]

Sorry, this is a long response. You are currently applying to medical school? I would presume that you may be invited to interview soon and you seem to know very little about the supposed specialty you wish to follow. Neurology and Neurosurgery are different specialties for a start. I'm not sure that Neuromuscular surgery is even a sub specialty.

Be very careful about saying you wish to pursue Neurosurgery and start talking about it. I know this is being debated on another thread (about Plastic surgery). I say this primarily because if you don't know a lot about the specialty, you will come off looking like a very poor applicant and uninformed.

Why are you so sure that this is what you want to do after you qualify? Have you had experience of Neurosurgery, shadowed conslutants and trainees, found out their experiences of the specialty. Do you know what the typical caseload is, what sort of illnesses you treat, what the training involves, what the compoetitiveness of the specialty is etc etc. If you do, then by all means pursue it as a career. If however you haven't asked yourself these questions, it may be best to wait till you're in medical school and then decide.

The exact route to Neurosurgery if you're interested is as follows:

Medical school: 5/6 - years depending on whether you do an intercalated BSc/BA

Foundation years: 2 years - (F1 & F2 in various specialties though you must do some surgical posts and some medical posts)

Specialist Training: 7 years - Broken down into three stages (Basic, Intermediate and Final of duration 2 years, 2 years and 3 years)

Sub-specialty Training: 1-3 years - Not necessary for entry onto the specialist register (and hence consultant posts) but would be strongly recommended - especially for competitive jobs

Where depends upon many factors - primarily, whether you are able to even get the choice of your place - will all be competitively sought after. Some say that London is best to train in (due to prestigious centres such as the NHNN in the UCLH trust), some disagree. There are certain specialist units in various locations in the country.

Oxbridge are good universities but the university is completely seperate from medical training (which is the responsibility of the Postgraduate Deanery). I wouldn't see why Oxbridge deaneries are that much better at Neuro just because they're 'Oxbridge'.

EDIT: I just realised you didn't actually mention talking about it at interview. If your intention was just to seek information then I apologise for the comments about interviews etc.

[Chris@G&C]

EDIT: I just realised you didn't actually mention talking about it at interview. If your intention was just to seek information then I apologise for the comments about interviews etc.

Lol not a problem. it was a good help. BTW neurology is basically a doctor simply trained to diagnose brain and spinal disorders and neuromuscular diseases can be a sub specialty of this. A neurosurgeon on the other hand is usually referred to by a neurologist when the afflicted patient actually needs an operation. Usually tumours of the brain or spinal cord, trauma, cerebral or sub arrachnoid haemorrages. It is basically analogous to the basic difference between a doctor and a surgeon. Both can diagnose but its the surgeon who can operate. Also the surgeon himself can choose to specialise in one particular field of choice. All neurosurgeons do not all do the same operations. Some specialise more on the spinal, some on the brain and some on the neuromuscualr system (though granted, it is not a largely neurological and more of an integrated field that overlaps due to moivement disorders as in advanced Parkinsons)

Thanks for the questions. I'll think about those, but I do know something about neurosurgery. Although I am not entirely sure what you mean by caseload? Is that the range of disorders or afflictions treated by the specialists?

I may not have shadowed neurologists in particular, though I am going to be shadowing a cardiologist soon and maybe can follow the resident neurologist with permission. I have however been working for about two months at a school for children with special needs and most of the kids there are neurologically challenged, mostly Cerebral Palsy and Autism. Many different degrees of both, since both are spectrum disorders. I have learnt a lot of the symptoms and I know its not a lot but I am continuing here for another 7 months. I dunno. What do you think? Or what does anyone else think? Any advice??

[munkeey]

You seem to know a fair amount about a career in NS so having read your second post, if you were to mention it in interview, I don't think you would have any real problems as you seem to have a genuine and informed interest.

If you're sure NS is what you want to do after medical school then I'd say definitely go for it but bear in mind that it will not be easy (though by no means impossible).

Also, yes I did mean range of disorders treated by a particular surgeon/doctor when I referred to caseload.

[Chris@G&C]

You seem to know a fair amount about a career in NS so having read your second post, if you were to mention it in interview, I don't think you would have any real problems as you seem to have a genuine and informed interest.

If you're sure NS is what you want to do after medical school then I'd say definitely go for it but bear in mind that it will not be easy (though by no means impossible).

Also, yes I did mean range of disorders treated by a particular surgeon/doctor when I referred to caseload.

Thanks a lot munkeey. I know very well it is highly competitive and much longer than most residencies. It is also why there are unfortunately so few neurosurgeons in the world compared to specialties such as the heart.

BTW which college are you currently studying at and what do you hope to specialise in??

[munkeey]

I'm currently in the same boat as you mate - have applied to Emmaneul College Cambridge and have an interview schelduled for early December. I'm hoping to specialise in Cardiothoracic surgery and I've almost got some more work experience in this department - so far its just been in other surgical departments and cardiology. But obviously my main aim at the moment is trying to get into Cambridge.

[Chris@G&C]

I'm currently in the same boat as you mate - have applied to Emmaneul College Cambridge and have an interview schelduled for early December. I'm hoping to specialise in Cardiothoracic surgery and I've almost got some more work experience in this department - so far its just been in other surgical departments and cardiology. But obviously my main aim at the moment is trying to get into Cambridge.

Congrats on the interview m8. Hope it goes well. Then maybe well c each other at CAM (granted I'm accpeted too )

Also wanted to ask, how much work experience is enough or is it as much as possible? How long should you shadow a specialist to make it worthwhile? A week or so?

[roopa]

Hey can I just mention that if your interesetd in neurology....there is a clinical neurology MSc course in the institute of neurology (queen square..with NHNN) which i s really good. Many of my coursemates are doing this prior to their F1, and it could help you get a neurology training post....?