How to Become a Neurosurgeon

Have you always been fascinated by the inner workings of the brain? Is Derek Shepard of Grey's Anatomy your role model? If you've ever wondered about the road you'd need to follow to become a brain surgeon, read on. This page will walk you through the steps involved in how to become a neurosurgeon.
Tips on Becoming a Neurosurgeon
1. Take advanced placement math and science in high school
2. Select a college with a good track record of medical school acceptance
3. Maintain a high GPA
4. Get know a neurosurgeon and ask them about their experiences
5. Spend at least one month on a neurosurgery service during medical school
6. Talk to neurosurgery residents when selecting a residency program
7. Join a professional organization, such as the Congress of Neurosurgeons, as a medical student
8. Subscribe to trade publications, such as Neurosurgery

Introduction
- A neurosurgeon uses surgical techniques to treat diseases of and injuries to the brain, peripheral nervous system, and spinal cord. The field requires extensive training which includes eight years of education after high school, followed by seven years of residency.Massachusetts General Hospital: Neurosurgery Residency Program
Step 1: Prepare in High School
- Although neurosurgery won't appear in a high school program of studies, the road to acceptance to medical school begins there. What you do in high school will determine the college or university you attend, which will affect your chances of acceptance into medical school.
1. While in high school, take biology, chemistry, physics, and as much mathematics as your school offers.
2. Select the highest level math and science classes that are offered.Peterson's: Prepping for Med School in High School
3. If your high school doesn't offer an advanced placement program, consider taking science courses at a local community college.Peterson's: Prepping for Med School in High School
4. Volunteer in a doctor's office or hospital. If your high school offers it, take advantage of a job shadowing program. These experiences will not only help you determine if surgery is the right career choice for you, but will also enrich your college application.College Confidential: Pre-Med Extracurriculars in High School? Peterson's: Prepping for Med School in High School
Applying to College
- In addition to selecting a college that is a good fit for you personally, you'll want to be sure that the college you select will prepare you well for medical school.AAMC: Considering Medical School
1. Ensure that the school offers a broad range of courses, including all the laboratory sciences you'll need for medical school.AAMC: Considering Medical School
2. Look for a pre-med or pre-health advising program that can offer guidance as you prepare for medical school.AAMC: Considering Medical School
3. Investigate the school's track record at getting students into medical school.AAMC: Considering Medical School
4. Does the school offer medical volunteer or job opportunities?AAMC: Considering Medical School
5. Make sure the school offers a variety of extracurricular activities, as medical schools look for evidence of leaderships skills when making admission decisions.AAMC: Considering Medical School
- If you are a strong student who is certain you want to be a doctor, you may wish to apply to accelerated and/or guaranteed admission programs.
1. Some colleges offer a program that allows you to use your first year or two of medical school to satisfy some undergraduate requirements, allowing a student to complete both an undergraduate and a medical degree in six or seven years.
2. There are also universities that have both undergraduate schools and medical schools that guarantee your admission to medical school at the same time you are admitted to college. These programs are highly competitive, and generally accept only the most qualified students.
Step 2: Obtain Your Bachelor's Degree
- While in college, you'll want to position yourself for acceptance to medical school.
1. Medical schools generally require a four-year college degree with a high GPA.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
2. Students who are pursuing a pre-med education generally major in a subject such as psychology, biology, physics, mathematics, chemistry or organic chemistry.
3. Liberal arts courses can help to broaden your background.AAMC: Considering Medical School
4. Plan to take the MCATs and begin applying to medical school during your junior year of college.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
5. Seek out opportunities to volunteer in ways that will give you experience in the medical field.
Step 3: Attend Medical School
- The work you do in medical school will lay the foundation that you'll need when your neurosurgical training begins after graduation.
1. Most of the first half of medical school will be spent in the classroom or laboratory. First-half courses generally include subjects such as pharmacology, anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, psychology, microbiology, pathology, immunology, histology and medical ethics.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons Training
2. Medical students' coursework in neurosurgery includes the study of intra-cranial disease, spinal disease, and peripheral nerve disease.Congress of Neurosurgeons: Medical Student Curriculum
3. The second half of medical school is devoted to clinical rotations, with coursework that supports the issues you'll be encountering in the clinical work. Clinical rotations generally include internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry, as well as surgery.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons Training
4. During the second and fourth years of medical school, you'll take the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE).USMLE: Test Content & Practice Materials
Step 4: Complete a Residency
- During a residency, the young doctor will rotate through various aspects of neurosurgery, gaining experience and responsibility as they progress through the program.Massachusetts General Hospital: Neurosurgery Residency Program Neurosurgery residency programs are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) and accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
1. The first 12 months of the residency are usually spent acquiring basic skills.Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
  1. Six months of this training needs to be in surgery, but cannot be neurosurgery.Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
  2. The other six months should be spent acquiring other fundamental skills, but no more than six weeks of neurosurgery can be included. Up to three months may be spent on a neurology service, however.Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
2. 60 months of the residency needs to be spent in the neurological sciences.Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
  1. 36 months are to be spent as a neurosurgical resident. Of this, 24 months need to be at the same institution, and 12 months must be served as a senior or chief resident.Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
  2. Three months of experience in neurology is required.Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
  3. The remaining time (21-24 months) will vary by program, and by resident. Possibilities include neuropathology, neurology, neuroradiology, additional neurosurgery, and/or research. Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
3. Residents are limited to working 80 hours a week.Women In Neurosurgery: Training for Neurosurgery Training for Neurosurgery
Conclusion
- After completing your residency, you'll sit for final exams, and obtain your license. You'll then be a neurosurgeon, ready to remove a brain tumor, repair an aneurysm, fix a child's congenital defect, and use your surgical skills to restore neurological function and eliminate suffering. At the end of years of work and study, you're now a brain surgeon!