School Duration for Neurosurgeons

The course of study to become a neurosurgeon is one of the most extensive in medicine. It requires a considerable time investment and involves a strict series of academic & practical training phases. We take a closer look at how long it takes to attend school for careers in this demanding and rewarding field.

1. Undergraduate Degree

Aspiring neurosurgeons begin by completing an undergraduate degree, which can take up to four years of full-time study. Medical school has no required major, but most students take a pre-medical course or major in science – particularly biology, chemistry, or physics – to satisfy pre-med requirements toward the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and medical school entry.

2. Medical School

As a student completes their M.B.B.S., they move up to medical schools which is a 4-year course. It self-splits into two phases: a pre-clinical component (two years) focusing on basic sciences delivered through classroom lectures and laboratory sessions, and a clinical component (two years). The second phase of study involves clinical rotations in different specialties that provide experience in patient care.

3. Residency Training

After medical school, students go into a neurosurgery residency program; which has the reputation of being the most grueling and longest training process out of all specialties. Neurosurgery residency is a seven year program. In this time, residents receive broad-based training in adult urology and build the operative and patient management skills essential for a complex subspecialty.

4. Fellowship training (optional)

Once they finish residency, neurosurgeons may decide to sub specialize by completing a fellowship. Fellows can train in more advanced areas of neurosurgery like pediatric neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, or spinal surgery as a fellow for one to two additional years.

Total Educational Timeline

This is in effect, up to 15 — 17 years of training,…college, medical school, residency. This increases to 19 years if the trainee pursues a fellowship.

Important Factors for Neurosurgeons to Know

Being a neurosurgeon, besides the long-term educational investment, requires a life-long commitment to learn and improve even after school. Updates to medical techniques and technology continue throughout a neurosurgeon’s career.

Conclusion

Becoming a neurosurgeon is incredibly tough and time-consuming. Those who are in line for this bushel should know that they’ll be spending the next couple of decades in intense study and homework.

For a more in-depth look at the full journey and what it entails, those interested in this career should investigate the extensive schooling required. When you are dedicated to pursuing such a deeply specialized medical vocation, it is all the more important for you to understand just how many years of school to be a neurosurgeon fully. While this is indeed with a commitment, it can be an incredibly rewarding career where you spend your whole life working to save the lives of others and through advancing medical science.

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