Neurosurgeon Salary Per Year And How To Become A Neurosurgeon

A neurosurgeon is different from surgeons. Therefore, neurosurgeon salary is higher than surgeons. In fact, a neurosurgeon is a specialized surgeon. This profession has a sensitive job description. It is hard to be a neurosurgeon. It is because the specialist must perform medical treatment. They are working to deal with the nervous system. For example, brain, peripheral nerves, and spinal cord.

Being a neurosurgeon means that you have been spending your time in some training programs. You are more than just a doctor. It is because a neurosurgeon requires 15 years of studying in this field. After that, they are legal to do unsupervised operations.  Due to their complex work, neurosurgeon salary is quite high. Their salary is high because they are working to save others’ lives.

When you want to become a neurosurgeon, you should know some things to prepare. Even, when you are still in the high school.

neurosurgeon-salary-per-year

Neurosurgeon Job Description

If you are interested in neurosurgeon salary, you must do some tasks below. PayScale also explained about the possible tasks for all neurosurgeons as below:

  • Neurosurgeons must be able to interview their patients. They have to evaluate their test results. They also must diagnose patients’ conditions.
  • Neurosurgeons must be able to teach their medical students. They have to supervise their residents.
  • This profession also requires neurosurgeons to handle documents. In addition, they must track the entire treatments and diagnoses. For example, they have to deal with the medications and the health data.
  • Neurosurgeons have to work with outcomes. They have to handle the potential course of action with their patients. Here, they must be able to assist their patients. For example, they should deal with the decision-making period for their patients.
  • Neurosurgeons must be able to perform the surgical procedures.
  • Even if neurosurgeon salary is quite high, their job description is quite complex and require some skills.

How To Become A Neurosurgeon

Becoming a neurosurgeon needs hard work, but neurosurgeon salary is the reward. In fact, being a neurosurgeon can improve the lives of patients. In addition, you can make a very good living, thanks to its big base salaries. Even top surgeons can make more than $900,000 as their neurosurgeon salary. If you want to be a neurosurgeon, there are some skill sets to develop. In addition, you have to prepare for and attend medical school. Other than that, you need your residency for six to eight years to practice as a neurosurgeon. Here are some possible things to do to become a neurosurgeon.

1. Practice and Understand Early

Neurosurgeons should have qualities. They must be able to communicate, diagnose, and treat their patients who are in pain or distress. In addition, you have to deal with people who have special needs, or cannot communicate effectively. For example, you can meet new people and then find the things in common. You should also have to understand your differences. You have to be able to understand their feeling and their actions.

It is also important to challenge prejudices. Therefore, you must be able to focus on the things you share with individuals. It is not things that divide you from others. The most important is that you have to be able to listen to people. It is all about focusing on their emotional state and needs as the important skill for all neurosurgeons. Last but not the least is to learn another language as your valuable skill. It is good so you can deal with people who speak another language. Understanding more languages help your communication better with your patients.

You can learn to work with a team and take your leadership roles. You must be able to understand the ethical principles, as well as moral reasoning. Here, you can learn how to make decisions about your patients, including the best treatment plans. It is important to learn how to collect some information and research for problems. So, you can find the possible solutions. In another word, you must be able to explore the unfamiliar areas. Even use the trusted information so you have new knowledge to gain.

Becoming neurosurgeon means that you are working and operating around the brain. Therefore, you have to understand the spatial relationship. Moreover, you must be able to use your hands with skill. It is good to have a good visualization of how things can go together. Therefore, you should put complex models by using your hands, collect information and seek for problems to solve it.

2. Find Ways to Medical Schools

Most colleges are seeking for students who are able to deal with challenging courses. These classes can be helpful to lead you to the medical school. Furthermore, you can be the volunteer at clinics, hospitals, or nursing homes as early as possible. You have to familiarize yourself with all the healthcare settings function, how the staff and the physicians interact. You should also watch how they treat their patients and what the physicians do. If possible, you can shadow neurologist or neurosurgeon.

After that, you should go to an accredited college. Here, you must be able to get your bachelor’s degree. Take courses that are acceptable to pre-medical school. Many students are able to make good achievement in biology. However, it is not the requirement to reach medical school. For this reason, you must be able to consider the major in neurobiology or neuroscience.

In fact, your degree must contain a core curriculum such as biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, calculus, and physic courses. When you take biochemistry, human anatomy, and microbiology, these classes will increase your opportunity to get into a medical school. Nevertheless, some medical schools combined medical school programs and undergraduate that will last for six to seven years. Take these programs if you want to be a neurosurgeon.

Before having a good living due to the high neurosurgeon salary, you must complete your study. You should also achieve good grades. Unfortunately, most medical schools are quite competitive. You must be able to achieve 3.0 GPA, and 3.5 or above is greater.

The most important is the first-year biology grades. In some schools, they will disqualify students with Cs or lower. Therefore, you have to learn about 3.75 GPA minimum for the first year of your college. Besides, we recommend you to spend your time studying so you can review the material in class. It is good to join a study group and make important information with your friends. If possible, purchase, rent, or borrow the course reviews as well as quizzes. You can ask for a tutor when you need a help. Alternatively, you can hire the right independent instructor.

Your way to look for admissions committees is easier once your grades are higher. There will be the best opportunity to get into the college that you want. Besides, GPA is the helpful measurement to make you qualified to get scholarships to pay for the college.

Another thing you can do to make you different from other students is doing undergraduate research. Having undergraduate research is the sign that you are hardworking and curious for many things. In addition, this research helps you to get extra recommendations, even advocates from your mentor. To start, you can ask your professors who work on a research project so you can contribute. Alternatively, you can work with your colleagues together. Keep in mind that there is always a chance when you look for research opportunities for undergraduates. Try to find it in many medical clinics.

Last but not the least is to seek for recommendations. You have to submit letters so you can get into medical schools. This letters of recommendations are from professors or employers who know you and how you work. In addition, contribute yourself in a research or have teaching assistant position.

3. Applying to Medical School

The first thing to do is to take medical college admissions test that we call it as MCAT. You have to participate in this standardized examination. Because it is the requirement from all medical schools in US and Canada. Keep in mind that the test score is one of the important factors. You will submit it to your medical school admission. Therefore, it is better for you to have enough time to prepare for this test.

In addition, many students will take this test during their junior year, right after studying for several months. Others want to finish their college for four years and after that, they take this test. Nevertheless, you can take this test early if you have some advanced placement coursework and classes in the summer.

Speaking of the test, it tests the foundational concepts, critical analysis, scientific inquiry, or reasoning skills. These are from biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, general chemistry, sociology, psychology, and physics. Here, you should do your best and have some practices for the reading analysis skills.

Once you are ready, you can register yourself to take the MCAT to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). They have hundreds of the sites to run the test throughout the US and Canada as well as other locations. Therefore, you must take your time to check the test dates and locations around you.

When the test is available, you should register early for at least 60 days in advance of the exam date. Make sure that you are pre-registered online and complete the payment. After that, enter your information into their scheduling and registration system because it will appear on your ID. If you cannot afford the MCAT exam, make sure that you are eligible for the Fee Assistance Program (FAP). Nevertheless, you have to submit an application and approved before the MCAT registration.

When you take the MCAT test, you should arrive 30 minutes before with the government-issued ID. You cannot bring your stuff inside. Use the lockers to keep your personal items, including your cell phone. Make sure that you can finish the test and get 32 or higher as your score. You should buy or rent MCAT prep books before participating in this test. It is also good to have a review course. If you think that the score is low, it is possible to retake the MCAT test three times per year. Nevertheless, the limit is seven times in your lifetime.

4. Choose Accredited Medical Schools With High Neurosurgery Programs

Each medical school has a different program. Therefore, you have to do some research to choose the best one for you. There are some factors to consider such as location, cost, facilities, curriculum, financial aid, reputation, and residency placement.

5. Apply to Few Accredited Medical Schools at the Same Time

Increase your opportunity to get accepted by doing this way. In fact, when you select some schools in the Early Decision Program (EDP), you are securing your acceptance early. When you are not accepted, you still have enough time to apply to other schools.

Before talking about the neurosurgeon salary, you should prepare for the transcripts, MCAT scores, and the letters of recommendation. You have to submit these things as your applications. Nevertheless, some schools will research your leadership qualities along with your participation in some extracurricular activities.

How Hard Is It To Become A Neurosurgeon

Neurosurgeon salary is high because the job is quite complex. This job is more than the brain surgeons are. When a patient has neurovascular problems, she can quickly lose her life. Otherwise, she can lose her functional ability or primary characteristics that attack her personality.

In addition, being a neurosurgeon means that you must be able to diagnose illness. Other tasks are to prescribe and administer treatment for the patients. Besides, you have to examine them. You must be able to obtain their medical histories and do anything related to the diagnostic tests. As you see that their job is about other people’s lives, their neurosurgeon salary is about their hard work.

Other than that, PayScale stated that you must have high confidence, competence, and reassurance. You have to receive any calls at any time; no matter it is day or night. Even, many neurosurgeons have to work for 60 hours and more per week. Asides of the neurosurgeon salary, the most important are the pressure of their job. It is about the responsibility to help patients who are entering their life-or-death conditions. Since you are not about handling one to two cases in this situations, patience and understanding are crucial.

Neurosurgeon salary Per Year

The average neurosurgeon salary per year is $380,378. Asides of a neurosurgeon, there are some similar jobs with the highest paying skills. For example, you can work in spine surgery, neuroscience, as well as general surgery.

In conclusion, the neurosurgeon salary is high with some notes to know. First, you have to deal with the education level, test, and skill level. Second, you have to work with all pressures. You have to help their lives and do unsupervised treatment if it is legal. Your salary is high because you are about saving people’s lives. Besides, you have to be their good listener and that is not easy at all. You must be able to work and think quickly. Even you have to put all your own problems as the second prior. It is because this profession is about your commitment.

Those are the things to know when you are interested to become a neurosurgeon, including the neurosurgeon salary.

Related Articles:

Refefences: