<p>Does anyone know what steps I should take in becoming a pediatric neurologist? What I should major in as an undergrad?
Right now my tenative major is Psychology-Neuroscience. Bah. Will that work? If I take a few more classes along with this I can go pre-med.
Thank you!</p>
<p>The only courses you are required to take to get into medical school are the pre-med courses. You can major in anything that interests you. Since medical school admissions is very number driven, you'll want to get the highest GPA and MCAT score as possible.</p>
<p>A year of Freshman Chemistry along with the appropriate laboratory courses
A year of Organic Chemistry along with laboratory courses
A year of Biology along with laboratory courses
A year of Physics along with laboratory courses
A year of English
A year of Calculus or other advanced math classes, including Statistics </p>
<p>Some schools may have additional requirements (ie. courses in behavioral science)</p>
<p>Once in medical school, you will learn about the different aspects of medicine, and the different specialties. After you graduate, you would enter a residency program that trains in a particular specialty (ie. pediatrics). After your residency, you could then enter a fellowship to train in a sub-specialty (ie. pediatric neurology)</p>
<p>The major in neuroscience is a good idea. I don't know how useful the psychology major would be. So after you complete your premedical requirements and apply to medical school and get in and go through three years of medical school, you would ideally choose to do one or more rotations in your fourth year of medical school in child neurology. Then, you have to match with a child neurology program. The child neurology program does not go through the conventional residency match but rather, the San Francisco matching program. More details can be found here: </p>
<p>Typically, people who enter the field go through 2 years of general pediatric training after medical school before they enter the child neurology program. However, since neurology is such a research-oriented field, they may allow you to replace one of those years with basic neuroscience training. Your neuroscience major would give you a good background for such training if you chose to go with a more research-oriented route.</p>
<p>Info from several sources on the net</p>
<p>If your child has problems involving the nervous system, a Child Neurologist has the special training and experience to treat your child. Examples of such problems are seizures, delayed speech, weakness, or headaches.</p>
<p>What kind of training do child neurologists have?
Child neurologists are medical doctors who have completed:</p>
<p> Four years of undergraduate school
Four years of medical school
At least 1 to 2 years of pediatric residency
Three or more years of residency training in adult and child neurology</p>
<p>In addition, most child neurologists have certification from the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (with special competency in child neurology).</p>
<p>Child neurologists treat children from birth into young adulthood. They choose to make the care of children the core of their medical practice. Their advanced training and experience equip them to meet your childs unique needs.</p>
<p>What types of services do child neurologists provide?
Child neurologists often diagnose, treat, and manage the following conditions:</p>
<p> Seizure disorders, including seizures in newborns, febrile convulsions, and epilepsy
Medical aspects of head injuries and brain tumors
Weakness, including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and nervemuscle disorders
Headaches, including migraines
Behavioral disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), school failure, autism, and sleep problems
Developmental disorders, including delayed speech, motor milestones, and coordination issues
Mental retardation
Hydrocephalus</p>
<p>Where can I find a child neurologist?</p>
<p>Child neurologists practice in a variety of medical settings, including childrens hospitals, university medical centers, community-based outpatient practices, private offices and clinics.</p>
<p>Child neurologists the best care for children from birth to young adulthood</p>
<p>Child neurologists combine the special expertise in diagnosing and treating disorders of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, muscles, nerves) with an understanding of medical disorders in childhood and the special needs of the child and his or her family and environment.</p>
<p>In many cases, child neurologists work as a team with pediatricians or other primary care doctors. In addition, child neurologists may work with other pediatric specialists to care for children who have more complex or serious medical issues, such as epilepsy, birth defects, or mental retardation. These are chronic conditions that require ongoing care and close follow-up throughout childhood and adolescence.</p>
<p>If your pediatrician suggests that your child see a child neurologist, you can be assured that your child will receive the best possible care.</p>
<p>A Pediatric Neurologist conducts pediatric sleep studies, diagnostic testing, treats the symptoms of genetic diseases and other childrens neurological illnesses.</p>
<p>In the first year, a (post-graduate student) resident may spend ten months, in two month blocks, as the junior ward resident on the adult neurology services at a university medical center, veterans affairs hospital or other type of medical center. Two months may be spent on child neurology service at a children's hospital or medical center. Under the guidance of attendings and senior residents, the junior resident is responsible for care of ward patients and consultations. </p>
<p>There are separate inpatient and consultation teams, which are each headed by a first year Neurology resident. The inpatient team consists of medical students, interns and occasionally residents from other services. The chief resident and the attending work closely with the first year resident to ensure the highest quality patient care. The consult team may involve medical students or residents from other services, and follows all inpatient Neurology onsultations. </p>
<p>The junior resident is responsible for management of inpatients as part of a larger team of physicians, pharmacists, and mid-level care providers (Nurse Practitioners). On call, all residents do consultations in the Emergency Room and throughout the hospital. The neurology resident conducts daily work rounds and attends between one to three weekly clinics, including a half-day of continuity clinic. </p>
<p>In the second year, the resident typically has a more varied clinical experience. This time may be spent in various settings: inpatient, outpatient, research, or elective services. Most trainees divide elective time among neuropathology, electroencephalography and electromyography. In addition, some residents elect to spend time with other disciplines including neuroradiology, psychiatry, neuro-ophthalmology, neurosurgery, neurology and rehabilitation medicine. Trainees wishing to obtain a specific research experience may modify their non-clinical time accordingly. While on inpatient rotations, the second year resident serves as the senior (Chief) resident and is responsible for overseeing the Neurology team at that hospital. During the non-ward rotations, the resident participates in weekly neurology conferences, and maintains contact with patients by attending a variety of general and subspecialty neurology clinics, as well as a weekly continuity clinic. Usually one month will be spent on the outpatient clinic service. Second year residents are encouraged to attend one department-supported clinical conference during this year. There are many opportunities for writing case reports, and faculty members are always available to assist in the preparation of such. Each resident is required to make three case-related resentations during Neurology Grand Rounds.</p>
<p>Requirements: 11 months of adult Neurology (inpatient, outpatient,, elective, research), 1 month of inpatient/outpatient Pediatric Neurology, _ day Continuity clinic per week, 3 Grand Rounds Presentations, participation in the RITE examination.</p>
<p>In the third clinical year, the trainee serves as senior (Chief) adult neurology resident while on inpatient teams, usually for 1 or 2 months at each of the three affiliated adult hospitals. Pediatric neurology residents spend this year at a children's hospital or medical center. Additional non-ward time is usually available during this year. While on an inpatient service, the senior resident is responsible for overseeing the ward and consultation teams, assisting with neurodiagnostic studies, consulting in the emergency room, coordinating the clinical conferences, and arranging appointments for patients to the outpatient clinics. Supervision is provided by the full- and part-time faculty, but by this stage of program, the trainee is allowed considerable opportunity to make independent decisions regarding patient management. The senior residents also take on expanded teaching responsibilities and may be selected to lecture on neurological topics to students and residents. Additionally, each senior resident is required to make three case-related presentations during Neurology Grand Rounds.</p>
<p>Requirements: 12 months of adult Neurology (clinical, elective, research), _ day continuity clinic per week, 3 Grand Rounds Presentations, participation in the Residency In-Service Training Examination (RITE).</p>
<p>Beyond the Residency
Approximately half of the residents graduating obtain fellowships for further training, while the other half elect private practice. Support for fellowship training in EEG and neurophysiology, neuropathology, and EMG are available through training grants and other funds. Individual fellowship training can be arranged by working out a training program with a chosen preceptor and applying to the NIH or other funding sources for financial support.</p>
<p>There is a long path to a career in Pediatric Neurology!</p>
<p>i am really interested in pediatric nurology ,i found this article very usefull. Now i am junior in high school ,what is best for me to take in my senior year inorder to filfull the requirments?i am taking advanced chemistry right now</p>
<p>@yodifafi: You have to understand that nearly nothing you do in high school will have any impact whatsoever on your admission to medical school, the curriculum you take while you’re there or your career once you graduate. On top of that, nearly nothing you do during your undergraduate years will affect your curriculum at medical school or your career afterwards.</p>
<p>Obviously, your performance in high school will affect your undergraduate admissions and your undergraduate performance will affect your medical school admissions. That is what you should be focused on right now but there are enough other threads on CC to explain all that. In short, there are some strategies to be utilized to make yourself attractive to different schools but almost all of them are focused on combining both excellent academic performance and a smart choice of extra-curriculars, i.e. research, internships, significant volunteer experience etc… But, again, none of that (except maybe research, but even that is a stretch) will affect your career after medical school. Your specialty or sub-specialty will be based on how you match into residency programs, and in most cases that will be affected solely on your activities during medical school. NOTHING that you do in school while in high school or undergrad will have any impact on you becoming a pediatric neurologist, only what you do in medical school and residency.</p>