Did you know that nervous system is one of the most delicate parts of the human body which is composed of the spinal cord, brain and the central nerves? Various disorders come along when the nerves do not function properly such as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and meningitis. It will attack the human body; weakening and will slowly picking away at the brain. There are physicians who give a cure to this kind of disorders.
What is Neurologist?
Physicians who treat disorders and diagnose our nervous system are called neurologists. Neurologists are able to treat problems of the autonomous, central, and peripheral nervous system, and of course this includes effectors tissues like blood vessels and muscles. Neurologists are also called as principal care providers or usually referred to as consultants and specialists to other physicians. There are some patients who have neurologists as their primary physicians; some of them are patients who have Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.
There are different types of neurologists. There are neurologists who specializes in performing surgeries neural clusters, and they are called neurosurgeons. Some neurologists specialize on curing neurological disorders in children and they are called pediatric neurologists.
Duties of a Neurologist
- Neurologists will diagnose and treat neurological disorders.
- They will advice the assigned primary care physician to manage the patient’s overall health condition.
- They are responsible in studying the outcomes of chemical, biological, microscopic and bacteriological analyses of patient’s blood and cerebra-spinal fluid in order for them to know the character and extent of a disorder.
- Neurologists will give advice to a patient to have a surgical treatment if necessary but they are not the one who will perform the surgery.
- Neurologists treat clinical disorders of the nervous system.
- The neurologist will evaluate a patient’s health history paying special interest to their recent condition during a neurological examination.
- They will give the patient a neurological exam which will test their vision, strength, reflexes, sensation and coordination.
- Prescribing and governing medications and drugs to a patient is also their task.
Work Condition of Neurologist
The working condition of a neurologist depends on where they work. Some may put in long days of work, for at least 60 hours a week. They can be on an on call duty or on a rotating shift. When a neurologist is on an on call duty, they can be called anytime into the hospital, day or night. There are some who works evenings and weekends to reach the patients’ schedules. When their patients’ condition is all in a stable manner, they may spend some of their time doing some paper works.
Educational Requirements of Neurologist
In order to become a neurologist, one must have to complete four years of premed education where he or she is required to study biology, physics, mathematics, organic and inorganic chemistry and English. After taking premed, a four years of study in medical school and three to four years of internship is required to pass, depending on what specialization is he or she taking in. After completing the internship, neurologist is required to apply for a licensure in the state where they want to work. After getting its license, they can now start to work in an independent manner or join a hospital.
Occupation and Progress of a Neurologist
Neurologist works in a hospital, public or private clinics, and in universities or research facilities. There are many neurologists nowadays who are still in a private practice. So if one wants to be successful in this career, he or she must have an outstanding practice in neurologist.