How does one go about becoming a neurologist?

Question

What are the steps? How long does it take?

Answer 1

Step 1:  Go to an undergraduate institution and get a bachelor's degree.  it doesn't matter what it's in, as long as you complete the pre-reqs for med school at some point.  In the US, that's one year each of English, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and biology, along with labs for the sciences, and usually although not always one year of math.  Generally this takes four years, but some people manage it quicker than that.

Step 2:  Apply to and attend medical school.  This will take you four years.  In your third and fourth years, you do rotations at hospitals and at some point you should do electives in neurologic specialties to be sure that's what you really want to do.  Not all schools require neuro as a required rotation at all; mine did, though.

Step 3:  Apply for and complete a residency in neurology.  For regular, adult neurology, that starts with a preliminary year in medicine followed by three years of specialization training in neuro.  (My own residency is a bit of an oddball consisting of two years of pediatrics, one year of adult neurology and two more years of pediatric neurology, but that's unusual.)

Step 4 (optional):  Apply for and complete fellowship training in neurological subspecialties like epilepsy/EEG, neuromuscular disorders, sleep studies...lots of choices.  Usually two more years, though it varies.

Step 5:  Take the boards (qualification exam in neurology).

Congratulations!  You are now a neurologist.  *g*

Answer 2

Your major doesn't matter, I majored in philosophy.

You have to go to med school. Preference goes to US MD schools and med students with high USMLE Step 1 scores, it's really competitive.

After med school, you complete a four year residency, with fellowship options after that in different diagnostic areas.

Answer 3

have lots of money