How Much Does it Cost to Become a Neurologist?

Becoming a neurologist is a challenging road to take, but it can be very rewarding. After all, who wouldn’t want to help those who suffer from head injuries and diseases? You have probably taken the first step towards this career by researching how much it’ll cost to become a neurologist. I’m hoping that there is at least some other research you have done regarding becoming a neurologist as well. After all, you don’t want to only focus on cost, but also the quality of education that will prepare you for your future job.

How Much Does it Cost to Become a Neurologist?

It costs over $300,000 to complete training and earn a certification as a neurosurgeon, taking into account the many years of school and training required to become a surgeon. A biomedical science undergraduate degree is required to become a neurosurgeon, which will assist one fulfill the prerequisites for medical school. Basic knowledge for medical schools will be provided by the other pre-med courses, such as biochemistry, human anatomy, or microbiology.

They will then need to graduate from a medical school with a Doctor of Medicine. One should take a few advanced classes in clinical research, disease management, medical diagnostics, surgical practice, and other topics if they intend to become a neurosurgeon. Graduates will need to pass a medical licensing exam, complete an internship, and train for a fellowship after completing their study. According to information posted on PayScale.com on August 6, 2021, the average annual salary for neurosurgeons is $414,466 due to the high expense of finishing a degree.

The medical field is quite competitive, and this is true of neurology as well. The average salary for a neurologist is $250,000 per year, but you must be willing to invest heavily in your education before you can start making these kinds of numbers.

If you’re interested in becoming a neurologist, you need to understand how much it costs to get there. You should also consider whether or not it’s worth the investment.

The first step is getting accepted into an accredited medical school. There are many different schools throughout the country that offer programs related to neurology, but only those accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) will allow you to apply for certification once your training is complete. This means that if you want to practice as a neurologist after graduation (and many people do), then it’s important that your school is accredited by this committee so that they’ll let you take their exam at the end of your studies and then certify your training afterward.

Once accepted into one of these programs, students must take some time off from their regular jobs in order to attend classes full-time during the day while also spending nights and weekends doing homework assignments related.

A common factor that affects the cost of becoming a neurologist is whether or not you go through your residency at a teaching hospital. If so, then your education will be subsidized by your employer (i.e., whoever pays for it).

If you want to do research during your residency, that will also increase the price tag of becoming a neurologist. However, if you decide to do research as part of your job after graduation (as most neurologists do), then having done research during residency may save money because some of those costs have already been covered by an institution.

Lastly, there are many financial aid options available through the US government and private organizations like the American Medical Association Foundation or The Association of American Medical Colleges Foundation which provide scholarships and grants for students who demonstrate financial need and academic achievement in science or medicine courses throughout their careers.

How Much Does It Cost for the Education & Skills to Be a Pediatric Neurologist?

High School

Many doctors—including pediatric neurologists—attend private or prep schools, though not all do. And anyone who wanted to become a pediatric neurologist and whose family could afford it would go to such a school. Similar competition for equally prestigious prep schools frequently precedes the dog-eat-dog admission process for elite colleges and universities. According to a 2010 poll by the National Association of Independent Schools, private day and boarding school tuition for students in grades 9 through 12 was on average $21,026 a year.

Undergraduate School

A prestigious university is not necessary to become a pediatric neurologist, although it doesn’t hurt. Public university annual prices for tuition and fees range from $5,238 at Florida State University (in-state students) to $40,682 at the University of Colorado, according to a University of North Carolina research for the 2010–2011 academic year (out-of-state students). According to the Profile website at Princeton, an Ivy League member private school will cost more than $50,000. $52,180 is the overall cost, which includes $36,640 for tuition, $6,467 for housing, $5,473 for food, $3,600 for books, and other miscellaneous charges. It works out to $208,720 over four years (after subtracting inflation).

At the upper end, a prospective pediatric neurosurgeon would spend (or his parents would spend) over $63,000 on prep school, nearly $209,000 on his bachelor education, and roughly $280,000 on medical school, for a total education cost of $522,000 (or $522,000 for his parents). Naturally, this sum excludes any expenditures for earlier prep school, but it also excludes any scholarships or need-based aid that can help delay costs. Additionally, the sum does not account for any salaries that were lost while serving as an intern or resident.

Residents and interns are compensated, however their wages are low relative to those of other professionals their age. According to Health Internship.com, most locals make around $35,000 per year, with small raises per year. A typical neurologist earns roughly $175,000 in income ($35,000 x 5 years of residency) by the time he is 30 years old because pediatric neurologists complete a minimum four-year residency, which is frequently followed by additional training through fellowships.

Overall, there are only a few positions available for pediatric neurologists in the workplace, in medical schools, and in residency programs. Because of the high level of competitiveness, a path that includes a prestigious prep school, an expensive undergraduate program, and then an even more expensive medical program is not rare.

How to Become a Neurologist

Bachelor’s Degree

Everybody who wants to become a doctor must first complete their undergraduate studies. Even though this is only the first of many years of learning through study and experience, it is a crucial one. A student who completes their undergraduate coursework successfully will be prepared to comprehend a wide range of subjects that will be studied in more depth during the rest of their education.

In addition to the coursework necessary for their chosen major, students must take physics, biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, psychology, and English during their undergraduate studies. Given their importance as prerequisites for admission to medical school, these should get special consideration. A student who wants to go to medical school should schedule their undergraduate studies so that they take all of the prerequisite courses without having to extend their undergraduate studies.

Students aiming to attend medical school are not needed to have any particular undergraduate degree. Many students major in the sciences, which naturally includes the majority of the preparatory courses, but this is not required. With careful planning, a student can major in almost any area of study while also building the scientific background and critical thinking abilities required to advance successfully.

Medical College Admissions Test

The test needed for admission to medical school is called the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). In order to offer scores with applications to medical school, it is typically taken in the junior year of undergraduate education. The test gauges how well-prepared a student is for their studies in medical school by covering a variety of topics in core scientific knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving. Four different areas will be assessed on by students:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

Foundations of Living Systems: Biological and Biochemical
Biological Systems’ Chemical and Physical Underpinnings
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills in Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

Medical School

The four years of medical school are dedicated to preparing students for careers as doctors and deepening their understanding of critical scientific concepts, practical abilities, medical ethics, and the art of the profession.

Students must submit their application, evidence of a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, proof of successful completion of prerequisite science courses with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and letters of recommendation from professors and other professionals that highlight the student’s personality, work ethic, and intelligence as it positions them for success as a medical school student in order to be accepted into the highly competitive program.

Medical school is set up in two two-year stages.

• The first two-years of medical school are mostly focused on coursework in the sciences, laboratory work and developing an intellectual knowledge of what it takes to be a physician.
• The second two years are dedicated to developing a more practical application of medicine. During the second two-years students will participate in rotations which will introduce them to a variety of medical specialties and help them focus their subsequent years of training in a field that interests them. During this time many aspiring physicians find that they are drawn to a specific subspecialty, type of work setting, practice model, or demographic which will influence their residency, internships, fellowships and other training moving forward.

United States Medical Licensing Examination Parts I and II

All doctors in the US must pass the three-part United States Medical Licensing Examination in order to practice. Students who are enrolled in medical school must pass Parts I and II of the United States Medical Licensing Examinations. Part I is taken after coursework and before practicum rotations, and it demonstrates that the student has gained the fundamental understanding of medical practice required to work with patients under supervision. After rotations, students take Part II to demonstrate that they have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to start practicing medicine independently.

Internship

Aspiring neurologists start their internship part of schooling right after medical school. Depending on the physician’s career objectives, this internship may have an emphasis on either surgery or internal medicine. Though some internship programs continue up to three years, this educational phase typically lasts one year. Internships may be split between the two with a focus on understanding the numerous facets of the subspecialty, or they may be centered on patient care or research. Prior to beginning their neurology residency program, the student will gain experience during the internship phase, where they will work autonomously with neurology patients in a care environment.

Residency

The first opportunity for students to start practicing medicine independently is during residency. The student-doctor in this level of training is referred to as a “Resident,” and they work with patients in a training hospital where they can receive further instruction and guidance. The time that neurology residents spend on rounds, monitoring and assessing patients, listening to lectures, reading up on and evaluating case studies. All of this training is intended to arm the resident with the knowledge they require to comprehend potential patient presentations, warning signs, and treatment options. Residency programs should be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in order for them to be properly applied to a doctor’s education and future research.

Fellowship

Although doctors can start working right away after completing their residency, there are several benefits to continuing their study through a fellowship program. The doctor will be able to pursue education in a subspecialty through a fellowship program. The website of the American Academy of Neurology lists some of the possible subspecialties, including:

• Child Neurology
• Epilepsy
• Neuro-oncology
• NeuroGenetics
• Neuromuscular Medicine
• Neurocritical Care
• Neuroimmunology
• Neuropharmacology
• Sleep Medicine

Conclusion

Becoming a Neurologist isn’t easy and it takes some time. The most important thing to do is get the prerequisites out of the way in college first. That’s not to say that you need a four-year degree though, there are plenty of other routes you can take to work towards this, such as going to school part-time while working full time.