1st Neurosurgery Post

[JMD]

Just wanted to be the first to post in the neurosurgery forum (anything to put studying off a little bit longer).


I have comtemplated neurosurgery because I find the nervous system fascinating, but I just don't think I have what it takes. I think it would be an extremely rewarding field, but long hours on your feet, the hand-eye coordination, high stakes/pressure just don't seem like things I could handle every single day.

Anyone else going into or planning on going into NS? Let's hear why and get this forum off the ground.

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[Idiopathic]

Sweet...I am happy to have this. Now post, dammit!!

I would be a good moderator

 

[mpp]

There are a few of us going into neurosurgery...I assume you are too Idiopathic, so please tell us why.

For me it's a combination of things. The nervous system is cool and has easily been my favorite stuff to learn in medical school. I've tried out Neurology and bleh!...it's not for me. I can't get enough of the O.R. thus far. But in general surgery after seeing a bunch of cholecystectomies and a few whipples the thrill was gone. But everytime they go through the dura it kind of gives me the willies. I coud go ENT or Ophtho, but to me they are kind of the lesser siblings to the neurosurgeon. The neurosurgery procedures tend to be technical in nature... and there's some cool toys. Plus there is money (although as in all medicine it's dwindling) and somewhat of some respect (but that's also dwindling). The neurosurgery patients I've dealt with thus far all seem far more grateful then the ever-whining patients on the CT and Vascular service and I know that Ortho is not for me.

And then there is just the aura of the field itself. That'll obviously wear off, but for the time being it's pretty cool to me. The field has a rich history and that's attractive to me too...

I gotta do something with this medical degree so this seems as good a deal as any, actually a much better deal than anything else I can think of. Perhaps I'm just stupid and should stay away from this killer field and follow the 'lifestyle crowd' to radiology or anesthesia. But I've already been a rocket scientist of sorts and if I get bored with neurosurgery then the next step is astronaut and that seems pretty cool...Mars 2030...maybe

 

[Ecthgar]

...thanks mpp...the nsmatch board was just getting way out of control..
I hope the residents decide to come over as well.

Anyway, I'm in an east coast MSTP program and right now I'm working on my thesis in the neuroscience department. I've been interested in neurosurgery since about freshman year of undergrad and I must say that my research has strengthened my interest even more. Its amazing how much more you can learn about the CNS while working in a lab than sitting through the med neuroscience course.

Thanks again...

 

[ecpiii]

Good job getting this forum set up. I bet Idiopathic had a hand in this, is he has been pushing for such a thing for a while.

I agree that the nervous system is very intriguing, and the OR is energizing. The aura of coolness does wear off, mpp, as does the idea of money, as the opportunity cost of a 7 year residency, cost to family, the eighth closed head injury consult of the night, etc. starts to weigh in. But hey, ride the wave for now, and worry about the actuals when apps start in 4th year. Try to tone down the "lesser siblings" remarks about ENT, ophtho, unless you are truly just joking, as this field could stand a little less snobbery.

I don't know how grateful the patients are vs other services, as almost 50% often have a pretty noticable deficit, can't speak, comatose, will be brain-dead soon, etc.

The only advice I have if you haven't started 3rd year yet is try your damnedest to love something else by diving head first into all your rotations. You will ensure your commitment to the field if you emerge still sure of your decision, and you'll probably get learn a whole lot about medicine in general and get great grades to boot. Good luck to us all.

 

[mpp]

Yes, perhaps the 'lesser siblings' comment was a bit much, but I really mean just to me. I like both of those fields and certainly those physicans are as competent and necessary as any. I guess what I am meaning is that if I chose ophtho or ENT for the lifestyle/money factor I think I would also be a bit regretful that I skipped over the thing that I am truly interested in because I was afraid of the work and not getting paid enough. I've never been afraid of more work and and I've always worked enough to make the money that I need (I'm also one of thse here where medicine is a 2nd career).

 

[doc05]

I guess what I am meaning is that if I chose ophtho or ENT for the lifestyle/money factor I think I would also be a bit regretful that I skipped over the thing that I am truly interested in because I was afraid of the work and not getting paid enough.

get real. it's more likely you'll regret choosing neurosurg when you realize you have no time for a life, that most of the work you'll do is boring (laminectomies etc), and that outcomes are in general very poor. ophtho and ENT are clearly better choices for anyone who wants a challenging career, microscopic surgery, and far less chance of burnout. good luck.

 

[ecpiii]

Hey doc05,
I remember you for frequent comments on studentdoctor re: the inferiority of neurosurg as a career choice, and just last post you vomit this back up again. Ophtho and ENT are interesting specialties, to be sure, but don't bring your crap here to this part of the site. What the hell do you know about the specialty besides the generalizations of the people in your chosen field? Do you have any idea the depth and breadth of current and future surgical interventions in neurosurg? Do you have any idea about the challenges we will take on? Do you know that the bad outcomes are ones that neurosurgeons do not shy away from, and in fact make it the challenge of their careers to improve? No other specialty has as much room to advance. As a consequence, what other specialty could be any more challenging for a lifetime? For that matter, do you have any idea, when the surgical candidate is chosen correctly, how difficult and rewarding even a simple laminectomy for pain relief can be? Good luck to you finding another forum to poison.

 

[mpp]

I agree with the far less chance of burnout but ophthalmoogy...talk about boring procedures. And ENT (although I can't say I spent as much time in ENT as I have in neurosurgery) just doesn't excite me like neurosurgery. In the outpatient clinic on ENT, 80 percent of the patients were non-operative sinus stuff, a few "I'm dizzy" patients, and nothing that really interested me. My OR time on ENT is limited but I've seen a couple of neat neck dissections. No microscopes very often in ENT (although I've seen the ENT called in on a trans-labyrinthine approach to an acoustic neuroma once...primary service was neurosurgery and the outcome in that case was great).

I suppose another reason I'm attracted to neurosurgery is that so many medical students that really don't know much better than I try to talk me out of it. It's cool to me to go into a field that other will not or cannot go into it because they think it's too stressful. Fine, I'll handle it and you can prescribe some saline nasal spray (albeit you'll likely never miss Monday Night Football).

 

[Caesars0331]

doc05 = "guest" from nsmatch??

 

[scooter31]

if doc05 is "guest", then who's VAMADA?

 

[Idiopathic]

lol