neurology vs neurosurgery

[southpawcannon]

ok, so this may come across as a bit of an elementary question for those in school or having had finished, but aside from being surgical vs nonsurgical, how are these two different? one thing i have in mind is if a referral is made, does it go to the neurologist and then to the neurosurgeon, or is the neurosurgeon just as equal in terms of evals, Rx, and F/U. Im not yet in medical school, but the field of neurology, especially how the brain works and its mysteries, are very fascinating to me, and thus may take consideration towards this area when the time comes.

Thanks

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[mpp]

They are fairly different fields. Neurologists tends to be experts at diagnosing a wide array of neurological and neuromuscular problems. There are many diseases a neurologist might diagnose and help manage such as ALS and multiple sclerosis for which there really is no role for the neurosurgeon.

Neurosurgeons get referrals from neurologists but also from many other medical specialties whenever someone wants to know if surgery is a treatment option for a particular patient and in many cases of trauma.