Description
Neurologists are physicians who specialise in the field of neurology. They diagnose and treat diseases and conditions of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. Some of the conditions neurologists treat include epilepsy, headaches, cerebro-vascular accidents like ischemic and haemmorhagic and venous strokes, neuro infections, neuropathies, movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, sleep disorders, dementias, systemic disorders which affect the nervous system, muscle disorders, disorders of neuromuscular junction like mysthenia gravis, etc.
Requirements
Focus on science subjects in senior school, especially biology. Concentrate on botany and zoology at the plus-two level. You have to then give the entrance exam for a medical college. After your basic MBBS and one year compulsory internship training, you have to do your MD medicine/paediatrics for three years and then another three years for DM/DNB neurology. Seats at DM level are very limited – just 100 seats across the country. After that, most would like to do an additional fellowship in specialised fields like movement disorders, stroke, epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders, sleep and cognitive neurology
Job Prospects
A neurologist in the government sector would start at around Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 90,000 a month (post sixth pay commission) along with perks such as a house, non-practice allowance, travel allowance to attend medical education conferences. In the private sector, after a few years of experience, the pay can be anything from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 1.5 lakh a month which can go up to Rs. 5 lakh a month with increasing experience and skills.
Pros & Cons
It’s immensely satisfying to save lives and to cure people of their suffering. It’s a much respected profession and doctors have a good status in society. The money is good, and if you set up a private practice you can earn unlimited amounts of money.
Neurology case evaluation requires a lot of time, patience and correlation with radiology/lab services. Very stressful as you have to spend long hours at work
