Activities	According to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), " A neurologist is a medical doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system. Neurologists do not perform surgery."
Outlook	Faster-than-average-job growth
Median Income	According to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the median income for a neurologist in 2005 was $216,199.
Work Context & Conditions	According to the Occupation Outlook Handbook 2006-07 Edition, "Many physicians work in small private offices or clinics, often assisted by a small staff of nurses and other administrative personnel."
Minimum Education Requirements	M.D.
Skills	Persuasion, Social Perceptiveness, Learning Strategies, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Instructing, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Time Management, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Science
Abilities	Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Inductive Reasoning, Written Expression, Oral Comprehension

Job Category		Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
Job Description		According to the AAN, a neurologist treats: the following neurological disorders: Stroke, Pain, Headache, Epilepsy, Tremor, Sleep disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple sclerosis, Brain and spinal cord injuries, Brain tumors, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's Disease. Neurologists are principal care providers or consultants to other doctors. When a person has a neurological disorder that requires frequent care, a neurologist is often the principal care provider. People with disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, seizure disorders or multiple sclerosis may use a neurologist as their principal care doctor. In a consulting role, a neurologist will diagnose and treat a neurological disorder and then advise the primary care doctor managing the person's overall health. For example, a neurologist may act in a consulting role for conditions such as stroke, concussion, or headache. Neurologists can recommend surgical treatment, but they do not perform surgery. When treatment includes surgery, neurologists may monitor the patients and supervise their continuing treatment. Neurosurgeons are medical doctors who specialize in performing surgical treatments of the brain or nervous system. An accurate diagnosis is the first step toward effective treatment. Diagnosis involves getting a detailed health history of the patient, and neurological tests for vision, strength, coordination, reflexes, and sensation. Sometimes, further tests are needed to reach a diagnosis. Some common neurological tests are: Computerized tomography or computer-assisted tomography (CT or CAT scan): This test uses x-rays and computers to create multi-dimensional images of selected body parts. Dye may be injected into a patient's vein to obtain a clearer view. Other than needle insertion for the dye, this test is painless. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An MRI is an advanced way of taking pictures of the inner brain. It is harmless and involves magnetic fields and radio waves. It is performed when a patient is lying in a small chamber for about 30 minutes. It is painless, but may be stressful for individuals with claustrophobia (fear of closed areas). A physician can offer options to help you relax. Transcranial Doppler (TCD): This test uses sound waves to measure blood flow in the vessels of the brain. A microphone is placed on different parts of the head to view the blood vessels. This test is painless. Neurosonography: This test uses ultra high frequency sound wave to analyze blood flow and blockage in the blood vessels in or leading to the brain. This test is painless. Electroencephalogram (EEG): The EEG records the brain's continuous electrical activity through electrodes attached to the scalp. It is used to help diagnose structural diseases of the brain and episodes such as seizures. This test is painless. Electromyogram (EMG): An EMG measures and records electrical activity in the muscles and nerves. This may be helpful in determining the cause of pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the muscles or nerves. Small needles are inserted into the muscle and mild electrical shocks are given to stimulate the nerve. Discomfort may be associated with this test. Evoked Potentials: This test records the brain's electrical response to visual, auditory, and sensory stimulation. This test is useful in evaluating and diagnosing symptoms if dizziness, numbness, and tingling, as well as visual disorders. Discomfort may be associated with this test. Sleep Studies: These tests are used to diagnose specific causes of sleep problems. To perform the tests, it is often necessary for a patient to spend the night in a sleep laboratory. Brain wave activity, heart rate, electrical activity of the heart, breathing, and oxygen in the blood are all measured during the sleep test. The test is painless. Cerebral Spinal Fluid Analysis (Spinal Tap or Lumbar Puncture):This test is used to check for bleeding, hemorrhage, infection, or other disorder of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. In this test, the lower back is numbed with local anesthesia and a thin needle is placed into the space that contains the spinal fluid. The amount of spinal fluid that is needed for the tests is removed and the needle is withdrawn. Discomfort may be associated with this test.
Working Conditions		According to the Occupation Outlook Handbook 2010-11 Edition, "Increasingly, physicians are practicing in groups or health care organizations that provide backup coverage and allow for more time off. These physicians often work as part of a team coordinating care for a population of patients; they are less independent than solo practitioners of the past. Over one-third of full-time physicians and surgeons worked 60 hours or more a week in 2008. Only 8 percent of all physicians and surgeons worked part-time, compared with 16 percent for all occupations. Physicians and surgeons must travel frequently between office and hospital to care for their patients. Those who are on call deal with many patients’ concerns over the phone and may make emergency visits to hospitals or nursing homes. "
Salary Range		According to the American Academy of Neurology and the Medical Group Management Association’s 2006 Physician Compensation and Production Survey, in 2005 the median annual earnings of neurologists were $216,199. Those in the 25th percentile earned $182,287 and those in the 75th percentile earned $288,962 .

Education Required		According to the AAN , "A neurologist's training includes an undergraduate degree, four years of medical school, a one-year internship, and three years of specialized training. Many neurologists also have additional training in one area of neurology such as stroke, epilepsy, or movement disorders. This is called a subspecialty. "
Recommended High School Courses		Computers and Electronics, Biology, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Physics
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		English Language, Psychology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computers and Electronics, Medicine and Dentistry
Certification and Licensing		According to the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, patients can be assured that an ABPN board-certified neurologist or child neurologist has specialized skills and knowledge to diagnose and treat specific problems and to provide medical management for a range of problems, including emergencies and long-term care of chronic neurological disorders. Core Competencies for Neurology include 1. Basic neuroscience that is critical to the practice of neurology 2. Pathophysiology and treatment of major psychiatric and neurological disorders and familiarity with the scientific basis of neurology 3. Treatment for neurologic disorders and diseases across the lifespan.

Interest Area		Investigative Involves working with ideas and requires an extensive amount of thinking.
Work Values		Social Status Looked up to by others in their company and their community. Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Variety Do something different every day. Social Service Do things for other people. Security Have steady employment. Ability Utilization Make use of individual abilities. Co-workers Have co-workers who are easy to get along with. Activity Busy all the time. Autonomy Plan work with little supervision. Recognition Receive recognition for the work you do. Authority Give directions and instructions to others. Compensation Get paid well in comparison with other workers. Responsibility Make decisions on your own.
Skills		Persuasion Persuade others to approach things differently. Social Perceptiveness Be aware of others' reactions and understand why they react the way they do. Learning Strategies Use multiple approaches when learning or teaching new things. Monitoring Assess how well someone is doing when learning or doing something. Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Instructing Teach others how to do something. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Service Orientation Actively look for ways to help people. Time Management Manage one's own time and the time of others. Active Learning Work with new material or information to grasp its implications. Complex Problem Solving Solving novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. Judgment and Decision Making Be able to weigh the relative costs and benefits of a potential action. Coordination Adjust actions in relation to others' actions. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Speaking Talk to others to effectively convey information. Science Use scientific methods to solve problems.
Abilities		Oral Expression Able to convey information and ideas through speech in ways that others will understand. Deductive Reasoning Able to apply general rules to specific problems to come up with logical answers, including deciding whether an answer makes sense. Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Written Comprehension Able to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Speech Clarity Able to speak clearly so listeners understand. Inductive Reasoning Able to combine separate pieces of information, or specific answers to problems, to form general rules or conclusions. This includes coming up with a logical explanation for why seemingly unrelated events occur together. Written Expression Able to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. Oral Comprehension Able to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Related Jobs		Veterinarian, Nurse, Registered, Physician, Surgeon, Physician Assistant, Podiatrist
Job Outlook		According to the Occupation Outlook Handbook 2010-11 Edition, "Employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2018 due to continued expansion of health care industries. The growing and aging population will drive overall growth in the demand for physician services, as consumers continue to demand high levels of care using the latest technologies, diagnostic tests, and therapies. In addition to employment growth, job openings will result from the need to replace physicians and surgeons who retire over the 2008-18 period. Demand for physicians’ services is highly sensitive to changes in consumer preferences, health care reimbursement policies, and legislation. Demand for physician services may also be tempered by patients relying more on other health care providers for some health care services. In addition, new technologies will increase physician productivity. Telemedicine will allow physicians to treat patients or consult with other providers remotely. Increasing use of electronic medical records, test and prescription orders, billing, and scheduling will also improve physician productivity. Opportunities for individuals interested in becoming physicians and surgeons are expected to be very good. Reports of shortages in some specialties or geographic areas should attract new entrants, encouraging schools to expand programs and hospitals to expand available residency slots. However, because physician training is so lengthy, employment change happens gradually. In the short term, to meet increased demand, experienced physicians may work longer hours, delay retirement, or take measures to increase productivity, such as using more support staff to provide services. Opportunities should be particularly good in rural and low-income areas, because some physicians find these areas unattractive due to less control over work hours, isolation from medical colleagues, or other reasons. Unlike their predecessors, newly trained physicians face radically different choices of where and how to practice. New physicians are much less likely to enter solo practice and more likely to take salaried jobs in group medical practices, clinics, and health networks.
More Information		American Academy of Neurology , American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc.
References		O*Net Online @ http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/29-1063.00 American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology online at http://www.abpn.com/downloads/core_comp_outlines/core_psych_neuro_v4.1.pdf The Brain Matters Website @ http://www.thebrainmatters.org/index.cfm?key=1.2.1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Physicians and Surgeons, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm The salary range found under the Job Description tab was approved by the American Academy of Neurology and taken from the 2006 Physician Compensation and Production Survey with permission from the Medical Group Management Association, 104 Inverness Terrace East, Englewood, Colorado 80012;. www.mgma.com. Copyright 2006.