3 answers
Ruby
Student
Yuma, Arizona
1
Question
Updated
245 views
How to become a neurophysiology ?
Hello my name is Ruby and I attended crane middle school.Im an 8th grader and I took a career test and it says I can be a neurophysiology.What classes can I take to achieve to be that.How many years of college or university do I need to take to have a degree.I want to do this job because I really want to help people.i could explain the disability’s that they could/have.How long would I take me to learn how to do my job right.what classes can I take in high school to get closer to being a neurophysiology.
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3 answers
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach, Mentor
1209
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Ruby,
It's great that you found an interest in neurophysiology. A neurophysiologist is a medical doctor who specialized in neurophysiology. It's a bit early for you to focus on such a specific field, but in short, in order to specialize in neurophysiology, you first need to earn a bachelors degree (4 years) in any field. Next you take the MCAT before you can apply to medical school. Medical school is another 4 years and you'll earn your MD/DO. You specialize by doing a 4-year neurology residency, followed by a 1-2 year clinical neurophysiology fellowship. So, it's a long journey, and each step is competitive. You'll need excellent grades and a high MCAT score as well as medical experience and volunteer hours.
Since you are still in middle school and contemplating your course choices for high-school, you should take all the science classes you can get (biology, chemistry, physics, math) to be well prepared for college. If your high-school offers classes related to health such as psychology or anatomy, you should take those as well. If you have the option, take on challenging classes like AP or IB or participate in a dual enrollment program.
In order to get into a good undergraduate program and later into medical school, you also need to start getting experience in medical settings and volunteering in the community while you are in high-school. People get medical experience in a variety of ways. You can look for shadowing opportunities if you want to consider different medical specialties. You can look for internships, volunteer opportunities or small jobs in e.g. hospitals or with doctors (even if it is just as a receptionist). There are also certifications that would allow you to work medical jobs while you are in school.
You can major in any field for your bachelors degree. Consider your interests, your career goals but also look at your undergraduate degree as a backup plan in case medical school doesn't happen (because life happens). Many students opt for a biology, chemistry or biochemistry major because it would cover most if not all of the science pre-requisites. Physiology or neuroscience would also be excellent options for someone interested in neurophysiology. Just be aware what the pre-requisites are and that, should you opt for a non-science major, you might need longer to graduate because you might need to take extra classes. Look up medical schools that you would consider and check their admission criteria and pre-requisites. I left a link for Harvard medical school as an example below.
During your undergraduate studies, you should also get in more medical experience and (if possible) research experience. It doesn't have to be medical research, but being in any science department certainly helps to get involved in meaningful projects.
Before you can apply to medical school, you need to study for and take the MCAT. You can take the test during your junior or senior year. Many students also take a gap year after their bachelors to study for the MCAT and get some more work experience, either clinical or in research in. If you opted for a non-science major, a postbac program to complete the science pre-requisites is an option.
If you get admitted to medical school, you'll study general medicine for 4 years. There is no need to know from the start which specialty you want to go for. The first 2 years are mostly classroom learning while the last 2 years are clinical and include rotations through different specialties. You'll then decide on a specialty that you want to pursue and apply for residency in that specialty hoping to "match".
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-neurophysiologist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurophysiology
https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/md-program/admissions/preparing-apply/eligibility
https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/md-program/admissions/preparing-apply/prerequisite-courses
It's great that you found an interest in neurophysiology. A neurophysiologist is a medical doctor who specialized in neurophysiology. It's a bit early for you to focus on such a specific field, but in short, in order to specialize in neurophysiology, you first need to earn a bachelors degree (4 years) in any field. Next you take the MCAT before you can apply to medical school. Medical school is another 4 years and you'll earn your MD/DO. You specialize by doing a 4-year neurology residency, followed by a 1-2 year clinical neurophysiology fellowship. So, it's a long journey, and each step is competitive. You'll need excellent grades and a high MCAT score as well as medical experience and volunteer hours.
Since you are still in middle school and contemplating your course choices for high-school, you should take all the science classes you can get (biology, chemistry, physics, math) to be well prepared for college. If your high-school offers classes related to health such as psychology or anatomy, you should take those as well. If you have the option, take on challenging classes like AP or IB or participate in a dual enrollment program.
In order to get into a good undergraduate program and later into medical school, you also need to start getting experience in medical settings and volunteering in the community while you are in high-school. People get medical experience in a variety of ways. You can look for shadowing opportunities if you want to consider different medical specialties. You can look for internships, volunteer opportunities or small jobs in e.g. hospitals or with doctors (even if it is just as a receptionist). There are also certifications that would allow you to work medical jobs while you are in school.
You can major in any field for your bachelors degree. Consider your interests, your career goals but also look at your undergraduate degree as a backup plan in case medical school doesn't happen (because life happens). Many students opt for a biology, chemistry or biochemistry major because it would cover most if not all of the science pre-requisites. Physiology or neuroscience would also be excellent options for someone interested in neurophysiology. Just be aware what the pre-requisites are and that, should you opt for a non-science major, you might need longer to graduate because you might need to take extra classes. Look up medical schools that you would consider and check their admission criteria and pre-requisites. I left a link for Harvard medical school as an example below.
During your undergraduate studies, you should also get in more medical experience and (if possible) research experience. It doesn't have to be medical research, but being in any science department certainly helps to get involved in meaningful projects.
Before you can apply to medical school, you need to study for and take the MCAT. You can take the test during your junior or senior year. Many students also take a gap year after their bachelors to study for the MCAT and get some more work experience, either clinical or in research in. If you opted for a non-science major, a postbac program to complete the science pre-requisites is an option.
If you get admitted to medical school, you'll study general medicine for 4 years. There is no need to know from the start which specialty you want to go for. The first 2 years are mostly classroom learning while the last 2 years are clinical and include rotations through different specialties. You'll then decide on a specialty that you want to pursue and apply for residency in that specialty hoping to "match".
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps:
Alexander Verma
Physician - neurologist
13
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Alexander’s Answer
Neurophysiology is a term that can mean a few different things. You have neurologists, medical doctors who specialize in the brain and nervous system, and some subspecialize in neuromuscular disorders (think diseases like ALS or myasthenia gravis) or seizures. Doctors who do a neurophysiology fellowship get a little bit of exposure to both sides but not really enough to specialize in one or the other. Neurophysiology can also refer to technicians or nurses who help with clinical tests for those conditions I mentioned above, or it could refer to scientists who primarily do research on how the nervous system functions and how it affects health.
In any case, you will want to get a bachelor's degree at least before moving on to graduate school. For medical school your major isn't that important so long as you complete the prerequisite courses for medical school (chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, biology, calculus). Some schools have prerequisites in addition to these, but these courses are pretty universal among medical schools. I have known doctors who majored in theater, music, or Spanish who went on to practice medicine. To become a neuroscientist a bachelor's in biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, or neuroscience would be ideal. Doing tech work would require either going to nursing school or a specialized technician program.
To become a neurologist, you must finish four years of medical school, then four years of post-school training (also known as residency). If you want to further specialize in neurophysiology, this is an extra year of training (called fellowship) during which you will learn to examine patients and interpret different tests. Neurophysiology has several specialized tests we use to examine the nervous system. Electroencephalography (EEG) looks at electrical activity within the brain to detect seizures. Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies look at how the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord communicate with the muscles and the brain. It also tests how the muscles function when stimulated by signals from the nerves. You can get even more specialized from here but those are the most common tests we do. Epileptologists specialize in seizure diagnosis and management, neuromuscular doctors focus more on the peripheral nervous system and muscular system, and neurophysiologists do a little bit of both.
As far as coursework goes, there are no specific high school or college classes you need to take to become a neurologist. You can take AP or IB courses to meet the basic course requirements for medical school that I mentioned above. Volunteering and shadowing doctors is probably the most valuable thing you can do at this point to get a sense of the day to day life and see if it meets your expectations.
In any case, you will want to get a bachelor's degree at least before moving on to graduate school. For medical school your major isn't that important so long as you complete the prerequisite courses for medical school (chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, biology, calculus). Some schools have prerequisites in addition to these, but these courses are pretty universal among medical schools. I have known doctors who majored in theater, music, or Spanish who went on to practice medicine. To become a neuroscientist a bachelor's in biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, or neuroscience would be ideal. Doing tech work would require either going to nursing school or a specialized technician program.
To become a neurologist, you must finish four years of medical school, then four years of post-school training (also known as residency). If you want to further specialize in neurophysiology, this is an extra year of training (called fellowship) during which you will learn to examine patients and interpret different tests. Neurophysiology has several specialized tests we use to examine the nervous system. Electroencephalography (EEG) looks at electrical activity within the brain to detect seizures. Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies look at how the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord communicate with the muscles and the brain. It also tests how the muscles function when stimulated by signals from the nerves. You can get even more specialized from here but those are the most common tests we do. Epileptologists specialize in seizure diagnosis and management, neuromuscular doctors focus more on the peripheral nervous system and muscular system, and neurophysiologists do a little bit of both.
As far as coursework goes, there are no specific high school or college classes you need to take to become a neurologist. You can take AP or IB courses to meet the basic course requirements for medical school that I mentioned above. Volunteering and shadowing doctors is probably the most valuable thing you can do at this point to get a sense of the day to day life and see if it meets your expectations.
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
257
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
Neurophysiology is a very specific area of science. It is exciting what we are learning about how the brain and nervous system work. It is far too soon for you to focus on that, but to become a neurophysiologist one must be a lifelong learner who does well in high school and college, so you can get into a good graduate degree program. You would study biology (both organismal and micro-), anatomy, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, experimental design, and psychology. You may also want to explore engineering, as the interface between biology and engineering is growing.
Don't overly focus yet. Explore the amazing world of learning and get as many varied experiences as possible. Practice good habits of sleep, diet, exercise, socialization, and studying. Successful people find that balance that keeps them happy and healthy as they enjoy the journey. Don't be afraid to explore unexpected paths that come up along your way.
Don't overly focus yet. Explore the amazing world of learning and get as many varied experiences as possible. Practice good habits of sleep, diet, exercise, socialization, and studying. Successful people find that balance that keeps them happy and healthy as they enjoy the journey. Don't be afraid to explore unexpected paths that come up along your way.