What Do Neurologists Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Neurologists

Neurologists diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and disorders of the nervous system.

Salary
$218850
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Doctoral degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality



Job Description

Job Description

Neurologists diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and disorders of the nervous system. They also interview patients to obtain information, such as complaints, symptoms, medical histories, and family histories.

Other tasks include:

  • Examine patients to obtain information about functional status of areas, such as vision, physical strength, coordination, reflexes, sensations, language skills, cognitive abilities, and mental status.
  • Perform or interpret the outcomes of procedures or diagnostic tests, such as lumbar punctures, electroencephalography, electromyography, and nerve conduction velocity tests.
  • Order or interpret results of laboratory analyses of patients’ blood or cerebrospinal fluid.
  • Diagnose neurological conditions based on interpretation of examination findings, histories, or test results.
  • Prescribe or administer medications, such as anti-epileptic drugs, and monitor patients for behavioral and cognitive side effects.
  • Identify and treat major neurological system diseases and disorders, such as central nervous system infection, cranio spinal trauma, dementia, and stroke.

We asked Neurologists how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

74%

How meaningful is this job

82%


74% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Neurologists examine patients to obtain information about functional status of areas, such as vision, physical strength, coordination, reflexes, sensations, language skills, cognitive abilities, and mental status. They interview patients to obtain information, such as complaints, symptoms, medical histories, and family histories.

A typical day for a Neurologist will also include:

  • Advise other physicians on the treatment of neurological problems.
  • Prescribe or administer medications, such as anti-epileptic drugs, and monitor patients for behavioral and cognitive side effects.
  • Communicate with other health care professionals regarding patients’ conditions and care.
  • Order supportive care services, such as physical therapy, specialized nursing care, and social services.
  • Develop treatment plans based on diagnoses and on evaluation of factors, such as age and general health, or procedural risks and costs.

We asked some Neurologists a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 82% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 72% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 100% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 65% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 15% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 78% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Neurologists also participate in continuing education activities to maintain and expand competence. They may also determine brain death using accepted tests and procedures.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Neurologists Perform specialized treatments in areas such as sleep disorders, neuroimmunology, neuro-oncology, behavioral neurology, and neurogenetics. They might also Refer patients to other health care practitioners as necessary.

In addition, they Interpret the results of neuroimaging studies, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Order supportive care services, such as physical therapy, specialized nursing care, and social services.

To some Neurologists, it is also their responsibility to Supervise medical technicians in the performance of neurological diagnostic or therapeutic activities.


Working life

Working hours

More than 40 hours per week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Neurologist, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Do Neurologists work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
83%


Never
17%


Do Neurologists work outdoors?

Never
92%


Once a year
8%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Thinkers and The Helpers

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Neurologists

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Related to Neurologists Job Description

Neurologists job description, what do Neurologists do, typical day for Neurologists, what is it like to work as a Neurologist, how many hours do Neurologists work, day to day work of a Neurologist

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html
http://www.ama-assn.org/
http://www.abms.org/


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