To become a pediatric neurologist, one needs a bachelor’s degree, medical degree, license, and 5-6 years of advanced training. High school students can prepare by earning strong grades and taking advanced placement classes. Medical school comprises 3-6 years, followed by a residency and fellowship. Certification is obtained by passing exams.
An individual who wants to become a pediatric neurologist must possess a bachelor’s degree, a medical degree and license, and an additional five to six years of advanced training in the subject through residencies and fellowships. When all these requirements are met, physicians take exams that lead to board certification. The path to this specialty is sometimes slightly different regionally and may take more or less time to complete.
Some people argue that high school is when the first steps towards becoming a pediatric neurologist should be taken. High school students can better prepare for college by earning strong grades. Taking advanced placement classes, especially in math and science, is also helpful because they earn college credit. Since college studies must focus on advanced science topics, it’s a good idea to take some basic science requirements. On the other hand, this step is not completely necessary, and students who are less oriented in high school can quickly catch up to the college level.
When individuals begin the four-year course, they are usually concerned with the best medical degree courses. Students can choose pre-med, but any major is appropriate as long as the student has taken all of the necessary classes for medical school. These courses also prepare individuals to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in their freshman or senior year. Admission to a good medical school depends on excellent grades and a strong MCAT score.
In many regions, medical school comprises three years of study and one year of internship. The model in the UK is slightly different and students must complete a six-year program that starts at college entry level. In any case, individuals who want to be pediatric neurologists will need to perform well to meet the rigorous curricular demands.
During the medical school internship year, students can focus on simply getting a doctor or they can decide to specialize. In most cases, the person who wants to become a pediatric neurologist applies to pediatric residency programs. Sometimes individuals receive training in neurology.
Completely completing a residency is generally not important, which is a departure from other specialties such as pediatric cardiology. Fellowships to become a pediatric neurologist generally require applicants to have two years of pediatrics or one year each of training in pediatrics and neurology. Occasionally, applicants who are board-certified pediatricians or neurologists have a slight advantage in applying for scholarships, but this is not always the case.
The penultimate step to becoming a pediatric neurologist is to successfully complete a fellowship in that field. This takes approximately three years to complete. The final task is to apply to boards, take exams, and receive certification to serve as a licensed physician in that specialty. It usually takes at least 13 years to reach this goal, counting undergraduate studies, and the path can be difficult. Successful completion, however, allows individuals to practice in an important and challenging area of medicine.
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