Neurologist

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A neurologist could...

Overview Listen to this section

Each time your heart beats, or you breathe, think, dream, smell, see, move, laugh, read, remember, write, or feel something, you are using your nervous system. The nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord, and a huge network of nerves that make electrical connections all over your body. Neurologists are the medical doctors who diagnose and treat problems with the nervous system. They work to restore health to an essential system in the body.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Neurologist?

1. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2. Social Perceptiveness: ? Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
3. Complex Problem Solving: ? Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
4. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
5. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

6. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
7. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
8. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
9. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
10. Coordination: ? Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Neurologist might do:

• Interview patients to obtain information, such as complaints, symptoms, medical histories, and family histories.
• 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.
• Develop treatment plans based on diagnoses and on evaluation of factors, such as age and general health, or procedural risks and costs.
• Inform patients or families of neurological diagnoses and prognoses, or benefits, risks and costs of various treatment plans.
• Prepare, maintain, or review records that include patients' histories, neurological examination findings, treatment plans, or outcomes.
• Communicate with other health care professionals regarding patients' conditions and care.
• Counsel patients or others on the background of neurological disorders including risk factors, or genetic or environmental concerns.
• Interpret the results of neuroimaging studies, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.
• Determine brain death using accepted tests and procedures.
• Coordinate neurological services with other health care team activities.
• Refer patients to other health care practitioners as necessary.
• Advise other physicians on the treatment of neurological problems.
• Participate in continuing education activities to maintain and expand competence.
• Order supportive care services, such as physical therapy, specialized nursing care, and social services.
• Provide training to medical students or staff members.
• Supervise medical technicians in the performance of neurological diagnostic or therapeutic activities.
• Participate in neuroscience research activities.