Most Important Skills for a Neurosurgery Resident at Vanderbilt Medical Center
To succeed as a neurosurgeon requires "hard work," academic and clinical motivation, and excellent communication skills, given the demanding nature of the field and the serious conditions patients present with. The long training period and the need for continuous learning due to "so many things still we don't know about the brain" are also crucial considerations.
Hard Work, Academic Motivation, Clinical Motivation, Communication, Personal Motivation
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Kwadwo (Kojo) Sarpong
Resident Physician - Neurosurgery
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Emory University
Georgetown University School of Medicine, M.D.
Biology & Related Sciences
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Medical
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Hard work and dedication are crucial for success in the demanding field of neurosurgery, requiring extensive training and commitment.
2. Neurosurgeons must possess strong academic and clinical motivation, constantly learning and adapting to advancements in the field.
3. Excellent communication skills are essential for effective collaboration with teams, patients, and their families.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
I would say, obviously, you have to be hardworking. The majority of people who go to medical school and decide to pursue neurosurgery must be hardworking to pursue it in the first place.
You also have to be academically motivated. Neurosurgery is a top field with one of the longest training periods, around seven years. To do this, you need personal and academic motivation.
You need to understand what it takes to be a neurosurgeon. There are still many unknowns about the brain, so you have to be motivated to conduct research in the field.
Clinically motivated is also essential. Most patients who see neurosurgeons are in the terminal stages of their illness. If someone needs brain surgery, it's serious, meaning they've tried multiple avenues or experienced trauma.
This clinical motivation to offer expertise and services is rewarding but challenging due to the hours and years required to perfect your skills. You need to be safe, compassionate, and skilled.
Hard work is key, but you must also be academically, clinically, and personally motivated. You have to be a very good communicator. You're dealing with teams, patients, and their families, so communicating effectively and efficiently is critical.
Those are the critical things I can think of. Hard work is key because in neurosurgery, you're always working. You have to accept that this is part of the territory.
Advizer Personal Links
Instagram: @i_am_nanakojo
LinkedIn: Kwadwo Sarpong