What is a Neurologist?

A Neurologist is a physician trained in the diagnosis and management of disorders of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. The range of neurological conditions is extremely broad and accounts for almost a third of all medical emergencies. Because of the wide nature of the specialty, neurologists can overlap with several other specialists, e.g. in the management of chronic pain, spinal disorders, memory disorders and dementia and in the management of Parkinson’s disease.

Neurologists are therefore well placed to provide a second opinion on a whole variety of conditions and also complement the management of others to provide multi-disciplinary input. Neurological training is understandably rigorous and the UK remains fortunate in producing highly regarded neurologists.

As neuroscience is a rapidly changing and constantly evolving discipline, many UK neurologists spend time in research training to allow them to bring research developments to the forefront of clinical management. Your neurologist is therefore very likely to have a research degree as well as a medical degree.