What is a Neurologist?

Many people are not aware of all that a neurologist can offer and how we differ from other medical specialists. This page provides an explanation of my background and what my practice can offer you and your family.

A neurologist is an MD who, in addition to medical school and post-graduate training in general medicine (an internship), has completed three additional years of training (residency) in diagnosis and treatment in disorders of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. We do not perform surgery. Many neurologists choose to pursue additional training beyond this minimum; in my case I spent an additional year as a Chief Resident honing my clinical skills, supervising and teaching the younger residents, and performing research on the effects of viral disorders of the brain. Following my training I sought the national recognition of my peers, and after passing a rigorous written and oral examination, was certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (in neurology).

Over the last 25-plus years of practicing neurology, I have not only gained the invaluable experience of treating and helping over 10,000 patients, but I have also continued my lifelong learning process by completing over 50 hours per year of continuing medical education and attending national meetings of the American Academy of Neurology, the largest organization of neurologists in the country, where the latest information is shared. My attendance at these meetings and other seminars keep me abreast of the latest knowledge and techniques in the field.

The disorders I treat in my practice run the gamut from those affecting the peripheral neuromuscular system (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome, numbness of the feet, sciatica, myasthenia gravis) to those affecting the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease. They range from the relatively benign and easily treatable (e.g. restless legs syndrome) to the severe and progressive (e.g. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). They range from simple fainting spells to lifelong seizure disorders (epilepsy). Special interests in my practice are memory disorders and dementia, as well as headaches. 

As a neurologist, I feel fortunate to be in a unique position among medical practitioners in this modern era. Neurology is almost the last specialty to still practice medicine the way it was taught 50 or 100 years ago, when the art of medicine consisted of establishing a personal relationship with the patient, obtaining a lengthy verbal history of the complaint, performing a painstaking physical examination, and then after putting all the pieces together, sitting down with the patient and family to discuss at length the diagnosis and the treatment options. I feel blessed that I am still at liberty to practice in this way, as opposed to many primary care doctors and other specialists whose time constraints have made this approach a wistful memory.