How to become a neurosurgeon
Discover how to become a neurosurgeon with a degree from one of Australia’s leading Medicine & Health faculties.
If you’re fascinated by how the brain and nervous system operate, you might want to think about becoming a neurosurgeon.
Neurosurgery is a demanding yet highly rewarding medical career. Gaining experience and establishing yourself in the field takes years, sometimes decades. But once you’re qualified, you’ll be working at the forefront of medical advances and technology and get immense satisfaction from making a positive difference to people’s lives.
This guide provides an overview of what neurosurgeons do, clarifies the steps involved in this career path, and how long it takes to become a neurosurgeon.
What do neurosurgeons do?
Neurosurgeons diagnose and surgically treat conditions relating to the nervous system. The nervous system comprises the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (nerves and neuromuscular junctions outside the brain and spinal cord).
What a neurosurgeon does on a typical day might involve treating people with head and spinal trauma, brain tumours, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. You will often be called into a hospital’s emergency ward, as many cases arise from accidents (prepare to be on call often).
A lot of your time will be spent in a hospital, planning and performing surgeries, explaining procedures to patients and families who are most likely incredibly worried. You will also collaborate closely with other specialists to make fast decisions. You’ll probably also have your own consulting rooms, where you will see patients with less urgent but just as complex symptoms and you could also be mentoring a trainee.
Neurosurgeon vs neurologist: What’s the difference?
The difference between a neurosurgeon and a neurologist is in the name. Neurosurgeons are qualified to perform surgery, while neurologists diagnose and manage neurological conditions using non-surgical treatments. The two specialities often work together and neurosurgeons can also provide non-surgical therapies.
For example, you might initially see a neurologist if you're experiencing memory loss, coordination issues, or seizures. If the symptoms suggest a condition like Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson's, or Multiple Sclerosis, and surgery isn't an option, you’ll continue seeing the neurologist. However, if scans reveal a brain tumour or vascular problems in the brain or spine – conditions that require surgery – you’ll be referred to a neurosurgeon.
What skills do you need to be a neurosurgeon?
It takes years of training and experience to develop the skills to be a neurosurgeon. But there are a few personal and technical qualities that indicate this demanding career might be for you and that will help you as you progress your neurosurgery skills.
| Soft skills | Technical skills |
| Emotional resilience: You will be treating people with serious injuries or diseases. | Manual dexterity and precision: For complex surgeries on the brain and spinal cord. |
| Determination: It takes years to become a neurosurgeon. | Analytical skills: Identify problems and solutions. |
| Communication skills and empathy: To explain treatment options and support patients and their families in times of stress. | Physical stamina: Surgeries can be 10 hours or more, and your skills will be in high demand. |
| Effective time management: You need to be able to prioritise and be efficient. | Methodical approach: Some diagnoses will require detective-like skills, and surgeries require intense concentration. |
| A love of learning: You’ll need to stay on top of the latest advances and technologies in the field throughout your career. | Diagnostic expertise: To interpret a wide range of tools such as MRIs, CT Scans and EEGs. |
Steps to become a neurosurgeon in Australia
The road to gaining a neurosurgery qualification is a long and competitive one. UNSW will provide the structured training and support systems to guide you through the first stage.
Studying sciences, especially biology and chemistry, at school is a good start, but everyone interested in neurology begins with the same foundation: a medical degree.
Here are all the steps you’ll need to take to become a specialist neurosurgeon in Australia.
- Undergraduate
- Postgraduate
Undergraduate pathway
- Enrol in an accredited medical degree at UNSW
Enrol in a Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine (BMed/MD) at UNSW School of Medicine & Health, which provides the foundation required for all surgical specialties. - Complete your medical training
Spend six years building core medical knowledge, gaining early clinical exposure and exploring surgical interests through electives, research or shadowing opportunities. - Undertake a hospital internship
After graduation, complete your one-year internship where you rotate through different departments. Students interested in neurosurgery often seek neurology or neurosurgical exposure if available. - Continue into residency
Spend one to two years deepening your clinical skills. Aspiring neurosurgeons usually look for rotations in neurosurgery, emergency medicine, general surgery, critical care or trauma.
Specialisation
- Apply for Neurosurgery SET Training (RACS)
Submit your application for the Surgical Education and Training (SET) program in neurosurgery, managed by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. - Begin specialty training
Once you’ve been accepted, you’ll need to complete several years of supervised neurosurgical training across approved hospitals, gradually increasing autonomy in the operating theatre and clinical settings. - Sit RACS Fellowship examinations
Pass the required written and clinical exams that assess your readiness to practise independently. - Become a Fellow (FRACS) in Neurosurgery
After finishing your training and exams, qualify as a neurosurgeon and practise independently in Australia.
Postgraduate pathway
- Complete an undergraduate degree in another field
Students may come from science, health or completely unrelated backgrounds. - Apply for entry into the UNSW Doctor of Medicine (MD)
This pathway requires strong academic performance, relevant experience and meeting admissions requirements such as the GAMSAT and interview process. - Complete the MD program
Work through preclinical and clinical training. Seek surgical electives, research or mentoring to confirm your interest in neurosurgery. - Complete your internship
Rotate across hospital departments and try to secure exposure to neurosurgery, neurology, emergency medicine or general surgery if available. - Enter residency and build your surgical experience
Use one to two years of residency to prepare for SET applications by gaining surgical skills, strong clinical reports, research output and professional references. - Apply to the Neurosurgery SET Program (RACS)
Submit your documents, work experience, CV and referees for selection into the competitive SET pathway. - Complete neurosurgery specialty training
Train for several years across accredited neurosurgery units, developing competence in cranial, spinal and emergency neurosurgical procedures. - Achieve Fellowship (FRACS)
Finish your examinations and training to become a fully qualified neurosurgeon
What does the neurosurgery career path look like?
During the years you’ll spend doing your clinical rotations and training, you’ll be exposed to a lot of different people, symptoms, situations, research and mentoring, and you may wish to specialise in a particular area of neurosurgery.
Places where you would practice these specialities include hospitals (public and private), trauma centres, specialised neurological units and multidisciplinary clinics.
Once you have become a recognised specialist in your chosen field, you then have the option to move into research, leadership, global health or continue with your highly specialised practice. Neurosurgery is a career that offers many varied and evolving pathways.
Neurosurgery sub-specialties
| Sub-specialty | What they do |
| Paediatric neurosurgery | Focuses on congenital abnormalities and other conditions in children related to the brain, spine or nervous system. |
| Spine surgery | Deals with a wide range of conditions affecting the spine, including degenerative diseases, narrowing of the spinal cord, and tumours. |
| Neuro-oncology | Specialises in the surgical treatment of brain and spinal cord tumours, both malignant and benign. |
| Cerebrovascular neurosurgery | Focuses on disorders of the brain's blood vessels, such as aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (where the blood vessels get tangled). |
| Trauma neurosurgery | Specialises in injuries to the brain and spinal cord, often involving urgent care and procedures like decompressive craniectomy, which is when part of the skull is removed to relieve pressure on the brain. |
| Functional neurosurgery | Treats neurological conditions like epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and other movement disorders through techniques such as deep brain stimulation. |
| Peripheral nerve surgery | Treats conditions affecting the nerves that branch out from your brain and spinal cord and may include nerve repair and management of pain symptoms. |
FAQs about becoming a neurosurgeon
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It takes at least 10 years, usually longer, to become a fully qualified neurosurgeon, including medical school, internships, specialist training, and gaining your final qualification.
- Medical School: Four to six years, depending on whether it's an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.
- Internship: One year to gain general registration as a doctor.
- Specialist Neurosurgical Training: A minimum of five years, but can be up to nine years, of training through the SET program. This includes:
- Basic Neurosurgical Training (up to two years)
- Intermediate Neurosurgical Training (up to four years)
- Advanced Neurosurgical Training (up to three years)
- Final qualification: Upon successful completion, doctors are awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in Neurosurgery.
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Yes – international students can study medicine in Australia, and UNSW provides support and guidance for potential students, such as advice about visa requirements and registration pathways. It’s important you allow enough time to meet government requirements before starting your studies.
To be accepted into specialty training programs such as neurosurgery, you must have permanent residency or citizenship of Australia and New Zealand at the time of registration and hold general (unconditional) medical registration in Australia.
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A neurosurgeon’s salary in Australia depends on many variables, including the stage of your career, whether you are in public or private practice, and which state you’re working in. Becoming an expert in a subspecialty will boost your salary.
Neurosurgery registrars earn between $100,000 to $170,000 as a base annual salary, with overtime and on-call allowances on top of this. Once you are qualified, you can expect to earn between $250,000 to $400,000, and over $500,000 after ten years of experience. Highly specialised, experienced neurosurgeons can earn more than $1 million as an annual salary.
Should you become a neurosurgeon?
Neurosurgery is a challenging and competitive field, so you must be passionate about neurosurgery to pursue this career. There are less than 300 neurosurgeons in Australia, reflecting how challenging it is to become fully qualified.
Here are a few pros and cons to consider before specialising in neurosurgery:
| Pros | Cons |
| Emotional rewards: You will have a deep impact on your patients and have the ability to transform their lives. | Long training period: It will take about 15 years to become fully qualified. |
| Intellectual challenges: Each case will require detailed examination of the symptoms to form a diagnosis and then application of all your skills and experience to not only come up with a solution but also perform the surgery if needed. | Emotional load: The nature of the field means that every day you will see people who have either been through severe trauma or have life-threatening issues. |
| Patient relationships: You will develop very close and trusting relationships with your patients and their families, possibly much more than you would as a GP. | Risk: This is a highly skilled and precise specialisation, and if things go wrong, they can cost lives. |
How UNSW will prepare you for your future in neurosurgery
UNSW Medicine & Health is one of Australia’s leading medical faculties and is ranked one of the top 50 in the world.
Our strong industry links give you the opportunity to learn within Australia’s best hospitals and private practices. You will gain valuable exposure to one of the world’s best healthcare systems and work and study as part of interdisciplinary teams on hospital wards.
Sydney Brain Centre at UNSW is a research institute that covers the basic neurosciences, psychiatry, psychology, drugs and alcohol, neurology, neurosurgery, biomedical engineering and mathematics.
UNSW is also affiliated with several independent research institutes, including Neuroscience Research Australia, Black Dog Institute and the Garvan Institute for Medical Research.
Start your journey to becoming a neurosurgeon
The road to becoming a neurosurgeon may be a long one, but starting strong will make all the difference. UNSW’s Bachelor of Medical Studies / Doctor of Medicine will equip you with the research skills and clinical experience you need to navigate the complex and ever-changing medical industry.
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