Neurosurgery remains consistently amongst the most competitive medical specialties in which to obtain entry. Unlike most other surgical specialties, it currently has its own independent training pathway which takes around eight years (ST1-8) before being able to sit for consultant exams with sufficient amounts of experience and practice behind them. Junior doctors then apply to enter the neurosurgical pathway. The newly qualified physician must then complete foundation training lasting two years this is a paid training program in a hospital or clinical setting covering a range of medical specialties including surgery. MBBS qualification ( Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) takes four to six years depending on the student's route. In the United Kingdom, students must gain entry into medical school. In the U.S., neurosurgery "is a small specialty, constituting only 0.5 percent of all physicians." United Kingdom Fellowships typically span one to two years.
These fellowships include pediatric neurosurgery, trauma/neurocritical care, functional and stereotactic surgery, surgical neuro- oncology, radiosurgery, neurovascular surgery, skull-base surgery, peripheral nerve and complex spinal surgery. Neurosurgeons may pursue additional training in the form of a fellowship after residency, or, in some cases, as a senior resident in the form of an enfolded fellowship. Most, but not all, residency programs have some component of basic science or clinical research.
In the United States, a neurosurgeon must generally complete four years of undergraduate education, four years of medical school, and seven years of residency (PGY-1-7).
In most countries, neurosurgeon training requires a minimum period of seven years after graduating from medical school. In different countries, there are different requirements for an individual to legally practice neurosurgery, and there are varying methods through which they must be educated.