By: Doyeun Park
There are innumerable medical fields which one may pursue. It is no secret that being a doctor is difficult; within this profession, neurosurgery is amongst the most challenging specialties. Neurosurgery is a medical specialty in which a practitioner forms a diagnosis and treats patients with injuries or diseases in their brain, spinal column, spinal cord, or central/peripheral nervous system. Neurosurgeons often deal with congenital anomalies, trauma, tumors, vascular disorders, infections in the brain or spine, strokes, or disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Neurosurgery is reputed for requiring a relatively long residency and extensive studying. First, before attending medical school, one would endure 4 years of college. Then, after graduating college, one should go through 4 years of medical school to obtain either an M.D. or D.O. degree, a one-year internship in general surgery, a neurosurgery residency program spanning from 5 to 7 years, and finally, fellowships. Upon completion of all required education, neurosurgeons still have to consistently teach themselves new knowledge by attending conferences, reading scientific journals, conversing with doctors in their same field of study, etc. Today I interviewed Dr. Souheil F. Haddad, who is an experienced neurosurgeon, to share his knowledge of being a neurosurgeon.
Q: Hi! Thank you so much for doing this! Can you start by introducing yourself, please?
A: My name is Souheil F. Haddad. I am a neurosurgeon, practicing in Bloomington, Indiana. I am originally from Beirut, Lebanon. My dad was a neurosurgeon, the first one in the Middle East. I obtained my MD from the American University of Beirut, then spent 6 years in Iowa City at the University of Iowa for my neurosurgery residency. I moved to Bloomington in 1992 and have been here since. I have one partner, Dr. Poor, and we practice general neurosurgery together.
Q: Why did you choose to become a neurosurgeon? Have you considered other fields?
A: My main reason to choose neurosurgery was that my dad was a neurosurgeon . I used to help him out in the office, and the operating room since I was a kid. During the Lebanese civil war, when my dad did not always have an assistant, I assisted him in different cases and helped him take a bullet out of a man's back, and I was 12 years old at that time. Because of my early introduction to neurosurgery and because of how proud I was of my dad, neurosurgery was “predetermined” for me.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a neurosurgeon?
A: Meeting new people and trying to help them in their challenging times. Since neurosurgery has evolved over the last 3 to 4 decades, we are now able to help more and more people survive bad head injuries, brain hemorrhages, brain tumors, spinal conditions, etc., giving them a better outcome.
Q: What challenges have you faced?
A: Unfortunately, the biggest challenge we now face is the interference of insurance companies and bureaucrats when it comes to authorizing medical procedures, and the other big challenge is the outlook of patients towards their own safety and good health. For example, people refusing to wear seat belts in cars, helmets on motorcycles or bicycles, and patients who also refuse to take care of their blood pressures, refusing medications to control the blood pressure which can lead to bleeds in the brains. Also, patients who become very overweight and do not try to control their weight, etc.
Q: Could you tell us one of your interesting cases?
A: The most interesting case I can remember is a 3-year-old boy who fell in a grocery store off the cart and hit his head on the cement floor. By 2 am his mom could not wake him up. By 2:30 am he was in the ER, and a CT scan showed a large blood clot on the brain leading to unconsciousness. By the time I saw him at 2:40 am, he was very close to dying! We took him to the operating room and took the blood clot out before the anesthesiologist had time to even arrive at the hospital. The next day, the boy went back home, neurologically normal. If we had waited another 15 minutes he would have either died or he would have been totally neurologically devastated.
Q: What advice would you give to those students who want to become a neurosurgeon?
A: Only do it if you are willing to consecrate your life and your time to your patients. You will have some successes and unfortunately disasters also, patients will die or will end up in the vegetative state, or paralyzed. Unless you think you can deal with both success and failure, joy and disappointment and sadness, don't do it! Often, very often, your patients will come before your spouse and your kids, you should be willing to accept that.
So, what can you do now to prepare yourself to become a successful neurosurgeon? During high school, it is recommended to take all available math and science classes such as algebra, pre-calculus, Calculus AB/BC, biology, chemistry, physics, and anatomy. During college, one should take chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, English, and advanced math courses. Like in high school, maintaining a good GPA in college is crucial. Moreover, it’s required that one takes a Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT); many undergraduates take it during their junior year. MCAT tests science knowledge and the ability to critically solve problems.
Although neurosurgery requires extensive and difficult studies, it is considered to be one of the most self-satisfying jobs, and surgeons, including Dr. Haddad, are happy they took this path. From this interview, I hope you learned more about what it takes to be a neurosurgeon and gained a greater understanding and knowledge of neurosurgery.
Resources:
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/highland/departments-centers/neurosurgery/what-is-a-neurosurgeon.aspx