Study Neurology

What is Neurology? 

The brain is by far the weirdest, the most complex, yet the most fascinating organ of our bodies. The study of its functions and how it works has long captivated the attention of medical professionals and scientists throughout all ages. And it’s just one of the organs that comprise the nervous system. We also have spinal cords, nerves, and bundles of long fibers that transforms our chaotic bodies of hurling particles and matter into the perception of stability, order, and sense.

The study of the nervous system can be traced back to prehistoric times when the Inca tribes started to practice trepanning (burring holes in the skulls). From these ages to modern neurological studies, we have long pursued a greater understanding of the intricate machine and the complicated programming of our brains. In the recent years, our understanding of the nervous system has grown exponentially. The scientific and academic community has explored the anatomical, biological, and cognitive functions of our brains and all other parts of the nervous system. From observational science, they established a systematic way of studying the nervous system. Hence, neurology was born.

By definition, neurology is a field in medicine that deals with the disorders of the nervous system, including diagnosis and treatment. Why does this field matter? Well, first of all, the brain, which is the primary organ of the nervous system, lies at the center of our personal universe. In addition to generating sensory representations of reality, our nervous system allows us to be aware of ourselves and our surroundings. It enables us to explore, interact, think, and wake up every single day. It even holds the key to our deepest desires, irrational fears, worst nightmares, and grandest dreams. The nervous system makes us live.

As you might imagine, when a neurological disease interferes with the normal operation of the nervous system, the impact can be devastating. That’s when neurologists come in. As experts and trained individuals in neurology, they confront problems and look for interventions.

Neurology might not have all the answers to every disorder or malady, but those who work in this field contribute to nearly all of the areas in medicine like anatomy, physiology, psychiatry, pathology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and pharmacology, to name a few.

Every single day, neurology serves as a body of knowledge which takes us closer to overcoming diseases and life challenges.

Careers in Neurology 

From a bachelor’s degree to a doctorate degree or subspecialty, there are many career options available for those with an educational background in neurology that are worth exploring.

In general, most of the neurology graduates are employed by hospitals, trauma centers, research institutes, healthcare offices, colleges or universities, and pharmaceutical/chemical companies (to research and create new drugs, medical procedures, and instruments). There are also special positions available in government agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Jobs related to neurology include (but are not limited to) neurologist, neurosurgeons, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurolinguistics, biomedical engineers, agency/company directors, researchers, and neurology professors to name a few.

Learning Neurology 

One does not simply study neurology without getting a headache. With so much information in such a broad subject, neurology can be a trigger for migraine of all migraines. Some may try to contend, but the nervous system is indeed a subject that deserves a lifetime of study.

However, there is no reason that studying must be.

When reviewing for neurology exams, medical students, and professors, as well as nursing school graduates, recommend creating a solid foundation of the nervous system’s anatomy (neuroanatomy). They say that knowing the different parts of the nervous system, it’s pathways, and their respective functions will make the learning of neurological diseases and disorders easily.

Experts also advise that reading clinical vignettes and watching neurology videos might help. Seeing or reading related cases to neurology can make it easier to remember the disease process (or the pathophysiology), the diagnostic procedures, interventions, and treatment options.

And since neurology courses require a ton of rote memorization, the use of online tools such as free online quizzes for neurology or smart flashcards are highly advantageous. These study tools are effective memory-aids that can help in retaining information into our long-term memory.

All neurology courses will vary slightly, but in general, your goal is to be able to learn few concepts and topics at a time. Brainscape is a near perfect additional tool for this purpose!

Neurology in Brainscape

In Brainscape's web and mobile study platform, you'll find thousands of classes, decks, and cards for neurology - beginning with the top classes below.

Here, we have a Brainscape-Certified class, curated by top experts at our partner organizations, helping students to pass USMLE Step 1. This class targets to improve understanding and ability to apply vital concepts of neurology basics to the practice of medicine. It contains flashcards on the different principles and mechanisms of health, diseases, and methods of therapy.

We also have several classes authored by students in a variety of programs, summarizing and categorizing all the necessary concepts you need to know about neurology, including general principles and all the required information about neurological disorders.

To top it all, Brainscape allows users (yes, you) to create a personalized set of flashcards! The authoring process will be yet another way to deepen your knowledge of neurology and other subjects.

Learn Faster in Brainscape

Brainscape is a web & mobile education platform that can help you learn anything faster, using cognitive science. It is an application born out of all the research and studies we had so far in neurology.

The app’s configuration for re-assessment is grounded not on a random procedure nor on user's history of correctness, but on user's own judgment of confidence in answering each flashcard – a process that Brainscape calls Confidence-Based Repetition (CBR). This process allocates appropriate study time for each piece of information to help you learn more efficiently than ever before.

Aside from CBR, Brainscape also makes use of other key cognitive science techniques: Metacognition and Active Recall.

Metacognition forces you (in a good way) to reflect upon how well you understand the concept. The system will ask you to rate (on a 1-5 scale) “How well did you know this?” upon displaying each answer. Researchers claim that this technique helps deepen a memory trace.

The process of Active Recall, on the other hand, helps to "actively" retrieve the correct answer in mind, in contrast to simply "selecting" the correct answer amongst a set of multiple choice options. This retrieval effort boosts the connections between neurons, and practices you to be able to remember things longer, even outside of class, in the real world.

Everything that the previous neurological students (now experts!) have learned in medical school has indirectly or directly been applied for this purpose – optimization of our brain’s potential to learn.

Join millions of students, test-takers, language learners, teachers, and corporate trainees on this fantastic platform – Brainscape!

How to Get Started 

Whether you plan to make your own study flashcards or not, the best possible way to enjoy the benefits of Brainscape is to try browsing some of the neurology classes identified below. You may dig deeper into any of the classes prioritized for neurology to see how they are structured into decks.  You may also preview the decks in each class to determine if they may be able to assist you for what you are looking to learn. Once you have selected one or more classes that may fit your needs, jump in, and start browsing this knowledge genome!