Jeremy Dick
Consultant Neurologist
Withington Hospital
Manchester
How did you train for neurology? Was it the usual path?
I attended medical school in Cambridge and London. I had three SHO posts and spent two years as a Registrar in General Medicine. I then went back into SHO training because I decided to train as a neurologist. I took a post at the National Hospital, Queen’s Square, London. I then spent four years doing laboratory research - most neurologists spend some time doing this. Then I became a Clinical Registrar, then a Senior Clinical Registrar and finally moved to this position in Manchester. I was longer time in training in normal because I did a lot of general medicine and also a good period in research.
What attracted you to neurology?
As an undergraduate, neurology was the most stimulating area of medical science for me. Making a specialty decision is difficult. Being a specialist is a stressful path to embark on and one;s heart needs to be fully engaged. I could have become a cardiologist, but it was less stimulating for me than neurology. I also had a charismatic teacher when I was at medical school who inspired me.
What area did you research?
The charismatic teacher who had inspired me had a research programme in Parkinson’s disease which I joined. I continued to do some research when I became a Senior Registrar and in my early days as a consultant, but it is generally difficult to continue research in the NHS. Indeed, at the end of training, one has to decide between becoming an academic or an NHS consultant and this is one of the more difficult decisions facing the research-oriented medical graduate. In Manchester, only one of the consultants has managed to keep a research interest going (Professor David Neary). It is inevitable that clinicians will do a lot of teaching of both undergraduates and postgraduates.
What are the personal qualities and abilities needed to be a neurologist?
Patience, stamina and the ability to empathise with patients who have chronic disabling diseases. In neurology, one needs to know quite a lot about the other medical areas as one is frequently called in to assess neurological problems in the context of other medical problems. As such, it was very useful to have spent so much time in general medicine. Interestingly, I have found that general practitioners and neurologists have much in common. They both act as diagnosticians and communicators. Those with academic achievements and a propensity to intellectual aspirations do well in neurology.
What is the job like in terms of on-call and flexible working?
Currently neurologists do not take part in the management of unselected acute medical take. This is different from the practice on the continent and in North America and may change over the coming decades. However, at present, the on-call commitment for a neurologist is relatively small. A career in neurology would be compatible with flexible working.