1081. A Day in the Life: What's It Really Like to Be a Neurosurgeon?

“You really delay a lot of life for this profession. Neurosurgery in particular is always calling you back, and you’re always thinking about these high risk patients and how to do better and what you can innovate to make things better for them. But you do pay for it. I can’t emphasize that enough because it does come at a cost, but I can’t imagine doing anything different. Neurosurgery is a very atypical medical career with one of the smallest number of doctors nationally, but my older brother’s example as a neurosurgeon inspired me to pursue the path I chose. I am forever grateful to him because the work that I do every day is gratifying on so many levels.”

Stephen Kalhorn is a husband, father of three, inventor and a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. He deals with adult patients with conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord and vertebral column including brain and spinal tumors, degenerative conditions and traumatic injuries. He has a particular interest in minimally invasive, complex and adult spinal deformity surgery.