• 4 years of pre-medical education at a college or university • 4 years of medical school resulting in a M.D or D.O degree. • 1 year internship in general surgery. • 5-7 years neurosurgery residency program. •some neurosurgeons complete a fellowship after residency to specialize in a particular area. •continuing education - annual meetings, conferences, scientific journals, research - to keep up with advances made in the complex field of neurosurgery