Professional Opportunities for Neuroimaging Neurologists

Academic Neurology

At academic departments, there is an increasing role for neurologists skilled in neuroimaging.

Some examples:

• Training other neurologists to read stroke images as soon as they are acquired and reading difficult cases using teleimaging
• Reading images from functional imaging studies performed for the study of epilepsy and other disorders
• In some academic departments, neurologists are reimbursed for reading MRI and CT studies of the brain and spinal cord
• Consulting on the imaging component of research projects
• Neurologists skilled in neuroimaging typically have another clinical subspecialty interest, which they practice, while providing imaging expertise to the department with an emphasis that differs from neuroradiology and complements it
  
  

Private Practice

Faced with the paucity of neuroradiologists in the community, private practice neurologists welcome neurologists skilled in neuroimaging.

Some examples:

• In a search of the AAN Neurology Career Center, in 2019, there were 43 jobs that required imaging compared to 30 for cognitive neurologists
• Many neurology private practice groups would like to have one or two neurologists skilled in neuroimaging to read the scans of the patients in the practice. This is often not possible yet because of the small number of neurologists certified in neuroimaging.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), through the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission, recognize the UCNS certification as proof of qualification to read neuroimaging studies, including CT and MRI, and to act as a director of an MRI imaging center.