Most neurosurgeons practicing today began their careers without the benefit of formal instruction in business administration or management principles. The sea change in medicine of the past 20 years toward a market-driven model simultaneously encumbered by increased federal regulation and oversight has resulted in a need for neurosurgeons to become savvy CEOs as well as consummate clinicians.
In this issue, James R. Bean, MD, offers a neurosurgeon’s view of the business aspects of neurosurgery. AANS Neurosurgeon also taps into the experiences of neurosurgeons “at the top” in private and academic practice who have ridden the wave of change and achieved significant success. Thorough knowledge of business management principles and practices, understanding the value of one’s time, and cultivating positive relationships with people around them are among their secrets.