A Veterinary Neurologist is an individual that diagnosis and treats conditions that deal with the nervous system—from the brain to the spine to the nerves throughout the body. A Neurosurgeon has the skill and expertise to perform surgery of the nervous system, namely the spine and brain.
After graduating veterinary school, a Neurologist is required to complete a year long internship and then a 2-3 year residency in neurology. Many of the neurology residencies administered by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (http://www.acvim.org/) and the European College of Veterinary Neurology (http://www.khd.ugent.be/neurology/esvn/ecvn.htm) also incorporate advanced training in surgery to create surgeons that specifically deal with the nervous system.
Board Certification is granted through the administering organization after the veterinarian has completed a residency and passes a rigorous multi-day examination. Like other veterinary Specialists, Board Certified Neurologists are referred to as a “Diplomates” in their respective organization. In 2008, there are approximately 175 ACVIM Neurology Diplomates and 100 ECVN Diplomates worldwide.
Dr. Bowens has completed a residency and will soon be sitting for board certification.