Neurosurgery Facts, Figures, and Links

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Match Statistics

2006 Match
registered 342
cas participants 310
rank lists + W/D 255
ranked 223
matched 170
..US seniors 151
..US grads 6
..IMG 13
Unmatched 67
Positions offered 171
filled 170
left 1
avg step 1 matched 236
unmatched 215
% matched AOA 22%
avg apps 38
avg offers 4.2
% matched 66%
% US Seniors matched 83%
% US Grads matched 33%
% IMGs matched 33%


Past Years
Year / Avg. Step 1 / U.S. Seniors Matched
2006 / 234 / 88%
2005 / 235 / 85%
2004 / 235 / 79%
2003 / 234 / 85%
2002 / 230 / 85%
2001 / 227 / 93%
2000 / 232 / 79%
1999 / 226 / 85%
1998 / 226 / 71%

Resident Statistics (2004)
Total programs:95
Total neurosurgery residents in training: 828 (0.1% of all residents in the U.S.)
100 are women (12%)
748 are U.S. allopathic graduates (90.3%)
70 are IMGs (8.5%)
9 are Candian graduates (1.1%)
1 is a D.O. (0.1%)
Source: JAMA, September 7, 2005—Vol 294, No. 9

What is Neurological Surgery?

Neurological surgery or “Neurosurgery” is the surgical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with injury to, and diseases of, the brain, spine, or peripheral nerves. As more than just “brain surgeons”, neurosurgeons may provide either surgical or non-surgical care for a variety of disorders including:

Head and spine trauma
Cerebrovascular disorders, such as aneurysms and clogged arteries
Chronic back pain
Birth defects and pediatric disorders
Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, tremor, multiple sclerosis and spasticity
Brain and spine tumors
What Kinds of Illnesses do Neurological Surgeons Treat?
Neurosurgeons are more than just brain surgeons. These medical specialists are trained to help patients with head and spine trauma; cerebrovascular disorders, such as aneurysms of the brain and clogged arteries in the neck that can lead to stroke; chronic low back pain; birth defects; brain and spinal tumors; and abnormalities of the peripheral (face, arms, legs, hands and feet) nerves.

Disorders of the brain, spine and nerves commonly treated by neurosurgeons include:

Carotid Artery Disease
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Cervical Spine Disorders
Chronic Pain
Craniosynostosis
Epilepsy
Head Injury
Herniated Disk
Hydrocephalus
Intracranial Aneurysm
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Meningomyelocele
Parkinson's Disease
Spina Bifida
Spinal Cord Injury
Stroke (Brain Attack)
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Tumors

How Are Neurosurgeons Trained?
After four years of medical school and an internship program, the doctor enters a neurosurgical residency program of five to seven years.

While in the program, neurosurgical residents are trained in all aspects of neurosurgery, including cerebrovascular, pediatrics, spine, trauma and tumor. The resident program is long and difficult, due to the extreme complexity of the nervous system and the advanced techniques used in neurosurgical operations. Some neurosurgeons opt to do an additional fellowship in a particular area of study following their residency.

Following residency training and several years in practice, the neurological surgeon may take the American Board of Neurological Surgery examination -- a thorough assessment of the neurosurgeon's skill, judgement and depth of knowledge. The successful completion of this examination will result in board certification.

While the neurological surgeon has a comprehensive knowledge after medical school and residency training, there are continual changes in this specialty that require ongoing study throughout the neurological surgeon's professional career. Monthly scientific journals, annual meetings, specialized symposia and other educational opportunities help the neurosurgeon keep pace with rapid changes and developments in neurosurgery.

What is the Role of the Neurosurgeon?
Neurosurgeons provide the operative and non-operative management (i.e.: prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, critical care and rehabilitation) of neurological disorders. Because neurosurgeons have extensive training in the diagnosis of all neurological diseases, they are often called upon by emergency room doctors, neurologists, internists, family practitioners, and osteopaths for consultations.

What's New in Neurosurgery?
Neurosurgeons have been leaders in the incorporation of new technologies into the diagnosis, evaluation, and surgical and non-surgical treatment of patients. Although neurosurgery is by nature a surgical field, many patients suffering from neurological illnesses are undergoing non-surgical or minimally invasive treatments. To that end, the explosion of less invasive surgical equipment and techniques, such as microscopes, lasers and focused radiation, as well as cutting-edge medical tools such as stents, shunts and radiosurgery, are changing the way some neurological disorders are treated. These medical advancements have positioned neurosurgeons on the cutting-edge of technology, enhancing the neurosurgeon’s ability to care for patients and making surgery easier on the patient.

Source: Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Originally Posted by mpp

Average Matched USMLE Step I: 235
Average Unmatched USMLE Step I: 213

I initially looked over this stat, but it strikes me as a fairly substantial difference. One would assume that most of the candidates who submit a rank list would be of sufficient caliber to match, and many of us will agree that a Step 1 of 215 is definitely not very competitive. I would have expected the distinction to be 235-230 or something very similar. Im sure that candidates with 240+ often dont match and candidates with scores below 210 do match, which makes the 18 point difference that much more substantial. Anyone care to comment on this?

There are a few things to consider...

The unmatched average Step 1 may include those that registered but did not submit rank lists (i.e., they did not receive interviews) and there is some cutoff (perhaps 217...the national average) for which all programs require a higher score. I doubt that candidates with scores of 240+ don't match very often and only very, very rarely do candidates with scores below 210 match. The other thing to consider is the early match phenomenon....people are just trying for a long-shot in applying to neurosurgery with their 205 Step 1, assured that they can match in something else during the coming regular match (again it isn't reported whether or not this average includes those that did not interview...I am thinking it just might).

True, it just struck me as odd.

Based on conversations with my neurosurgery mentor - who's also the PD at our program and selects the residents - your USMLE 1 score is very important. He is constantly stressing to us to have good scores when we apply, he really hasn't stressed anything else.

I think it would be good advice for anyone serious in NS to strive to be at 240 or above.

Useful Links:

Societies
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
.....AANS Neurosurgery Cyber Museum
.....AANS Medical Student Resource
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
.....CNS Medical Student Curriculum
.....CNS Case of the Month
.....CNS Video Library
Society of Neurological Surgeons
American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons
North American Spine Society
North American Skull Base Society
Women in Neurosurgery

Journals
Neurosurgery Journal (The Red Journal)
Annals of Neurosurgery
Neurosurgical Focus via MedScape
Journal of Neurosurgery

Neuroanatomy and Neuroradiology Websites
USUHS Neuroradiology Cases
Skull Base Anatomy Flash Movie
WUSTL Neuroscience Tutorial
Web Path Neuroanatomy Tutorial
The Brain Tutorial
University of Wisconsin Neuroradiology Tutor

Other Sites
San Francisco Matching Program
NSMatch Public Forums
Ken Liu's Brainfart - Neurosurgery Resident Blog
Uncle Harvey - Neurosurgery forums, news, and case presentations
Information on Osteopathic Neurosurgery Programs
Neurosurgical Photos

Originally Posted by medstudent123

Thanks for the great links!

US seniors 134
US grads 4
IMG 15

Are those IMGs 'American citizens' or 'non-American citizens' (or both)? Is there any information on the success of non-American citizen IMGs?

Don't know....

> Are those IMGs 'American citizens' or 'non-American citizens'
> (or both)? Is there any information on the success of non-American
> citizen IMGs?

In the NRMP vocabulary, IMG's are all folks who didn't graduate from an LCME school. This is not specified by citizenship. They however put out reports with global statistics for citizenIMG, non-citizenIMG and USGs later on.

The SFmatch guys are a bit more secretive about their statistics.

MPP: thanks for all the useful links and resourceful information. glad to see neurosurg attracting enough attention to receive a subforum on SDN. Cheers.

hi...

i'm from india and am in the 3rd year of medical school (we have a total of 4.5 yrs of med school + 1 yr of internship b4 we graduate) ...and i'm planning to apply for residency in neurosurgery in the US in lets say..fall 2009 ! i'd like to begin plannin things from now...and i've heard that its next to impossible for IMGs to get into neurosurgery....
here r some of my queries...
1.what all could i possibly do to strengthen my chances?
2. does being the top of ur class help in any way or is it just a waste of effort?
3. does research in neurology(not neurosurgery) help?
4. what about doing research in general surgery?
5. do any of the med schools in US provide opportunities for international students to gain some US clinical experience during their 3 or 4th year in neurosurgery or surgery? if yes, which of them do?

what r the realistic chances of makin it to neurosurg for an IMG with a step1 score of say 250-260 and some research (outside US) in surgery...??

plz advice me!

thanx...

The NSMatch Neurosurgery Board over at www.nsmatch.com gets a bit more traffic than this site-- I would ask your question over there.

ok guys... bio-enhancements.

i know there have been some recently, and im sure much more latter on. do you guys (as ns) see this or is it some other specialized area?

essentially allowing the brain to control and function with communication to computers, etc.

ideas?

thanks.

What is an AOA?

Originally Posted by HarveyCushing

What is an AOA?

depends on your reference. could be an honor society or could be the osteopathic society. since you asked this question i would assume you are in neither and likely not in medical school?

if you are referring to the first post, it is to the osteopathic definition (AOA), which is a separate but legally equal to the AMA medical organization in the usa.

Originally Posted by espbeliever

depends on your reference. could be an honor society or could be the osteopathic society. since you asked this question i would assume you are in neither and likely not in medical school?

if you are referring to the first post, it is to the osteopathic definition (AOA), which is a separate but legally equal to the AMA medical organization in the usa.

Thanks for the info

What are the basic skills required for becoming a neurosurgeon?

No specific set of skills needed except wanting to work long, hard hours.

MPP, where did you get those stats that you posted about neurosurg? I was looking at the NRMP stats on the scutwork website and their table was saying that there was only 19 spots last year to match into neurosugery, where your stats that you listed say that there was 156 spots offered, and 154 filled. Here is the link to the table I am speaking of: http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/tables/table1_05.pdf
Also, what is the difference between registered and ranked? I apologize about my lack of knowledge on this topic.....Thanx for your help.

In neurosurgery, most positions are not in the regular match. They are in the 'San Francisco match', just like optho, neurology and plastic surgery. It is a couple of months before the NRMP.

www.sfmatch.org

Hi Out There,
I Am A Medical Student In Nigeria Whose Main Interest For A Specialization Lies With A Neurosurgical Residency In The U.s. But Truth To Be Told, I Am Pretty Confused About How To Go About It, Considering The Lack Of Such A Program In My Native Nigeria And The Fact That Universities In The U.s. Who Offer This Speciality Have Not Adequately Educated The Rest Of The World On Their Requirements For Accepting International Students For This Residency, I Would Like To Seek Your Assistance On The Matter. Could You Orientate Me On The Necessary Steps To Be Taken By A Nigerian Interested In A Residency In This Field?

Does anyone know which NS programs admit one resident per year?

Originally Posted by emate

Does anyone know which NS programs admit one resident per year?

I believe UCSF. Check their residency program online.

Size of Neurosurgery Programs 2005-06 Match

U Alabama Birmingham - 2
Barrow NI - 4
U Arizona - 1
U Arkansas - 1
UC Davis - 1
Loma Linda - 1
UCLA - 3
USC - 2
Cedars Sinai LA - 1
UC San Diego - 1
UC San Francisco - 3
Stanford - 2
U Colorado - 1
Yale - 2
George Washington - 1
Georgetown - 1
U Florida - 2
U Miami - 2
U South Florida - 2
Emory - 2
Medical College of Georgia - 1
Northwestern - 2
Rush - 2
U Chicago - 2
U Illinois Chicago - 1
Loyola - 2
U Illinois Peoria - 1
Indiania U - 2
U Iowa - 2
U Kansas - 1
U Kentucky - 2
U Louisville - 1
LSU New Orleans - 1
Tulane - 0
LSU Shreveport - 2
U Maryland - 2
Johns Hopkins - 3
MGH - 3
Brigham - 2
Tufts - 1
U Michigan - 2
Henry Ford - 2
Wayne State - 1
U Minnesota - 2
Mayo Clinic - 3
U Mississippi - 2
U Missouri Columbia - 1
Washington University - 2
St. Louis University - 1
U Nebraska - 1
Dartmouth - 1
UMDNJ - 1
U New Mexico - 1
Albany - 1
SUNY Buffalo - 2
Albert Einstein - 2
Columbia University - 3
Cornell - 2
NYU - 2
Mt. Sinai - 2
NYMC - 1
U Rochester - 1
UNC - 1
Duke - 2
Wake Forest - 2
U Cinncinnati - 2
Case Western - 2
Cleveland Clinic - 3
Ohio State - 2
U Oklahoma - 1
Oregon HSU - 2
Penn State - 1
Temple - 1
U Pennsylvania - 3
Jefferson - 2
U Pittsburgh - 3
Allegheny General - 2
U Puerto Rico - 1
Brown - 1
MUSC - 1
U Tennesse Memphis - 2
Vanderbilt - 2
UT SW - 2
UT Galveston - 1
Baylor - 3
Methodist Hospital Houston - 1
UT San Antonio - 1
U Utah - 2
U Virginia - 3
MCV - 2
U Washington - 2
West Virginia U - 1
U Wisconsin - 2
MCW - 1

This is what I was looking for. Whoever took the time to do this - Thanks!

Originally Posted by mpp

Size of Neurosurgery Programs 2005-06 Match

U Alabama Birmingham - 2
Barrow NI - 4
U Arizona - 1
U Arkansas - 1
UC Davis - 1
Loma Linda - 1
UCLA - 3
USC - 2
Cedars Sinai LA - 1
UC San Diego - 1
UC San Francisco - 3
Stanford - 2
U Colorado - 1
Yale - 2
George Washington - 1
Georgetown - 1
U Florida - 2
U Miami - 2
U South Florida - 2
Emory - 2
Medical College of Georgia - 1
Northwestern - 2
Rush - 2
U Chicago - 2
U Illinois Chicago - 1
Loyola - 2
U Illinois Peoria - 1
Indiania U - 2
U Iowa - 2
U Kansas - 1
U Kentucky - 2
U Louisville - 1
LSU New Orleans - 1
Tulane - 0
LSU Shreveport - 2
U Maryland - 2
Johns Hopkins - 3
MGH - 3
Brigham - 2
Tufts - 1
U Michigan - 2
Henry Ford - 2
Wayne State - 1
U Minnesota - 2
Mayo Clinic - 3
U Mississippi - 2
U Missouri Columbia - 1
Washington University - 2
St. Louis University - 1
U Nebraska - 1
Dartmouth - 1
UMDNJ - 1
U New Mexico - 1
Albany - 1
SUNY Buffalo - 2
Albert Einstein - 2
Columbia University - 3
Cornell - 2
NYU - 2
Mt. Sinai - 2
NYMC - 1
U Rochester - 1
UNC - 1
Duke - 2
Wake Forest - 2
U Cinncinnati - 2
Case Western - 2
Cleveland Clinic - 3
Ohio State - 2
U Oklahoma - 1
Oregon HSU - 2
Penn State - 1
Temple - 1
U Pennsylvania - 3
Jefferson - 2
U Pittsburgh - 3
Allegheny General - 2
U Puerto Rico - 1
Brown - 1
MUSC - 1
U Tennesse Memphis - 2
Vanderbilt - 2
UT SW - 2
UT Galveston - 1
Baylor - 3
Methodist Hospital Houston - 1
UT San Antonio - 1
U Utah - 2
U Virginia - 3
MCV - 2
U Washington - 2
West Virginia U - 1
U Wisconsin - 2
MCW - 1

Originally Posted by MDGalina

What are the basic skills required for becoming a neurosurgeon?

Eagle eyes
Ladies fingers
Lions heart

The 2006 match results have been released and are on the 1st page of this thread.

The big news is that there were 10% more positions offered this year (172) compared to last (156). This is about a 30% increase over the last 10 years.

The match rate overall was about the same as last year (63%) and about average for the last 5 years (60%). The match rate for U.S. seniors (88%) was a slightly higher than the average match rate over the last 5 years (85%).

For the past two years, one quarter of the IMGs that have applied have matched.

I jst appld to the left over OOM positions...I am not sure why I have 10 places ranked for Anes...

Why the hell did they increase positions from 172 to 156? The future job prospects in NS are already not the best with cranial trauma static & ortho spine expanding & neurorads expanding. I don't think the attrition rate has increased which would be one explanation.

A couple of reasons...

The total number of cases being performed over all in neurosurgery is increasing. The total number of neurosurgeons overall is decreasing.

The 80/88 hour work week has forced some programs to expand...an extra resident is a lot cheaper than a $150,000/year PA that works only 40-45 hours per week.

I have noticed that some neurosurgery residency programs are 5 years (vs 7years) What's the difference? anybody? Thank you,

Originally Posted by ouli

I have noticed that some neurosurgery residency programs are 5 years (vs 7years) What's the difference? anybody? Thank you,

They aren't counting the general surgery intern year, so they say 5 to 7 years program, when it's actually 6-8 years to complete the residency. Most programs in the USA are 7 years long (6 in Canada).

86 % match rates for US seniors ? It's been like 100 % for the last few years in the canadian match (CA seniors) ? Why such a big difference ?

so... the pendulum of attraction to Neurosurg... anyone have any clue?? is the attraction moving towards neurosurg or away right now?? with a slightly better match percentage, i would get neurosurg is looking slightly less attractive? but with more positions that opened, maybe its stagnant??

I don't think you can gauge "attraction" to any field just by one or two year's match results, especially in a field as small as neurosurgery. An extra 10 people (out of the 16,000+ 4th year US medical students) applying to neurosurgery in one year will lower the match rate by 5 percent.

Originally Posted by mpp

I don't think you can gauge "attraction" to any field just by one or two year's match results, especially in a field as small as neurosurgery. An extra 10 people (out of the 16,000+ 4th year US medical students) applying to neurosurgery in one year will lower the match rate by 5 percent.

quite understood. so does that mean you dont know then? your post pointed to a flaw in using a 2 year statistic as a determinant to this question, but... i dont think i did in my question. anyways, thanks for the help...

Hi- if any ones knows of unfilled spots right now, please let us scramblers know. I think the earlier the better to start calling.

Thanks to all.

Hello,

I`m new here so hello to everyone

I have a question I don`t know if this is a good place for it but I can`t start new topics so I`m writing here.

Do you know maybe a website with information about craniotomy I mean what we need to do?why we usualyy do this? description of procedure step by step?I know that there are books but maybe you know a website? pictures or movies?
thank you very much

oedema

Hey all,
I have a question about neurosurgical training. As most programs have a year of research built in, what is expected of a resident during this time? Is there a source for me to look at. Also, are programs willing to let residents gain exposure in a subspeciality of interest during this time rather then do bench work in neuroscience, etc. Thanks for the help and all the quality information posted

I am very much interested in Neurosurgery for residency placement, but I'm not sure how my USMLE Step 1 score of 227(95) will help .
I have done extensive research in numerous fields, have been co-author a few times, have done quite excellent during my first two-years, etc.
Do I kiss my fantasy good-bye? Any advice will help, thank you.

What is that average lifestyle for a neurosurgeon out of residency? What is the average hours/week worked, etc...? Is there a possibility to work more or less hours- say 60 instead of >100? Thanks in advance....

Originally Posted by UNM2009

What is that average lifestyle for a neurosurgeon out of residency? What is the average hours/week worked, etc...? Is there a possibility to work more or less hours- say 60 instead of >100? Thanks in advance....

I hereby propose that nobody answer this. This is the most commonly asked question on SDN. If you aren't willing to work hard...then don't do surgery, or even medicine, or anything at all important.

If my advice isn't enough to dissuade you, just do a search and read any one of the MANY responses to stupid inquiries just like yours.

Originally Posted by H_Caulfield

I hereby propose that nobody answer this. This is the most commonly asked question on SDN. If you aren't willing to work hard...then don't do surgery, or even medicine, or anything at all important.

If my advice isn't enough to dissuade you, just do a search and read any one of the MANY responses to stupid inquiries just like yours.

There are certainly a number of options to reduce your work schedule, however finding a base group of physicians to cover your off time will be difficult, especially for ns as there are so few ns's to begin with. Probably if you have this outlook before even starting clinicals, you wont get far enough, looking good enough, to even be eligible for a ns residency, and likely wouldnt make it through a grueling ns res to become a licensed doc. And therein lies the premise by which caulfield is calling youre inquiry stupid, and possibly even by proxy, you, for not searching for an answer to this "most common" question.

cheers.

Originally Posted by H_Caulfield

I hereby propose that nobody answer this. This is the most commonly asked question on SDN. If you aren't willing to work hard...then don't do surgery, or even medicine, or anything at all important.

If my advice isn't enough to dissuade you, just do a search and read any one of the MANY responses to stupid inquiries just like yours.

Wow, calm down a little. I am not here to ask "stupid questions", but I was under the impression that this was an internet site with forums such as "facts, figures, and links" (which can also be found anywhere online with a search function) designed to help students such as yourself and residents. Also, I don't need my ability or desire to work hard called into question based on a simple question about hours worked in neurosurgery, because I was simply asking about lifestyle and options for the future.
I apologize for offendning anyone with my stupidity, but this is why I did not create a new post on the topic.
It would be helpful for everyone to simply just answer the question rather than go out of your way just to be a dick. If you don't like the question then you don't have to answer it as the time you took to insult me could have answered my question.

Originally Posted by H_Caulfield

I hereby propose that nobody answer this. This is the most commonly asked question on SDN. If you aren't willing to work hard...then don't do surgery, or even medicine, or anything at all important.

If my advice isn't enough to dissuade you, just do a search and read any one of the MANY responses to stupid inquiries just like yours.

Your question is not bad. It's because of people like this Caulfield-guy that I encourage those seeking advice to email me personally. Responses like this are ignorant and arrogant. It's funny that people presume to know you or your circumstances based on an innocent inquiry. Don't worry about them; their responses speak much more about their personality than your question did about yours.

-Jason
greymew@yahoo.com

i was just curious....do DO's have a competetive shot with MD's for neurosurgery residencies or is there unfortunately some prejudice toward DO's.....i was reviewing the forum earlier and it said in 2004 only 1 DO was in residency for neurosurgery at an allopathic residency for that given year


im scared

Originally Posted by ocdp09

i was just curious....do DO's have a competetive shot with MD's for neurosurgery residencies or is there unfortunately some prejudice toward DO's.....i was reviewing the forum earlier and it said in 2004 only 1 DO was in residency for neurosurgery at an allopathic residency for that given year


im scared

Last year I believe there were 3 DO's that matched into MD spots. There is a link around here somewhere to see those individuals. As far as being a competitive applicant, you better be STELLAR with off the chart scores and recommendations; even then, your chances are MUCH less than an MD applicant. Luckily there are a number of osteopathic NS spots, some with good programs. NS is difficult to match in whether you are an MD or DO, but if you get have the choice and really want to be a NS, go to an allopathic school.

boy im really scared now lol

University of Miami accepts 3 residents every other year. They were recently approved by the ACGME for an increase. They have a 1:1 faculty/resident mentorship program.

Thanks for the helpful thread. I had a couple of questions that weren't so easy to look up. What determines if the NS training is 5 years vs 7 or 8? From what I heard is that the 5 years is just the residency, and then the extra 2 years are for the fellowship for the total of 7.

Also, as someone pointed out, it probably is very difficult to match from a DO school. What about the role that the rank of your MD school plays? As I was browsing through the resident profiles in places like UCSF and Harvard, it is easy to see that almost 90% of their residents have pedigree, often in both the undergrad and the medschool. This sure could be self-selection bias, but I am not sure. How easy is it to do an away rotation at one of these top notch programs? Are there any criteria which determine if you will be granted the request to do an away rotation? Also, if the program grants you an interview, then I am assuming you can go ahead and tank them as #1 without being afraid that you won't have a shot there just because it is top notch.