- Joined
- May 23, 2018
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 65
Hello,
I’m not sure where to post this for thoughts. I received 6 interviews for neurosurgery. Initially, I only received 2, but after emailing program directors and positions opening up after a couple of months, I received 4 more interviews. I thought they all went great and I was generally well received.
I scored 261 on STEP 1 and 267 on STEP 2. I had excellent LORs. I had only 2 major publications, and my medical school did not have a home neurosurgery program. I also only did one away rotation.
Two major problems that I think happened are that I was not able to take STEP 2 until 2 months after I submitted my application, which some institutions like Mississippi would not invite me to interview until this was submitted, and my third LOR took a month to get uploaded due to unforeseen circumstances. I was thinking that because of these two problems I was screened out initially for not having a complete application, and by the time my application was complete many institutions had filled their interview slots.
So my question is—is it worth it to apply to prelim surgery at an institution that has a neurosurgery program in order to foster further connections and to try again for neurosurgery in a year? Any thoughts are truly appreciated.
Edit: Additionally, I only applied to roughly 40 programs initially. After my third LOR was submitted after a little over a month after applications opened for programs to view, I submitted applications to every program essentially. So again, another delay.
I’ve heard/read much conflicting opinions regarding a research year. It feels “fake” to say I was able to complete x amount of projects in only half a year, and that’s why I thought having ACGME accreditation and training for a year was more valuable. I understand research is important, for certain institutions, but simultaneously my personal statement, resume, and personality are more oriented towards mastering operative techniques and becoming a valuable asset in taking care of patients. I tried to accomplish research projects at my time in medical school which I thought showcased my ability to learn techniques and follow the scientific process from beginning to end.
Again, I would love to hear what the community has to say regarding my position/future prospects. How much of my current predicament can be attributed to poor timing, and how hopeful should I be that during the next cycle, when all of my documents are in place on the first day, I will receive more interviews?
Edit: I learned about pre residency neurosurgical options. To my knowledge, Iowa, Boston, and Loma Linda offer these. I’ve scoured the web but haven’t been able to find others. Boston requires a two year commitment (and I’ve read scathing reviews for some reason over the past years on neurosurgery hub), and Iowa’s application timeline was October - January, coinciding with the Match timeline. I was thinking that, unless a program offers 3-6 months of neurosurgical training during the prelim gen surg year, then it would be in my best interest to apply to Loma Linda and hope to be accepted. Again, thoughts?
I’m not sure where to post this for thoughts. I received 6 interviews for neurosurgery. Initially, I only received 2, but after emailing program directors and positions opening up after a couple of months, I received 4 more interviews. I thought they all went great and I was generally well received.
I scored 261 on STEP 1 and 267 on STEP 2. I had excellent LORs. I had only 2 major publications, and my medical school did not have a home neurosurgery program. I also only did one away rotation.
Two major problems that I think happened are that I was not able to take STEP 2 until 2 months after I submitted my application, which some institutions like Mississippi would not invite me to interview until this was submitted, and my third LOR took a month to get uploaded due to unforeseen circumstances. I was thinking that because of these two problems I was screened out initially for not having a complete application, and by the time my application was complete many institutions had filled their interview slots.
So my question is—is it worth it to apply to prelim surgery at an institution that has a neurosurgery program in order to foster further connections and to try again for neurosurgery in a year? Any thoughts are truly appreciated.
Edit: Additionally, I only applied to roughly 40 programs initially. After my third LOR was submitted after a little over a month after applications opened for programs to view, I submitted applications to every program essentially. So again, another delay.
I’ve heard/read much conflicting opinions regarding a research year. It feels “fake” to say I was able to complete x amount of projects in only half a year, and that’s why I thought having ACGME accreditation and training for a year was more valuable. I understand research is important, for certain institutions, but simultaneously my personal statement, resume, and personality are more oriented towards mastering operative techniques and becoming a valuable asset in taking care of patients. I tried to accomplish research projects at my time in medical school which I thought showcased my ability to learn techniques and follow the scientific process from beginning to end.
Again, I would love to hear what the community has to say regarding my position/future prospects. How much of my current predicament can be attributed to poor timing, and how hopeful should I be that during the next cycle, when all of my documents are in place on the first day, I will receive more interviews?
Edit: I learned about pre residency neurosurgical options. To my knowledge, Iowa, Boston, and Loma Linda offer these. I’ve scoured the web but haven’t been able to find others. Boston requires a two year commitment (and I’ve read scathing reviews for some reason over the past years on neurosurgery hub), and Iowa’s application timeline was October - January, coinciding with the Match timeline. I was thinking that, unless a program offers 3-6 months of neurosurgical training during the prelim gen surg year, then it would be in my best interest to apply to Loma Linda and hope to be accepted. Again, thoughts?
Last edited:
