Medical How can an IMG in getting into Neurosurgery residency?

[MusicDOc124]

Hello, this is my year of medical school.
I'm having great passion for neurosurgery and just discovered it's difficult for IMGs to get into...
May I know if you have any possible advise you could give to boost my chances..Can I start the foundation now by doing volunteering work in NS department? involving in research and doing summer working in neurosurgery lab? So that with high USMLE I can be able to match after medical school??

What year of medical school? Where?

https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Charting-Outcomes-in-the-Match-2018-IMGs.pdf

Pg 134

Are you a US-IMG or Non-US-IMG?

The probability is extremely low.

You mention getting involved with NS research... do you have any research already? Any publications already?

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[MusicDOc124]

No...i meant first year of medical school and don't have any publication yet.
I'm non USA IMG

Every bit of advice I would give would be based on the NRMP Charting Outcomes. It's also impossible to speculate for the time being as you have not yet taken/passed step 1, we don't know exactly what will happen with the new P/F step 1, and you don't have a step 2 score.

The one piece of advice I will give now is to begin getting some research in, specifically with neurosurgery since that's your interest. I will also state that more IMGs going unmatched than those who match.

 

[gutonc]

One thing you need to understand is that the 10 non-US IMGs who matched in Neurosurgery last year were likely people who were neurosurgeons in their home countries and spent a few (probably 3-5) years doing research in the US prior to getting a spot. The mean # of abstracts/pubs/presentations for those who matched was almost 50. That's a ton of work for what is basically a 1/3 shot of getting a neurosurgery spot in the Match.

So my advice is that, if you really want to be a neurosurgeon, figure out how to be one in your home country. And if you really want to come to the US to train and practice, figure out how to be happy in a different specialty.

 

[MusicDOc124]

I know it might be difficult getting into neurosurgery directly from med school but how about getting into general surgery or preliminary surgery first?

general surgery does not lead to neurosurgery. If you did both, you’re talking 12-13 years of residency alone, and that’s if you got selected.

prelim is 1 year and leaves no guarantee for anything. You’d basically be back in the same spot you’re in now without much change.