How important is clinical grades?

[watermen]

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I would like to know how important is clinical grades in NS? So far everyone has been mentioning step 1, research and LOR. What about clinical grades? How important it is? I feel that clinical grades are just so subjective...and I feel that it actually reflect who you work with rather than your real ability. It is just so difficult to get many honors because it is just impossible to make everyone like you.

 

[kenneth.c.liu]

clinical grades are important, especially those in your surgery rotations. matching into a neurosurgery program is more than just being booksmart. programs look for smart people who have good interpersonal skills, since the majority of what you do as a neurosurgeon is interacting with other people, be it patients, faculty, nurses, or ancillary staff.

because of this, clinical grades are weighed much more heavily than pre-clinical grades. they are a better representation of who you are as a whole.

 

[trout]

clinical grades ARE very important and correct english is even more so

 

[Wrigleyville]

I hate to be a grammar *****, but your post was tough to read. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard.

 

[bobbybee22]

all your base are belong to us

 

[cdql]

Regarding the English:

Regarding the clinical grades: I would argue they are even more important than all the factors you listed.

Step 1: Hmm...sitting in a room memorizing facts all day long...not too hard

Research: Hmm...sitting in a lab all day long...not too hard

LORs: (You won't be getting these without good clinical grades)

Good clinical grades indicate that you can get along well with others, you have good rapport with patients, you have the ability to ask for feedback from those above you and make improvements if necessary, and that you are more than a library-inhabiting/lab-inhabiting nerd.

Unless you want those kinds of people filling your residency slots...

 

[naegleria brain]

Regarding the English:

Regarding the clinical grades: I would argue they are even more important than all the factors you listed.

Step 1: Hmm...sitting in a room memorizing facts all day long...not too hard

Research: Hmm...sitting in a lab all day long...not too hard

LORs: (You won't be getting these without good clinical grades)

Good clinical grades indicate that you can get along well with others, you have good rapport with patients, you have the ability to ask for feedback from those above you and make improvements if necessary, and that you are more than a library-inhabiting/lab-inhabiting nerd.

Unless you want those kinds of people filling your residency slots...

the residency directors i've talked to all pretty much agreed your USMLE step 1 scores are the most important. number 2 is clinicals.

For smaller fields, LORs and reccs go a long way, esp in neurosurgery when it's very likely that they, or someone they know well, knows the author of your LOR. Good LORs may stem from becoming tight over research with them. At any rate, as long as your clinicals aren't awful, step 1 score is key. Great clinicals are icing. Everything else is sprinkles.
But icing and sprinkles don't make a cake without the actual dough.


Sorry, terrible metaphor.