thanks for the responses guys. and thanks for the uncleharveys link
What schools would you guys say are among the top for this specialty?
edit: seems to be hopkins, columbia, UPenn
If those are the schools you are choosing between, you can't go wrong. The most important thing in med school for someone wanting to go into neurosurg is that they have a neurosurgery department actively involved in some research so that you can get involved as a med student. They don't have to be a research powerhouse for you to get some great research experience. As others have pointed out, neurosurg is a pretty small community and most chairmen, even those at smaller programs, will have connections all around the country.
When picking a medical school, I would look at schools that have departments in every specialty, not just neurosurgery. Somewhere along the way you may decide that neurosurgery isn't for you and you will want your school to have a department in whatever you may decide for you to get involved in (research, shadowing, mentoring, ect..) After that I would pick on desirability of location, cost of living/tuition, and where you will be happiest.
If you are serious* about going into neurosurgery, I would check out UVa. They have a powerhouse program with lots of research going on and a VERY well connected chairman in a beautiful place to live (cities are expensive and crowded and generally not for me). That would be my top place if I were going to medical school again and wanted to do neurosurgery. But keep in mind, there is no TOP place, there are a couple dozen places that are all just about equally suited to put you wherever you are capable of going based on your intelligence, work ethic, and personality.
*By serious I mean you have spent a significant amount of time shadowing a neurosurgeon and have a good idea about what the field is like, good and bad. And no, thinking neurosurgery sounds cool, loving the brain, and having Dr. McDreamy as your hero, do not count as reasons to have a serious interest in neurosurgery.
The most important thing you can do, wherever you go, is get great grades, kill step 1, be involved in your department, and do some research in the field. Where you end up will be 98% based on YOU, not where you go.
