neurology

[stwei]

Anyone here who can recommend a plan starting first day of medical school if one is interested in a neurology / neurosurgery residency? (i.e. best 10 schools to get into, sources to consult, residency programs to choose, domestic and abroad). I've read the residency curriculum for neurosurgery, and it didn't seem to me as detailed as it claims, or even difficult for that matter. Am I missing something?

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[madtowngirl]

#1. relax. There is nothing to do the first DAY of school that will make or break your residency
#2. Have a good time in school. Study hard and play hard.
#3. Make sure you like neuro, but don't rule out other fields just yet. Unless you already did third year magically and saw some of the other stuff there is out there yet. That's what med school's for.

 

[stwei]

Let me rephrase my question then : Where and how would I get the widest exposure to neurology and neurosurgery before I apply for residency? One thing that struck me in particular about neurosurgery is its appeal to greater compassion for humanity than other fields and the long hours of education dedicated to achieve such ends. I really don't think it's too early to think about specialising on the first day of class, as pointed out in First AID.

 

[lyragrl]

Let me rephrase my question then : Where and how would I get the widest exposure to neurology and neurosurgery before I apply for residency? One thing that struck me in particular about neurosurgery is its appeal to greater compassion for humanity than other fields and the long hours of education dedicated to achieve such ends. I really don't think it's too early to think about specialising on the first day of class, as pointed out in First AID.

Go to Columbia. Neuro is huge there.

 

[madtowngirl]

It's fine to know what you think you like. I'm just telling you not to count anything else out unless you try it. That being said, I would suppose the best things to do during med school would be to shadow a neurologist or neurosurgeon, do some clinical research if that's your thing, start an interest group at your school maybe. Do what you think will be interesting to you. I don't think its time yet to be worried about top 10 residencies etc. yet though. I might be wrong, but I figured that could wait until 3rd year when you decide where to try to rotate at for 4th year electives.

 

[Gauss]

Let me rephrase my question then : Where and how would I get the widest exposure to neurology and neurosurgery before I apply for residency? One thing that struck me in particular about neurosurgery is its appeal to greater compassion for humanity than other fields and the long hours of education dedicated to achieve such ends. I really don't think it's too early to think about specialising on the first day of class, as pointed out in First AID.

Since when is First AID the BIBLE?
Time to turn the blinders off and realize the rest of the body is rather important.
"greater compassion for humanity than other fields"
oh... that's rich
be sure you use that in your 3rd year when you get asked what field you're going into

 

[Samoa]

Get exposure to the field. Go watch some surgeries. Try to get involved in a research project of some sort. My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that basic science is looked on a little more favorably than clinical. My interest happens to be clinical. I did complete the core coursework for the PhD in neuroscience in the course of getting my pharmacy degree, but I'm just not a lab rat.

Basically I'm keeping an open mind. The list is gradually getting shorter through experience, as I discover more things I don't want to do. I'm pretty certain neurosurg will still be on the list at the end, but there could be any number of other things there as well. So we'll see what happens...

 

[Neuronix]

Go to Columbia. Neuro is huge there.

It would say there's more Neuro research at UCSF, Stanford, Hopkins, Harvard, and maybe some others... Why call them out in particular?

As for real advice, I recommend to the op to make connections with clinical mentors in neurosurgery and neurology. I've had opportunities during first year to shadow them and touch base with them and pretty much any other specialty I'd want to meet. You don't need to do this on day one, but it's something you can do eventually.