Remediation and residency impact

[cryingfromanxiety]

I’m a first year DO student who is interested in either neurosurgery or neurology. I failed my physiology course and have to remediate it. I’m also considered an international student because I’m from Canada. I’m super concerned for how badly this remediation can impact my chances of getting residencies in my areas of interest.
How can I work to improve and possible help make the situation less concerning? I’d really appreciate all the advice.

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[voxveritatisetlucis]

For neurosurgery, any blemish, especially as a DO, pretty much ruins your chances. For neurology, you’ll be fine. It’s not competitive.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Agree with above. Neurosurgery was always going to be a major reach as an international DO, and failing a course is going to be very hard to impossible to overcome. But neuro is doable.

It's trite, but you need to focus on why you failed and just fix the problem right now. Don't worry about anything else until you settle into a groove academically.

 

[cryingfromanxiety]

Agree with above. Neurosurgery was always going to be a major reach as an international DO, and failing a course is going to be very hard to impossible to overcome. But neuro is doable.

It's trite, but you need to focus on why you failed and just fix the problem right now. Don't worry about anything else until you settle into a groove academically.

Could any shadowing experience or some stellar LOR's possibly help in my case? Neurosurgery has always been a top choice for me, and I would hate to lose the opportunity to become a neurosurgeon.

 

[deomnibusdubitandum]

Could any shadowing experience or some stellar LOR's possibly help in my case? Neurosurgery has always been a top choice for me, and I would hate to lose the opportunity to become a neurosurgeon.

Nsgy is already super difficult to match into as a DO, the vast majority that do match tend to end up in former AOA programs (there are only 5). Shadowing is meaningless when applying for residency, research is the real currency when it comes to applying for nsgy. That's to say that unless you had someone from one of those 5 programs willing to go to bat for you in addition to pumping out significant research, it's incredibly unlikely.

You can always consider interventional neurology down the road.

 

[DrZoidbergDO]

Could any shadowing experience or some stellar LOR's possibly help in my case? Neurosurgery has always been a top choice for me, and I would hate to lose the opportunity to become a neurosurgeon.

you honestly lost that opportunity when you matriculated DO lol

 

[GoSpursGo]

Could any shadowing experience or some stellar LOR's possibly help in my case? Neurosurgery has always been a top choice for me, and I would hate to lose the opportunity to become a neurosurgeon.

You need to stop focusing on getting into a specialty that was always going to be a long shot and focus on the task in front of you—remediate your exam and don’t fail out of medical school. If you start wasting time trying to shadow (which is irrelevant anyways) or start a research project (likely impossible if you don’t have a home program), you are at grave risk of failing again, and then none of this will matter.

 

[Allosteopath]

While neurology does seem like a reasonable option, I would try to ensure that your app has some sort of decent research and you apply wisely with a good score on your board exam when that comes around. I know people who have applied neurology, and have struggled to get even 2 interviews despite technically not having a blemish on their record, though they were likely not the strongest academically.

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Neurosurgery dream is over and was never much of a chance to begin with.

Neurology is not competitive if all you want to do is match.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Could any shadowing experience or some stellar LOR's possibly help in my case? Neurosurgery has always been a top choice for me, and I would hate to lose the opportunity to become a neurosurgeon.

no

 

[MedBoardTutors]

I’m a first year DO student who is interested in either neurosurgery or neurology. I failed my physiology course and have to remediate it. I’m also considered an international student because I’m from Canada. I’m super concerned for how badly this remediation can impact my chances of getting residencies in my areas of interest.
How can I work to improve and possible help make the situation less concerning? I’d really appreciate all the advice.

As a DO things are harder, unfortunately. I can't say I agree with the characterization that ANY blemish completely nukes your application. I personally know someone (an MD) who matched neurosurgery despite failing Step. Then again, being a DO plus international student might work against you? I honestly can't speak to this part of it. Either way, I'd like to impart some hope that you have PLENTY of time to turn things around for yourself. Hopefully you can network/perform in a way that sneaks into a neurosurg program, but please remember you're at the beginning of your journey here, and no matter what you can make a great career for yourself.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

NSGY is probably not going to happen anymore unless you impress someone specific. Neurology is still possible, but most major academic centers will either not interview anyone with a blemish or rank them below everyone without one. I would focus into matching a program that's not big name

 

[Med Ed]

I’m a first year DO student who is interested in either neurosurgery or neurology.

What is it that you find intriguing about these fields? I ask because they are actually quite different, so not doing one would not automatically make the other an ideal second choice.

 

[cryingfromanxiety]

What is it that you find intriguing about these fields? I ask because they are actually quite different, so not doing one would not automatically make the other an ideal second choice.

I think the primary reason for it has always been my interest in the nervous system. Despite knowing how different the two fields are, I've always had a keen interest that stemmed from my grandmother having a neurodegenerative condition. While I can see myself being involved in patient care over a long period of time like with Neurology, I've always enjoyed dissections and the challenging nature of Neurosurgery cases.

 

[NeuroHopeful1]

I think the primary reason for it has always been my interest in the nervous system. Despite knowing how different the two fields are, I've always had a keen interest that stemmed from my grandmother having a neurodegenerative condition. While I can see myself being involved in patient care over a long period of time like with Neurology, I've always enjoyed dissections and the challenging nature of Neurosurgery cases.

You can do neurology -> vascular/neurocrit -> neuroendovascular surgery
It's a 7-8 year track.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

You can do neurology -> vascular/neurocrit -> neuroendovascular surgery
It's a 7-8 year track.

9 years I think now? 4 year neuro, 2 year vascular, and 3 NIR

 

[Giovanotto]

NSGY is probably not going to happen anymore unless you impress someone specific. Neurology is still possible, but most major academic centers will either not interview anyone with a blemish or rank them below everyone without one. I would focus into matching a program that's not big name

This is what I was thinking as well. Is neurology still not competitive these days? I am so far removed from medical school at this point, just curious.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

This is what I was thinking as well. Is neurology still not competitive these days? I am so far removed from medical school at this point, just curious.

No. Roughly the same competitiveness as internal medicine

 

[Giovanotto]

No. Roughly the same competitiveness as internal medicine

I feel like way back when it was less competitive than IM. In academia at least, no?

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I feel like way back when it was less competitive than IM. In academia at least, no?

Might be dependent on the academic center. In my experience, it's always been about the same as IM

 

[Ho0v-man]

Reality check: The DOs who match neurosurgery walk on water. You don’t. The person in my DO school class who matched neurosurgery missed less than 10 questions per semester, I think only once it was more than 5. Be realistic. Those people are just built differently. I could never do it either.

Being an international DO honestly makes it really hard to match competitively in anything. Neurology is about the most competitive thing you could realistically match.

 

[NeuroHopeful1]

9 years I think now? 4 year neuro, 2 year vascular, and 3 NIR

4 years neuro -> 1 year vascular -> 2 year NIR
or
4 years neuro -> 2 neurocrit -> 2 year NIR

There's like 2 programs in the country that combine it to 4 year neuro -> 3 year combined neurocrit + NIR but that requires you to basically do hundreds of procedures in first 1-2 years.

 

[Giovanotto]

I think Wisconsin Medical College is a good choice if that's the way you want to go. can anyone confirm this?

 

[NeuroHopeful1]

I think Wisconsin Medical College is a good choice if that's the way you want to go. can anyone confirm this?

I think you mean Medical College of Wisconsin.
They used to have a 3 year combined NCC + NIR track. I don't know if they still do.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

4 years neuro -> 1 year vascular -> 2 year NIR
or
4 years neuro -> 2 neurocrit -> 2 year NIR

There's like 2 programs in the country that combine it to 4 year neuro -> 3 year combined neurocrit + NIR but that requires you to basically do hundreds of procedures in first 1-2 years.

Better get on that vascular year fast. I have heard they are trying to push for it to be 2 years now, but yeah, it's a long road regardless. Personally, if I had the ability to do either, I'd just do NSGY first