Is is possible for (community vs academic) neurosurgeons to do a mix of functional and spine? I'm an M2 potentially interested in functional, but don't necessarily want to end up at a major academic center, where there would be enough volume to exclusively just do those cases.

so i am going to have to repeat my first year in august, because i failed my class in the fall of 2019. i am no longer at school. and i was wondering, how to make amends so i may still get a chance for neurosurgery? and what do you recommend me to do from now until classes begin in august?

i am not fishing for false hope, but i just wanna know how bad it is and how to make it up, if i can... 

why did i fail? a relationship ended in novemeber/december. not a valid reason i know but it is what happened.

so i am going to have to repeat my first year in august, because i failed my class in the fall of 2019. i am no longer at school. and i was wondering, how to make amends so i may still get a chance for neurosurgery? and what do you recommend me to do from now until classes begin in august?

Since this is for attendings, as people are going into practice, please, please, please open your eyes. There are plenty of places to work as an attending neurosurgeon. Major alarm signs are :

People that “lost” 2-3 neurosurgeons in the last year. That’s NOT normal. No matter what they tell you. That’s NOT the neurosurgeon’s fault it’s the place. For example, if you’re seeing a strong ortho spine, and neurosurgeons taking call, they tell you well, you know we had two other guys but they did not like it here and they left, please RUN don’t walk. The reason is this ortho spine is taking all the cases and neurosurgery is left with covering call q3 and unable to make the work RVUs, so their salaries are getting cut.
Try to identify who was there and ask them what happened. Sometimes they can’t tell you the story because they have a non disclosure agreement. sometimes people will tell you.
Hospitals will use you - they make money off of you. 

Don’t be afraid to ask MGMA and higher, if a place is asking you to make 8000 RVUs please be convinced that you’re bringing the hospital anywhere from 5-8 million dollars and your collections alone, from clinic charges will be around 2 million depending on the payor mix. Don’t forget your value.

Others in practice please feel free to share! neurosurgery is a small community, if we stick together and are united we will all succeed. Don’t allow the hospital to take advantage of you.

Anyone else who attended <10 interviews, what is your thought process / plan going forward?

Skull base fellowship position available in Swedish Neuroscience Institute to start Aug 2020.
If interested please email CV to Zachary.Litvack@swedish.org

It seems like the department in Austin has been building up an interesting faculty core for the last few years. Does anybody know if they ever plan on establishing a residency?

Any advice on which Oral Board review is better?
CNS or AANS Goodman course?

How important is it to have Step 2 CK/CS complete prior to ERAS submission in September?

I scored a 250 on Step 1. I took time off for research after Step 1, and will be applying in the upcoming cycle. I would strongly prefer not to take additional time off studying now, so I can focus on my home sub-I and two aways in the summer.

Any calls from PDs yet? When can we start expecting to be contacted?