Choosing med school for Neurosurgery

[orcawhale]

Hello everyone,

I am an incoming MS1 trying to choose between schools for neurosurgery. I currently have offers from SUNY Downstate and Stony Brook. 
Which school would be a better pick for maximizing my chances to match into neurosurgery?

My analysis so far

SUNY Downstate
Pros:
- In the city with more opportunities to network across different facilities within new york
- stronger clinical experience 

Stony Brook
- stronger research basic science research opps,
- better prestige
- existence of home neurosurgery program

[Guest]

Home program >>> no home program

[Guest]

On the national level, the SUNY programs are essentially unknown with the exception of Buffalo in the endovascular space (notice they rebrand themselves as UBNS). That being said, there have been several faculty/residents at top programs that have graduated from Downstate, likely aided by the ability to enhance your student experience with proximity to the other prominent NYC institutions. Stony Brook is somewhat isolated, however if you are an MSTP student, the ability to work at CSHL or BNL would absolutely be worth it and you should go there. It is unfortunate a state the size of New York does not invest more in its state institutions on the scale of the UCs, Texas, Michigan etc.

[Guest]

In the age of a scores step 1, it prob wouldn’t have made a difference. Now that it’s pass/fail, I would recommend the institution with a home neurosurgery program. However, I would add the caveat that choosing a Med school strictly based off the assumption that you’re going into neurosurgery is foolish.