agreed. didn't match, did gensurg for a year, got a spot now. can't wait to get started.
I'd recommend the working in gensurg/preresidency fellowship over the research path to reapply btw. many more possibilities for both neurosurg and otherwise (reapply, find a resident into PGY2, get out into gen surg/anesthesia/rads) than research where you are not making much forward progress and kinda putting all your eggs into one program's basket. and honestly, i found a lot of dignity in actually being someone's doctor and the challenge of intern year -- made me feel so much better after the gut shot of not matching.
For everybody who didn't match this year, be positive and persevere. If you look up last year's stats, I was the only person with step 1 over 260 who didn't match last year. So I know how it is to feel like you deserved a shot somewhere. Stay strong and life will work out