Reapplicants

[Guest]

Like many this past season I went unmatched. Any advice for reapplicants? Any successful reapplicants from past years willing to weigh in?

[Guest]

Reapplicants should spend time with neurosurgery at their institution if they can. It makes a big difference if someone from a neurosurgery residency can vouch for you in a letter when you reapply. For example a preliminary general surgery resident should use elective time to do a neurosurgery rotation if the program will have you.

[Guest]

Bump

Advice on how to answer questions on why you didnt get a spot? Especially when you dont have red flags like bad scores or bad letters etc.

If your home program didnt take you- how do you even proceed?

[Guest]

(06-05-2020, 03:09 AM)Guest Wrote: Bump

Advice on how to answer questions on why you didnt get a spot? Especially when you dont have red flags like bad scores or bad letters etc.

If your home program didnt take you- how do you even proceed?

Coming from another student and based on opinion- Be honest about your application and try to identify one factor, app or interview, that may have contributed. They probably don’t want someone who can’t identify one weakness or contributing factor (we all have them). You don’t have to have a red flag to not match and they know that. 1/4 senior MDs didn’t match, which is a lot. Also, just because your home program didn’t take you doesn’t mean they don’t like you. You may have been ranked 2-5 on several lists  but still didn’t match if they matched their top choices. I think it’s appropriate to reach out to them for help- they will likely also ask your opinion on why you didn’t match and it’s best to have at least something minor to say. You can also ask them to review your app and give their opinion so you may have a better answer for interviews. It’s okay to show confidence and say how you feel very confident as an applicant due to x&y, but still thank that z may have played a roll in ranking.

[Guest]

(05-18-2020, 08:53 AM)Guest Wrote: Reapplicants should spend time with neurosurgery at their institution if they can. It makes a big difference if someone from a neurosurgery residency can vouch for you in a letter when you reapply. For example a preliminary general surgery resident should use elective time to do a neurosurgery rotation if the program will have you.

Agree

[Guest]

(06-06-2020, 05:24 AM)Guest Wrote:

(05-18-2020, 08:53 AM)Guest Wrote: Reapplicants should spend time with neurosurgery at their institution if they can. It makes a big difference if someone from a neurosurgery residency can vouch for you in a letter when you reapply. For example a preliminary general surgery resident should use elective time to do a neurosurgery rotation if the program will have you.

Agree

this is not possible for the vast majority of people.