Hello,
I am a rising M1 student at a top 40 medical school and am interested in neurosurgery. While this website has affirmed the idea that neurosurgery is self-selecting, I have developed an interest in the field as a result of my working in a peds nsg lab throughout undergrad and working with the PI, fellows, and residents who rotate through our lab. My question is, since I do not go to a top 10 medical school, am I at a disadvantage for top academic residencies even if I have similar scores/grades/research/AOA an Ivy League applicant? Thanks.
There are always residents from mid level schools in top programs. That said, if you are coming from the top few like Harvard or Hopkins, then you will probably get interviews a lot easier and will be considered more seriously. But this criteria is not nearly as important than your sub-i performance, step I, LORs, grades, research and your personality.
The advantage that top schools have are very involved neurosurgery departments that can foster superb neurosurgery applicants. Schools like Columbia, Penn, Hopkins and Stanford have a plethora of research opportunities for their students and excellent mentoring for those interested in neurosurgery, on top of the connections that their chairs and PDs have. Even if you don't attend a top 10 school, getting involved with your department early and building an excellent CV is very much possible. Schools not in the so-called top tier like Rutgers, Jefferson, Case Western, and Temple match well into neurosurgery because of having involved departments that can groom solid applicants.
there are few programs, MGH is one off the top of my head, that seem to almost exclusively have residents from 'top' medical schools. That said you definitely have a chance of matching at a 'top' neurosurgery program regardless of medical school if your CV and scores are excellent and you aren't a mutant on interviews. You can get an idea about the importance of medical school to a program by looking at their current residents but even this suffers from small sample size.
Does personality really shine through in interviews? I'm not saying I'm a wonderful person, but I feel like I'm generally decent, can make and take a joke etc. But I also know some real assholes on the trail and they are perfectly angelic in front of attendings and residents. Who knows, what do I know. It just sucks to think people buy the facade.
(07-24-2017, 12:26 PM)Guest Wrote: there are few programs, MGH is one off the top of my head, that seem to almost exclusively have residents from 'top' medical schools. That said you definitely have a chance of matching at a 'top' neurosurgery program regardless of medical school if your CV and scores are excellent and you aren't a mutant on interviews. You can get an idea about the importance of medical school to a program by looking at their current residents but even this suffers from small sample size.
MGH does seem to highly value pedigree or maybe those applicants happen to have the research track record they're looking for. I think they've had residents from Temple, Arkansas and Loyola Chicago in the past though so they seem to make exceptions every now and then.
Maybe this will change since Martuza is gone. Will Carter diversify the program rather than have solely HMS grads?
(07-24-2017, 03:02 PM)Guest Wrote: (07-24-2017, 12:26 PM)Guest Wrote: there are few programs, MGH is one off the top of my head, that seem to almost exclusively have residents from 'top' medical schools. That said you definitely have a chance of matching at a 'top' neurosurgery program regardless of medical school if your CV and scores are excellent and you aren't a mutant on interviews. You can get an idea about the importance of medical school to a program by looking at their current residents but even this suffers from small sample size.
MGH does seem to highly value pedigree or maybe those applicants happen to have the research track record they're looking for. I think they've had residents from Temple, Arkansas and Loyola Chicago in the past though so they seem to make exceptions every now and then.
Maybe this will change since Martuza is gone. Will Carter diversify the program rather than have solely HMS grads?
lol nope... most recent 2 classes, out of 6 residents had 3 HMS grads, 1 Stanford, 1 Columbia, 1 NYU
(06-06-2020, 05:59 AM)Guest Wrote: (07-24-2017, 03:02 PM)Guest Wrote: (07-24-2017, 12:26 PM)Guest Wrote: there are few programs, MGH is one off the top of my head, that seem to almost exclusively have residents from 'top' medical schools. That said you definitely have a chance of matching at a 'top' neurosurgery program regardless of medical school if your CV and scores are excellent and you aren't a mutant on interviews. You can get an idea about the importance of medical school to a program by looking at their current residents but even this suffers from small sample size.
MGH does seem to highly value pedigree or maybe those applicants happen to have the research track record they're looking for. I think they've had residents from Temple, Arkansas and Loyola Chicago in the past though so they seem to make exceptions every now and then.
Maybe this will change since Martuza is gone. Will Carter diversify the program rather than have solely HMS grads?
lol nope... most recent 2 classes, out of 6 residents had 3 HMS grads, 1 Stanford, 1 Columbia, 1 NYU
Yea nope. He plans to continue the Ivy League bias in the residency selection process. They highly prefer if you went to either an Ivy League undergrad or med school or related prestigious school (eg, Stanford, Hopkins, Duke).
Incoming MS1 as well. How much will going somewhere like Loyola Chicago limit residency options? I'd expect places like Stanford, MGH, Hopkins, etc. to be essentially closed doors, but how about Barrow, UCSD, USC tier? (assuming good board scores, research, strong subi's, etc.) Thanks!
(06-11-2020, 06:10 PM)Guest Wrote: Incoming MS1 as well. How much will going somewhere like Loyola Chicago limit residency options? I'd expect places like Stanford, MGH, Hopkins, etc. to be essentially closed doors, but how about Barrow, UCSD, USC tier? (assuming good board scores, research, strong subi's, etc.) Thanks!
Such a dumb post. Barrow is 10x more desirable and hard to get than Hopkins.
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