I am the person that talked about soft skills. Me, and all the other people I know at what this forum calls 'elite' programs, mean no code by it, but simply to not behave like the above poster, as an example. Whether they are trolling, which clearly indicates a pathologic need for attention, or intentionally playing a game to discourage others, which is equally pathetic, I'm very confident that this kind of person gets eliminated during the interview process.
This profession needs more people that do it for the patients, rather than filling the hole within themselves with some level of prestige. Show compassion, empathy, comradery, and passion for the field. That's all there is. If you think higher of yourself or others because you know how to properly eat lobster, stop acting up and actually talk to people. Be humble
Stuff like back stabbing, sabotage, and gossiping right? Cause that’s all I see from these top institutions
Cannot emphasize more what it is said above. Soft skills mean how to play a hypocrite role, take advantage of people and not really care about the camaraderie. Really common in places where recommendations are based on familiar connection or friendship. If you rotate with an applicant - who got there based on this type of recommendation - and then you answer a question right to the attending/resident that he/she could not. YOU ARE DONE. he/she will make sure to eradicate you from the competition by dirty means.
I made it to a top residency as an Asian without going to one of those elite prep schools, but went to a T5 (not an East Coast Ivy) med school. Must irk some rich folks who had their mommy and daddy pay for elite education and I still ended up smarter than them with all of my work being due to true merit. You can buy great education but you can't buy intelligence. Rich folks get riled when you tell them that. The greatest minds in history were usually of humble means. Children of the rich have no driving force. They will die knowing they didn't accomplish a single meaningful thing on their own. I almost feel bad for them. Almost.
Ditto. Made it to a t5 med school from a low income family from true merit. Could always tell who had a daddy or mommy on the adcom and who actually deserved to be there
^ That's why I want to adopt kids as a neurosurgeon. Would rather use my privilege and help out a kid with some drive but is screwed over by the system rather than raise some arrogant, spoiled kid who takes everything for granted.
Hope more leaders in Neurosurgery defend meritocracy over the next few years. It’s wild how nepotism has been slowing being camouflaged with nurtured talent.
LOL at these Caribbean M1’s masquerading as top students. It’s quite pathetic really. These incidents of nepotism you speak about are so rare that they barely hurt your chances anyhow. Some kid with a dad on the adcom of a t5 isn’t the reason why you didn’t get in
Quote:^ That's why I want to adopt kids as a neurosurgeon. Would rather use my privilege and help out a kid with some drive but is screwed over by the system rather than raise some arrogant, spoiled kid who takes everything for granted.
That's why you should send your lids to an elite boarding school, imo. I know a few such kids and all of them are kind, humble and extremely polite. They teach you to be humble at these schools, from what I've heard.
In general, it is the lower classes who are the most arrogant.
(06-02-2023, 05:30 AM)Guest Wrote: OP, you seem like a decent person. You're not falling for, nor are you feeding the trolls.
Your timing is what used to be just the right time to get prepared for a competitive residency app. Things have shifted a bit, but not a ton. If you play your cards right, seeing as you are at a top15 program already, the sky is the limit.
First of, please be aware that taking a research year will mean you won't be able to just compare yourself to the average anymore. The RY, in your situation, can work out nicely, but it's not a net positive and you may be able to match at a decent program without it. I've seen plenty of people match at great operative programs (Rush, Buffalo, Alabama, Mayo) with ~3-5 papers. You just can't rely on it and need strong SubI's and good letters from them. If you do take a research year, you need to use it. You need pubs, otherwise it's an more of an indicator that you're not academically productive than not having published enough during medical school.
Since you did clinical work before, do the RY with a clinical mentor. This, generally, is a less risky endeavor anyways, seeing as the numbers game is still on and you can't rely on publishing much in a year if you decide to do bench work. Not without having done some work on the side that could get you going right away. Go through recent match lists and look at those that did research years. Look at their match trajectory in terms of ranks climbed from home program to matched program. There are 5-10 great mentors out there, that also take students from other schools. Look at social media. I despise it, but it is what it is, if your mentor gives shoutouts and is openly pushing you online, that goes a long way. It's all about name recognition and strong support.
You need to get pubs during a research year, so come up with ideas beforehand. Think about a certain method or a certain topic that, while not publishing on it or with it exclusively, you can build a story around. People are fed up with random review and retrospective study writers about every topic in this field. Be strategic in your research now, so that you can sell yourself later.
You have a great home program, you're not one of the idiots on this forum, you're flexible in terms of location and open to a research year. Everything is still possible. You might not become one of the top 5 guys everyone talks about on the trail, but even that is still possible if you're likeable and do well on your RY.
All the best.
Hey, thanks for the advice. Appreciate your time. I’m not planning on commenting on this thread anymore but wanted to reply and give you my thanks. The insight is very helpful. I’ll ask my mentor once core rotations finish about what he thinks I should do.
To everyone who gave advice thanks again.
All the best!
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