My application has now been in over a week now. I have 0 interviews. I know why, it is my Step score, but I obviously can't make up for that now. The rest of my application is at a very high level; however, I imagine my application may not get read or may get a perfunctory glance because I don't have a nsg type score.
-What should I be doing to prepare for soaping?
-What specialties are usually amenable to soaping?
I feel destroyed inside.
Only 13% of programs interview before Oct 1.
What's your step score, roughly?
Bro. Too early to panic at that level. But, I like the thought of always at least brainstorming backup plans. If you are serious about a back up plan, SOAP isn't your best option yet. You can still get letter or two and apply to other specialties, in my case I would do Rads, and make a case for neuroradiology on PS and interviews.
Crap for this field. A lot of hope, time, and money down the drain.
21/105 ~ 20% of programs have sent interview invites thus far (I don't believe the Yale one). This probably doesn't correlate with 20% of the total number of interview invites that will be offered though. Maybe they meant 13% of all interview invites which is more likely?
Regardless, it is kind of hard to imagine that this is not how the rest of the field will play out. I'm sure there are plenty of people now sitting on ~10 interviews and plenty sitting on ~0/1/2. For busy neurosurgeons to be going to through applications this quickly there has to be a formula applied and likely those with the combined highest steps and AOA/most honors are getting most to the early interviews. I highly doubt research or letters are factoring in here for the most part.
For now it's likely that the same group of people with high scores and high grades (regardless of research) getting all the invites.
