Honest Assessement

[ButIwantneuro]

Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster here.

I am posting this because I am of late developing interest in Neurosurg (very late in the game), and I was wondering what my chances matching are, so please be brutally honest if at all possible.

I am a 4th year student, I loved all my rotations, but was initially thinking of going into Medicine...then switched to Neurology because I realized how much I love the brain...and now I am thinking of Neurosurg, because I realized I am going to miss working with my hands (I know right, then why medicine in the first place?)

My application is...rather weak: In short
I am a 4th year student currently at a mid-tear school

Step 1: 239
Step 2 CS: Pass

3rd Year Clerkships: Honored: 3/7 (Ob/Gyn, Family, Neurology)...Surgery shelf grade in "honors range" but did not honor (did NOT do Neurosurgery in 3rd year, did Ortho and Trauma instead).

4th year (basically littered with medicine electives): Optho, Cardio, Neprho, Medicine AI, Neuro AI - honored half of these. Currently doing Critical Care.

Was thinking of doing neurosurgery AI at my home school (solid program), get a letter or two, take Step 2 and do two away AIs in the middle of the interview season.

...do I have a chance?

Thank you,

Neurosurg Hopeful

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[neusu]

Do a home subi and see if you like it. You'll need to do an away or two as well. Your score won't rule you out, but it's below average.

 

[ButIwantneuro]

PS: I thought the Neurosurg average was 239 on the 2011 NRMP

 

[Chakrabs]

You have a chance - your scores are fine and your grades are good. However, not doing your subIs until very very late in the game really hurt you. Neurosurgery is such a small field that doing subIs are very important, and LORs are a big influence. By doing your SubIs in the middle of interview season (!!) you're really shooting yourself in the foot. Its hard to see you getting all that many interviews by pursuing that route, and you need a good 10-15 interviews to feel comfortable about matching. To be quite honest with you, I'd take a year off, and apply next year instead of doing what you're planning and potentially becoming a reapplicant, in which case you become damaged goods.