- Joined
- Jan 2, 2017
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 6
I'm a fourth year at a top 10 med school interested in NS. How much does it hurt my chances to only have research in another surgical specialty? I did a research year in a different surgical field, and now I'm having doubts about that field and am seriously considering NS after exposure to the field during clinical rotations. My Step 1 score is decent (260ish), and my clinical grades are currently pending.
I see that the average number of research items is 13.4 for NS applicants who matched in 2016. I'll be pretty close to that figure when you factor in abstracts and book chapters, but I only have 4 actual peer-reviewed publications. All of my research is clinical and in another surgical field, so I guess I'm not sure if PDs will take me seriously or think my decision to apply to NS is not supported by my CV?
Unfortunately, my school doesn't have a NS department so I doubt I'll be able to crank out a NS case report/small research project by September. I always figured that research was the best way to demonstrate interest in a field so now I'm concerned that I won't be able to demonstrate interest in NS because I came to this decision late in the game after having done a research year in another surgical field!
I also know I'll have to obtain LORs from neurosurgeons (not sure how to go about this without a home program? How much weight do letters from private practice neurosurgeons who aren't well known in the field carry?).
All of this makes me wonder if the odds are stacked against me? TIA
I see that the average number of research items is 13.4 for NS applicants who matched in 2016. I'll be pretty close to that figure when you factor in abstracts and book chapters, but I only have 4 actual peer-reviewed publications. All of my research is clinical and in another surgical field, so I guess I'm not sure if PDs will take me seriously or think my decision to apply to NS is not supported by my CV?
Unfortunately, my school doesn't have a NS department so I doubt I'll be able to crank out a NS case report/small research project by September. I always figured that research was the best way to demonstrate interest in a field so now I'm concerned that I won't be able to demonstrate interest in NS because I came to this decision late in the game after having done a research year in another surgical field!
I also know I'll have to obtain LORs from neurosurgeons (not sure how to go about this without a home program? How much weight do letters from private practice neurosurgeons who aren't well known in the field carry?).
All of this makes me wonder if the odds are stacked against me? TIA
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