what does it take to get a gen surg interview at a top 10 program?

[debakey20]

Realistically, what does it take to get an interview at a top 10 program? Are there any data sets that look at the typical traits of these students? Step scores, leadership, research, etc?

Obviously you want to put together the best package possible, but what does this typically look like for the majority?

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[ncrassa]

Yes. There are many similar prior threads on SDN; you might consider searching for them.

There are no quantitative stratifications for a top 10 program, and in any event, the top 10 status is also debatable. The traditional top 10 programs are academic powerhouses steeped in history.

You should have good Step scores (>240), good grades (H in surgery at least, though the more the merrier), good letters/advocates (people know other people in surgery), come from a reputable medical school (pedigree sadly matters in the upper echelons, but is not an exclusion criterion), and have academic output.

The applicant pool gets more competitive with every passing year. There will always be about 20 applicants in the country who can go where they want because they meet all of the above criteria, and the jostling happens for the remaining 70 who get interviewed at many of the top places, and that's where the intangibles like 'fit' as experienced bilaterally during interview day, away rotation experiences, and advocacy come into play.