{Neurosurgery

University of Tennessee Health Science CenterStudent Interest Group in Neurosurgery

Surgical subspecialty that deals with disorders of the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves

Neurosurgery is a very young field relative to others (Founded in the early 1900’s)

Lots of high-end technology, very non-forgiving at times, very rewarding at times, espirit de corps

Small field (95 training programs, 1120 academic neurosurgeons in U.S.A.)

What is neurosurgery?

Attend college, enter medical school

After medical school (4 years) and obtaining a M.D. attend a 7 year residency program to be a trained as a neurosurgeon

The path to Neurosurgery

Reasons why I chose this field:

Interest in Anatomy Interest in Technology Interest in how the CNS works Interest in working with hands/surgery Small field with lots of possibilities for

change

Why Neurosurgery?

Semmes-Murphey Very historic group, original faculty

trained under Harvey Cushing Very clinically heavy program Covers 5 hospitals (Methodist, VA, Med,

Baptist, Le Bonheur) One of the premier training programs in

the southeast

Neurosurgery @ UT

Boards + Research

Showing interest in your home program

Polishing your interest in the specialty, answering your own questions about is this right for you

Med Students Years 1-2

Research, Clinicals, Away rotations and home rotation in Neurosurgery

Typically 1 home rotation, 2 aways some do 1 home 1 away, others do 3 aways

Always good to have your home program on your side even if you don’t stay (other programs call your chair to ask about you)

Plan for $5-10,000 of extra expense in 4th year (Step 2 + aways + interviews + trips)

Med Students Years 3-4

Where do you want to live? Cost of living? Family? Program, operative experience, research

experience, reputation Chances of you matching at an away Apply early via VSAS!!!!!! (March-April-

May of 3rd year)

Choosing Aways

Southeast If you are heavy into research UVA if you are not you may not have a great

chance to match there Emory – Solid Program, good group Miami – Solid Program, good group Vandy – Solid program, not as much open vascular than Memphis, lacking

in some areas—good city, good research, connection to JHU UAB- good research program, well known faculty Of course UT (but this is your home SubI and everyone should do that)

Northeast MGH, Penn, JHU, Columbia

Better have solid scores, letters, and lots of research or you are wasting your month rotating there

Pitt, NYU Good operative programs, would recommend these if you want to move to the

northeast Southwest

Barrow, FANTASTIC ROTATION, you get to do tons, overall a great program and great rotation setup

USC, heard good things about this place

Northwest/Midwest Mayo-great program if you like MN and the cold SF---not for the faint of heart! UW– great program!! Cleveland Clinic

Programs I recommend

If you have great scores, research

Choose 2 places you would want to match (don’t go to a safety)

If you don’t have great scores, research I recommend choosing 1 program you’d love to go to, and another that is in the middle

Most people match at SubI’s or home institutions

Get good letters!How I would recommend choosing aways

Work hard

First to be there, last to leave

Always on best behavior can’t have bad days– this is a month long interview

Friendly , amiable, hang out with residents after hours get to know everyone

Never, ever try to show arrogance, or show someone else up (be nice to other rotators, they will be your colleagues!)

You can hurt yourself more than you can help yourself often when doing SubI’s (keep that in mind)

SubI’s

Tier 1: (harder to get interviews from) Barrow, JHU, Columbia, MGH, Cleveland

Clinic, Penn, UCSF, Mayo, Emory, WashU, UT!!

Tier 2: NYU, Pitt, Uwash, USC, UTSW, Baylor,

Miami, UCLA, UAB, Vanderbilt, Yale, Dartmouth, Utah, Cornell, Northwestern

Tier 3: (easy to get interviews from) Everywhere else

Applying

How many?

Depends on you, how competitive you feel you are and your anxiety level

If your super competitive apply to 20, do 10 interviews

If your not as competitive apply to more and take what is given then cancel as you go to the ones that overlap

Applying

Be prepared!!!, ANYTHING on your CV is fair game, have a standard answer for why nsgy, why medicine, etc. what you want to do with your career and so on

Most interviews happen in Nov/Dec/January

You will get interview invites in October to early November

Be quick to respond, most are on a rolling basis with wait lists!

Have fun!!!! Make sure to stay well hydrated from all the boozing! Make friends!

LEARN , this is the only chance you may have to meet some of the greats in this field one on one with their undivided attention

Interviews

Gut feel

Pros Cons

Case Load

Location

Stability, chairmen

Covers all specialties

Camaraderie

Resources, Benefits

Placement of previous graduates

Commitment and personality of program director & Chair

Ranking

PARTY!

Let your top programs know you’ll be ranking them highly, stay in touch

What’s a real job?

Moving in out etc.

Have fun the remainder of 4th year!!!!

Post Ranking