Neurosurgery
{
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Student 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


Pitt, NYU


Good operative programs, would recommend these if you want to move to the
northeast
Southwest



Better have solid scores, letters, and lots of research or you are wasting your month
rotating there
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)


Tier 2:


Barrow, JHU, Columbia, MGH, Cleveland Clinic,
Penn, UCSF, Mayo, Emory, WashU, UT!!
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