- MD, midwest, public
- AOA, senior
- USMLE: Step 1 - 246, Step 2 - 246
- Publications: 2 (both basic science, 1 neuro-related, no 1st author)
- Current projects: 2 (both clinical neurosurgery)
- Extracurricular: baseball, no leadership activities, etc
- Required clerkships (on application): Honors - Surg, Med I & II, Psych, Peds; Pass - Neurology, Ob & Gyn
- Sub-internships: 3 (2 away)
- Letters: 4, all neurosurgery, including 3 members of SNS
- Applied to 32 programs, 15 invitations, 10 interviews, 1 second look, ranked 7
- Matched at Sub-I

- MD, filthy/dirty/nasty south, public
- AOA (junior - ranked #5 in class of ~220)
- USMLE: Step 1 - 268, Step 2 - 276
- Publications: 2 (both basic science, neither neuro-related, 1 first author, 1 4th author
- Current projects: 1 (clinical neurosurgery)
- Extracurricular: none
- Required clerkships: all honors
- Sub-internships: 2 (1 away)
- Letters: 3, all neurosurgery, including PD of home institution, home chairman, sub-i chairman
- Applied to 29 programs, 27 invitations, 14 interviews, no second looks, ranked 14
- Matched very highly (away sub-i)

if you don’t mind, can we add this stuff to neurosurgery.matchapplicants.com?

MD, South, no neurosurgery program, public
Not AOA, top 15%
USMLE Step 1 246, Step II 239
Publications: 1 (neuro related, 1st author), 2 publications submitted (neuro related one 1st author and another 2nd author), 3 poster presentation at AANS or CNS
Clinical Grades: all high pass, no honor
Basic Science Grades: all honor
Subinternship: 3 (3 aways)
Letters: 4, all neurosurgery 2 from SNS members
Applied to 81 programs, 39 invites, 21 interviews, 2 second looks, ranked 18, matched at #2

-MD/PhD, southern top 15 school, PhD in non-neuro project
-Nominated to AOA but not elected
-USMLE Step I 253, Step II 274
-Publications: 16 (10 basic science 1st author, 2 2nd author, 2 1st author clinical papers, 2 patents), additional 15 abstracts incl. 2 CNS first authors
-Extracurriculars: Swimming, 40 triathlons/ironman races, play 4 musical instruments
-Required clerkships: Honors in all except surgery (high pass) and medicine (pass)
-Basic science grades: Honors and high pass
Subinternships: 3 (2 aways), all honors
Letters: 6, (home chairman, home senior faculty, away 1 chairman, away 1 program director, away 2 chairman, PhD advisor)
Applied to 32 programs, 32 invites, 20 interviews, 1 second look, ranked all, matched at #1 (not at sub-I or second look)

- MD, midwest, private
- Not AOA
- USMLE: Step 1 - 243, Step 2 - pending
- Publications: 6 (2 non-neuro basic science, 3 first-authored neuro clinical, 1 neuro historical)
- Current projects: None
- Extracurricular: Sports, skiing, classical piano
- Required clerkships (on application): Honors on all except peds (commendable) and ob/gyn (commendable)
- Sub-internships: 3 (2 away)
- Letters: 4 (3 neuro - home chair, home PD, away chair, 1 basic science research PI)
- Applied to 34 programs, 26 invitations, 14 interviews, no second looks, ranked 13
- Matched at #1 (not sub-I)

- MD, mid-atlantic, public
- AOA, senior
- USMLE: Step 1 - 247, Step 2 - 234 (not reported, but a couple programs asked)
- Publications: None, 1 presentation of med school project which won an award
- Research experience: public health x 2 summers in undergrad, PI’d my own general surgery study in med school, but no pubs
- Extracurricular: a lot of volunteer activities and leadership positions
- Required clerkships (on application): Honored everything but OB-GYN (High Pass)
- Sub-internships: 3 (2 away)
- Letters: 4, all neurosurgery, including 3 chairs/SNS members, at least two of them nationally-recognized
- Applied to 46 programs, 32 invitations, 21 interviews, no second looks, ranked 21
- Matched at #1, Sub-I

MD from low/mid midwestern school
AOA as a Junior
Step I 254, Step II 259
Clinical: all honors except for Psych
Basic science: mostly honors
Pubs: 3 publications (two first authors)
Sub I: 3 (two aways)
Applied to 30 programs, 20+ invites, went to 14, 1 second look
Matched at #1 (did not do a sub-I there, but it was my only second look)

-MD from public school in midwest
-Junior AOA and 8 scholarships (most significant scholarship related to NSGY)
-Step I = 262; Step 2 = 258
-Clinical:  Honors in peds/neurosurgery/obgyn/anesthesia/fam medicine; High Pass in surgery/medicine/psychiatry
-Basic Science:  Honors, except biochem
-Research:  2 pubs with a second author (both non-neurosurgery related)
-Sub-I:  3 (2 aways, both top flight clinical/operative programs with ample research)
-Letters:  5 total (1 home chairman, 1 home PD, 2 away chairmen, 1 PI/vascular surgeon)
-Applied to 33 programs and received 24 interviews; went on 9 interviews and ranked 8 programs
-Matched at #1 (away program)

-MD from top 10 med school. 
-Wasn’t even close to AOA. 
-Step I = 220, Step II = 229
-Clinical = HP in everything except ObGyn (pass) and Medicine (honors). 
-Basic Science = Failed two classes.  Didn’t come close to honoring anything. 
-Research = 15ish neurosurgery publications.  Tons of abstracts.  Abstract awards. 
-Two SubIs = 1 at home, 1 away at a more academic program. 
-Letters = 5 total.  One didn’t get sent out.  All neurosurgeons. 
-Applied everywhere.  Went on 15 interviews.  Ranked all of them. 
-Matched at #1. 

So don’t sweat boards and basic science grades.

-MD, northeast private med school
-not aoa
-stepI= 236, step2-246 (not available for interviews)
-clinical= honors in all 3rd year courses except surgery and psych
-basic science= all pass in p/f system
-research= 1 pub from undergrad, 1 poster in neurosurgery, 1 book chapter, 1 ongoing in neurosurgery
-subI= 3 (2away)
-letters= 4, 3 chairmen in nsurg, 1 program director
-applied to 45, 23 invites, 18 interviews, 0 second looks, ranked all 18
-matched at #2 (away progam)

Step 1 217, no AOA, one major CC3 honors, no med school or neurosurgery papers, non-traditional applicant, told not to apply by some.... MATCHED.  So go stuff it.

^^ you’re my hero.

I agree.  That is worthy of hero status.  ranklist 10 with the 217 is my new hero.  But don’t worry Ranklist10 with the 220 step.  You’re right up there too!  Gives me hope.

- MD, midwest, private
- AOA
- Step I 254, Step II 245 (not reported)
- Publications: 2 pubs, several abstracts, a book chapter (all neuro related), 4 submitted
- Extracurriculars: school leadership and volunteer activities
- Required clerkships: all honors
- Sub-internships: 3 (2 away)
- Letters: 5 total (1 home chairman, 2 home neurosurgeons, 2 away chairmen)
- Applied to 37 programs, 31 invitations, 14 interviews, 2 second looks, ranked 14
- Matched #2 (away program)

- MD, south, public
- AOA, junior
- USMLE: Step 1 - 250, Step 2 - 253
- Publications: 1 clinical
- Pending projects on application: 3 (1 basic science, 2 clinical nsgry)
- Extracurricular: a couple of leadership roles
- 4.0 clinical rotations, 4.0 preclinical
- Sub-internships: 3 (2 away)
- Letters: 5, 4 neurosurgery, 1 PhD who knew me since 1st year.  I had many comments on the strength of my letters.
- Applied to 43 programs, Did not get interview invitations at UCSF, JHU, Pitt, Columbia, MGH
- Went on 12 interviews, 1 second look, ranked 12
- Matched at #1

- MD, south, public
- AOA, junior
- USMLE: Step 1 - 264, Step 2 - 260
- Publications: 1 clinical paper (non-neurosurg); 2 abstracts (one neurosurg, one non-neurosurg)
- Pending projects on application: 4 (2 clinical nsgry papers, 1 neurosurg research project, 1 non-neurosurg research project)
- Extracurricular: some volunteer activities. play instrument
- clinical rotations - all A’s except 1 B (Medicine), 4.0 preclinical
- Sub-internships: 3 (2 away)
- Letters: 5, 4 neurosurgery (3 Chairman, 1 Professor), 1 Faculty who was research mentor on earlier project in MD school (non-nsgry)
- Applied to 41 programs, 28 invites, went to 18 interviews
- No second looks, ranked all 18
- Matched