Guest - 08 May 2007 06:34 PM

So, how exactly does one go about finding these opportunities to write case reports and/or review papers? Do you talk to the chief of the department at the institution or talk to the residents?

We had a summer research overview in the fall of our 1st year.  It contained a list of docs and their respective projects they wanted help on.  Generally it was a waste of time but some of us made it worthwhile.  See if your school offers a summer fellowship or like someone else mentioned, e-mail the chair or pd inquiring about opportunities.  Sometimes it takes persistence but it will pay off.

Kraney - 09 May 2007 04:38 AM

Guest - 08 May 2007 08:11 PM

[
because he, unlike you, is quite motivated.  just because you lazy-out of the ideal path doesn’t mean everyone should.  its pretty obvious.  your immaturity is frightening.

“Unlike you?” You haven’t the slightest clue of the path I’ve taken so the stupidity YOU display by even attempting to comment on the matter is foolish. It’s like operating in a field with zero visibility (which equates to the insight you have concerning MY “OUT OF THE IDEAL PATH"). Amojan’s best interest is in all of our comments on the thread but I don’t want him to think the foolish path you posted is mandatory to become a neurosurgeon. He should participate in research for 2 reasons. The first is because he’s interested in it. The second is because he’s considering a field where it’s an asset. If this amounts to “15” publications so be it, a publication does NOT equate to a quality piece of academic literature. The in-bread competitiveness you’re trying to inject will only unnerve the young man and yield sentiments of inadequacy for no apparent reason. If you really want to give him some good advice, encourage him to BE actively involved in research before applying for an extremely competitive residency program, not follow your foolish plan. Unless you are the world’s authority on how to become a neurosurgeon (none exists), leave it up to him exactly HOW MUCH and WHICH KINDS of topics he will become invested in. The interest is the important thing here Amojan, not the numbers of pubs. When you apply for residency, they look at each application one at a time (they don’t put them on a scale to see which weighs the most and choose the heaviest).

1) “Unlike you? im not stupid, YOU are”.  again, frightening immaturity.  the outline i’ve listed is indeed ideal.  you begin research in medical school, you get great grades, you carry research on throughout medical school, you get great boards, great rotations, more research, and get into a great program.  anyone would know this is an ideal candidate, and whoever does that is a top stud.  the fact that you got offended for me suggesting this means that a) you didn’t do it, and b) you’re very insecure about your own application.  your idiotic discourse reminded me another quality - be mature in your interviews, that’s another important part.

2) mandatory to become a neurosurgeon.  no, that’s the ideal path.  you know how you mentioned about operating with zero visibility?  the zero visibility you perpetually possess conveniently left out the world “ideal”

3) it’s funny how much a medical student can weigh in on how program directors think and choose applicants.  let us know how that goes.  in the mean time, since you have no problem pretending you are one, imagine you have two applicants, same everything, but one has 15 pubs that he/she can talk intelligently about, vs. one that only has 3.  The one with 15 started M1 and continued well into M4, whereas the 3 only started late M2.  Or they each only have 3 quality publications, but the 15 guy has already written chapters on fixations, arthroplasties, fusions, endoscopy, and GBM’s.  Either way - who knows more about the field, and who would you be more willing to take under your wing?

4) they look at apps one at a time and blah blah...yeah, he’s off on that one.  Yes they want quality, but they want to be able to talk to you intelligently about it.  Use common sense.  15>5 if in that 15, you have 5 quality publications, no matter who you are.

5) your selective comprehension is, i say again, extremely immature.  the fact that i could have just as easily said “i respectfully disagree” and the tone of your post would be completely different indicates serious personality flaws that will plague you well into your residency if you get in.

Dr. Hfuh, you’re so right.

kraney - does that mean you are retarded, and lost, or are the more mature retarded guy who started the race but backed out?

Guest - 09 May 2007 07:24 AM

kraney - does that mean you are retarded, and lost, or are the more mature retarded guy who started the race but backed out?

There’s no race to back out of Mr. Smaller Retard Than I, just give the kid accurate advice. Doesn’t seem like you’re a PD/Chair either and if you are (which I doubt), that’s not good. The point is “ideal” is not “ideal” for every medical student. Maybe that path would ruin his experience as a med-student...how do you know? Of COURSE he should involve himself in research.  Maybe he’d have ABSOLUTELY no freakin’ life after that path....who knows? Not you, not I my fellow retard.
P.S. I’m supposed to be immature, my IQ runs in the 40’s

thats just distasteful; even nsmatch drew its lines

Kraney - 09 May 2007 07:53 AM

Guest - 09 May 2007 07:24 AM

kraney - does that mean you are retarded, and lost, or are the more mature retarded guy who started the race but backed out?

There’s no race to back out of Mr. Smaller Retard Than I, just give the kid accurate advice. Doesn’t seem like you’re a PD/Chair either and if you are (which I doubt), that’s not good. The point is “ideal” is not “ideal” for every medical student. Maybe that path would ruin his experience as a med-student...how do you know? Of COURSE he should involve himself in research.  Maybe he’d have ABSOLUTELY no freakin’ life after that path....who knows? Not you, not I my fellow retard.
P.S. I’m supposed to be immature, my IQ runs in the 40’s

while your thoughts are noble, they are in no way accurate.  A 60 year old medical student (I do know of one) has many heart conditions, diabetes, etc.  He requires an hour of exercise, very healthy eating, and a solid 8 hours of sleep in hopes of living long, and knows that if it crumbles, if he slips up, his rhythm is gone, and he’ll inevitably suffer another heart attack.

this individual’s ideal schedule is up by 8, classes, lunch, run, study, sleep by 11, day in, day out.  he can’t put in the time for research or those all-nighters or anything extra.  he knows he’ll get a 220 board scores, average grades, and maybe a publication if his research rotation fourth year produces anything fruitful.  he knows he has no chance of anything competitive.  yet his situation is ideal for him.

the world isn’t composed of all neurosurgeons because their “ideal” life doesn’t coincide with the sacrifices they make.  what’s ideal for them just doesn’t cut it in a field like this.  if you want it, you’re going to have to stray away from your ideal in order to become an ideal candidate.  the more ideal you are, the better your chances of matching; of course, few ever get that good, but it’s those that try, do reasonably well, and attain a position.

you can’t stop and smell every flower in the park and expect to get home before nightfall.

Salient indeed. However in such a competitive specialty the ONLY objective measure of an ideal path (and we’re talking about neurosurgery here) is one that leads to a successful match. By successful I mean matching (not matching where you’d like, but matching period). Nobody knows they’ve matched until they match (at least you’re not supposed to). Feel free to disagree.

you are correct, but the flexible candidates obviously should maximize their flexibility to strengthen their application as much as possible.  the inflexible ones run the crapshoot.

an undergrad with (presumably) no wife/kids, etc. a definitive interest in neurosurgery, and a year to kill before medical school should certainly structure his next four years as intensely as possible with application-enhancers to match as high as possible.  anything less is reflective of an inadequate stamina.

look back at your own life; you’ve shared your history of wife, kids, etc.  and i’m sure that placed certain unique pressures on you; looking back, could you have done any more?  probably not.
now look at an undergrad 20 year old.  his potential for enrichment exceeds yours by virtue of his personal attachments/requirements, or lack thereof.  thus, his best course isn’t to match your achievements, but rather to try to go for as much as he possibly can.

Guest - 14 May 2007 05:47 PM

you are correct, but the flexible candidates obviously should maximize their flexibility to strengthen their application as much as possible.  the inflexible ones run the crapshoot.

an undergrad with (presumably) no wife/kids, etc. a definitive interest in neurosurgery, and a year to kill before medical school should certainly structure his next four years as intensely as possible with application-enhancers to match as high as possible.  anything less is reflective of an inadequate stamina.

look back at your own life; you’ve shared your history of wife, kids, etc.  and i’m sure that placed certain unique pressures on you; looking back, could you have done any more?  probably not.
now look at an undergrad 20 year old.  his potential for enrichment exceeds yours by virtue of his personal attachments/requirements, or lack thereof.  thus, his best course isn’t to match your achievements, but rather to try to go for as much as he possibly can.

Amojan, this is a very good piece of advice.

I agree. Thanks again to Kraney and everyone else who responded. I do have a good amount of research lined up and am very fortunate to have excellent mentors. Anything else people can recommend I do in the (dear god!!) 5 years I have left before matching, please do let me know. And by the way, the helpful “Guest” who PMed me with their phone number and asked me to call them, please PM me again and let me at least know your name or something. It’s a little odd to just call someone I dont know up out of the blue and ask: “Uh...can I talk to ...Guest?”

How did you do it???

Rvin - 20 October 2007 06:56 AM

How did you do it???

Who did what with the what now?