*** WARNING – UNDER CONSTRUCTION – HARD HAT AREA! ***

The Uncle Harvey Guide to Applying to Neurosurgery Residency 

CONTENTS 
Introduction 
Chapter 1: Wait a second… is this even a good idea? Is neurosurgery really for me? 
Chapter 2: Planning ahead – Topics for those in MS1/2, or earlier 
Chapter 3: Research: How much? What type? How important is it really? 
Chapter 4: Do I even have a chance of getting into Neurosurgery? 
Chapter 5: Help! I just realized I want to do neurosurgery – is it too late? 
Chapter 6: Being a medical student on the neurosurgery service 
Chapter x: Learning your stuff as a student: notes on available resources 
Chapter 7: Away rotations: When, Where, Why, How? 
Chapter 8: Letters of recommendation 
Chapter 9: Preparing the application 
Chapter 10: Scheduling interviews and life on the trail 
Chapter 11: Interviews: what to expect, how to shine 
Chapter 12: What should I be looking for in a program? 
Chapter 13: Second looks: To do or not to do… 
Chapter 14: Preparing the rank list, and other post-interview issues 
Chapter 15: You matched – congratulations! 
Chapter 16: You didn’t match – what now? 
Chapter 17: Toward residency: moving, housing, preparation… Chapter 18: Help us improve this guide! 
APPENDIX 1-97: The programs… 
INTRODUCTION: Welcome to Uncle Harvey’s guide to applying to neurosurgery residency! For years Uncle Harvey, (and previously NSmatch) has been a leading source of information for those interested in pursuing a career as neurosurgeons. Every day new topics are added to discussion boards as individuals share their questions, insights and comments about any number of neurosurgery-related topics. The goal of the following "guide" is to provide a collection of some of the most useful and enlightening forum discussions in an organized manner so that applicants can quickly and easily access the information they need when they need it, without having to sift through what has now become thousands of forum topics with tens of thousands of postings. Unlike a published book, this online guide is intended to be a dynamic resource. Useful discussions may be added and outdated topics removed by any registered user, with changes becoming public upon administrator approval. Tangents, repetition and omissions and occasional misinformation should be expected, along with generous helpings of author's opinions. As always, please remember that postings within any given discussion may have been written by anyone with a computer and internet access. Enough said. On behalf of the Uncle Harvey community of neurosurgeons, residents and hopefuls who have authored the entries compiled in this guide, I hope you find the information beneficial. If you have any comments or suggestions on how we can improve this resource, please direct them to the forum topic: “Uncle Harvey’s guide to applying to neurosurgery residency.” (pending…)
CHAPTER 1: Wait a second… is this even a good idea? Is neurosurgery really for me? <a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/392/P0/">doubts? regrets?</a> <a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/340/P15/">marriage, divorce and residency</a> <a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/757/">comments from neurosurgery residents' spouses...</a> <a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/463/">thoughts on the 88 hour work week</a> <a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/15/">how did you decide on neurosurgery?</a> 
CHAPTER 2: Planning ahead – Topics for those in MS1/2, or earlier CHAPTER 4: Do I even have a chance of getting into Neurosurgery? 
CHAPTER 3: Research: How much? What type? How important is it really? 
CHAPTER x: Discussions about being an aspiring Neurosurgeon-Scientist <a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/1532/link">Neurosurgeon-Scientists. How do people make it work?</a> 
CHAPTER 5: Help! I just realized I want to do neurosurgery – is it too late? 
<a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/230/">Help! Almost MS4!</a> 
CHAPTER 6: Being a medical student on the neurosurgery service Chapter x: Learning and knowing your stuff as a student: Hints and tips 
<a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/1692/">Greenberg hilights</a> 
<a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/1667/">opening / closing 101</a> 
CHAPTER 7: Away rotations: When, Where, Why, How? 
CHAPTER 8: Letters of recommendation 
CHAPTER 9: Preparing the application 
CHAPTER 10: Scheduling interviews and life on the trail 
<a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/1650/">tips for scheduling and and travelling</a>(...the thread is where the idea for this guide began...) 
<a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/872/">budgeting for interviews</a> 
<a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/29/">how many interviews can you pack in?</a> (note: old thread from the days of early match) 
CHAPTER 7: Away rotations: When, Where, Why, How? 
CHAPTER 11: Interviews: what to expect, how to shine 
CHAPTER 12: What should I be looking for in a program? 
CHAPTER 13: Second looks: To do or not to do… 
CHAPTER 14: Preparing the rank list, and other post-interview issues 
<a href="http://uncleharvey.com/index.php/wiki/2009_Applicant_rank_lists/"> Here are 49 of >300 submitted rank lists for 2009:</a> 
CHAPTER 15: You matched – congratulations! 
CHAPTER 16: You didn’t match – what now? 
CHAPTER 17: Toward residency: moving, housing, preparation… 
CHAPTER 18: Help us improve this guide! 
APPENDIX 1-97: The programs…