Penn State Accelerated Med + NSGY Residency

[Guest]

I say go the traditional route and go to the best med school you get into. Penn State isn't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They are trying to lure high-quality applicants who they know they would have no shot at in the regular match who are a little insecure or afraid of the uncertainty of the whole match process. If you can get into this program, you'll probably be able to get into a better med school and will probably be a strong neurosurgery applicant in the match.

[Guest]

(10-29-2019, 03:59 PM)Adrenaline Junkey Wrote:

(10-29-2019, 03:55 PM)Guest Wrote:

(10-29-2019, 02:58 PM)Guest Wrote:

(10-29-2019, 09:10 AM)Adrenaline Junkey Wrote:

(10-29-2019, 09:09 AM)Guest Wrote: I wouldn't recommend guaranteeing you do residency there. Long history of resident attrition and Harbaugh is retiring.

Thanks for the insight, Im rather new so I wasn't sure which programs have a good reputation or not. Appreciate it.

Wait for more responses and get a more informed perspective. Penn is a solid program, surely not perfect, with two past AANS presidents within the last 5 years or so.

Penn = University of Pennsylvania not Penn State. Neither AANS president will be on faculty by the time OP is a resident. Think twice about pipelining yourself into a neurosurgery residency program as a premed student. You don't know how you feel about your home program until you rotate with them and do SubIs at other programs. Skipping this vetting process for early/guaranteed entry into a neurosurgery program isn't worth it imo.

Let’s take it that as a premed I will have by the Med school app cycle have done hundreds of hours of research in neurology and neurosurgery as well as shadowed in neurosurgery for minimum 150-200 hours. That along with being well informed on what it takes to get through residency as well as the emotional and physical toll the field requires, do you think jumping into a guaranteed residency for NSGY is still a mistake if I love it more than all the other fields I shadowed and have read about?


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I think that if you're VERY well acquainted with the lifestyle demands and what it takes to get through a neurosurgical residency then you can reasonably decide on the field early on. The problem is committing to a 7 (or in this case 10) year program where you have zero idea if you'll like the residents or attendings. One of the biggest benefits of going through the match is that you get to meet people from all over the country, first during your Sub-Is and then your interviews so that you can find the best "fit" for your career goals and personality.

[Adrenaline Junkey]

(10-30-2019, 04:13 PM)Guest Wrote:

(10-29-2019, 03:59 PM)Adrenaline Junkey Wrote:

(10-29-2019, 03:55 PM)Guest Wrote:

(10-29-2019, 02:58 PM)Guest Wrote:

(10-29-2019, 09:10 AM)Adrenaline Junkey Wrote: Thanks for the insight, Im rather new so I wasn't sure which programs have a good reputation or not. Appreciate it.

Wait for more responses and get a more informed perspective. Penn is a solid program, surely not perfect, with two past AANS presidents within the last 5 years or so.

Penn = University of Pennsylvania not Penn State. Neither AANS president will be on faculty by the time OP is a resident. Think twice about pipelining yourself into a neurosurgery residency program as a premed student. You don't know how you feel about your home program until you rotate with them and do SubIs at other programs. Skipping this vetting process for early/guaranteed entry into a neurosurgery program isn't worth it imo.

Let’s take it that as a premed I will have by the Med school app cycle have done hundreds of hours of research in neurology and neurosurgery as well as shadowed in neurosurgery for minimum 150-200 hours. That along with being well informed on what it takes to get through residency as well as the emotional and physical toll the field requires, do you think jumping into a guaranteed residency for NSGY is still a mistake if I love it more than all the other fields I shadowed and have read about?


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I think that if you're VERY well acquainted with the lifestyle demands and what it takes to get through a neurosurgical residency then you can reasonably decide on the field early on. The problem is committing to a 7 (or in this case 10) year program where you have zero idea if you'll like the residents or attendings. One of the biggest benefits of going through the match is that you get to meet people from all over the country, first during your Sub-Is and then your interviews so that you can find the best "fit" for your career goals and personality.

This helps out and makes sense, I never thought of that. Appreciate it. You guys are right I rather just work hard knowing I want NSGY and crush the match.


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[Guest]

Lol. Penn state is a solid program. Residents have solid opportunities. Harbaugh doesnt operate so while you wont have the name, you wont lose anything in operative experience. Decaying program is a massive stretch.

[Guest]

This has nothing to do with the quality of program, Penn State's program is fine. The issue is where you fit in, in terms of your social interaction with the residents and attendings, should be a huge part of your ranking process and you'd be completely giving that up.

[Adrenaline Junkey]

(10-30-2019, 06:14 PM)Guest Wrote: Lol. Penn state is a solid program. Residents have solid opportunities. Harbaugh doesnt operate so while you wont have the name, you wont lose anything in operative experience. Decaying program is a massive stretch.

Stupid question, is the difference between an operative vs academic program just that operative programs give you more volume and variety in cases?


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[Guest]

(10-30-2019, 10:12 PM)Adrenaline Junkey Wrote:

(10-30-2019, 06:14 PM)Guest Wrote: Lol. Penn state is a solid program. Residents have solid opportunities. Harbaugh doesnt operate so while you wont have the name, you wont lose anything in operative experience. Decaying program is a massive stretch.

Stupid question, is the difference between an operative vs academic program just that operative programs give you more volume and variety in cases?


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These are not stupid questions, but they illustrate the stupidity of this program.  Most premed students can't name a single neurosurgical disease - how can you be expected to make the leap to understanding what kind of program would be best for you?

There are probably 5 premed students a year who are motivated by personal reasons to shoot for neurosurgery and won't even think of anything else.  And they are the ones motivated enough to match at top-tier programs.  Which is precisely why Penn State wants to try to snag them ahead of time.

It's a smart idea on their part, but this isn't like an AP class or accelerated BA/MD programs - where you go to residency is an intensely personal choice that requires an intensely personal process.  I can't imagine doing this.

[Guest]

I assume there is nothing that would stop a student from changing their mind and deciding to pursue a different specialty. Or simply deciding to participate in the match. It doesn't benefit the program or the student to force them into a residency they ultimately don't want.

[Adrenaline Junkey]

(10-30-2019, 11:55 PM)Guest Wrote: I assume there is nothing that would stop a student from changing their mind and deciding to pursue a different specialty. Or simply deciding to participate in the match. It doesn't benefit the program or the student to force them into a residency they ultimately don't want.

Changing your mind and trying to apply to a different program I’m sure would make you look bad since penn’s chair would be reluctant to offer you a solid letter considering you just blew off their program, or am I mistaken. I still have plenty of time before I apply , I just want to be as informed as possible.


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[Guest]

Stop calling it Penn, it’s Penn State. Penn = university of Pennsylvania, vastly different universities