<p>Thank you for clarifying that for me!!
By the way, since research publication and lots of research is not required for some MD applicants, how can they increase their chances without doing research?
For example, If someone wants to pursue into neurosurgery (residency) and probably not much research in his career, should he volunteer/shadow an acclaimed neurosurgeron in patient clinic center, emergency room, especially neurosurgery operating room for a long period of time for several months or years?</p>
<p>And lets not even get started on mouse models! <em>shiver</em></p>
<p>What you do in undergrad will not have much effect on your chances of becoming a neurosurgeon (though, technically, research publications could have a slightly positive effect in the long run). You apply to neurosurgery residency after you are in medical school. Shadowing and stuff isn’t as important once you are in medical school, beyond improving your ability to justify your interest in a specific specialty. </p>
<p>As far as neurosurgery residency goes, major factors include your USMLE Step 1 (the MCAT equivalent of medical school) score, research while in medical school (a large number of neurosurgery applicants take a year off to do research while in medical school, especially if one wants to go to a major neurosurgery program like Johns Hopkins, Columbia, UCSF, etc), your clinical grades while in medical school, and your letters of recommendation from neurosurgeons.</p>
<p>As far as how other pre-meds distinguish themselves to get into medical school, yes copious clinical experience is valuable, especially if it is in a volunteering setting where you are contributing to something (for example, being a volunteer interpreter or participating in community outreach events where you take blood pressures or something). A billion hours of shadowing isn’t particularly impressive, though you do want to develop a tight relationship with at least one physician so that you can get a letter of recommendation. Having exceptional extracurricular achievements can also help. Being a high level artist of some kind, athlete of some kind, etc can be of value with a good overall application. Strong leadership positions, founding an organization of significance, running a small business, are also other possibilities. The truth is, there is no cookie cutter way to success. Follow your passions and develop them to the greatest extent possible. While doing so, have at least decent levels of community service and clinical experience (ideally things that relate to your passions). Ideally, if academic medical schools are you goal, you would also have research experience too. The specifics aren’t important so much as the impact is. I did research on bugs, but it was good research that i got a lot out of. Way more important than it being on bugs vs brains.</p>
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<p>I would add to this that programs seem to be increasingly accepting of doing your PhD in something like cognitive or behavioral neuroscience, which I guess can be often thought of as “clinical” in that you can very easily find yourself having to obtain IRB approval, interacting with a patient population (usually your research has to do with some sort of psychiatric or neurological issue). I know there are several posters on SDN who were very successful and found their programs to be very supportive of them doing a PhD in these fields.</p>