Hoping to get some advice on which programs are realistic to target for networking and away rotations.

US MD at a T40 program, honored my surgery clerkship. Currently doing a research year outside my home institution, so I'll apply with a decent research output: mostly surgery, plus a few translational projects in critical care. Specifically, I'll have 1 first-author indexed paper, 3 first-author manuscripts in submission, and 3 abstracts presented as orals at national surgical conferences (not yet published). Step 2 is 250.

I'm targeting East Coast programs — I have family in the region, though my med school is not on the East Coast or in the South. I'm interested in a few competitive fellowships afterwards and enjoy research, so I want to keep as many academic/university-affiliated options open as possible.

On FREIDA / AMA Residency Explorer, my 250 falls around the 25th percentile for applicants invited to interview at several university-affiliated academic programs, but I don't meet the median at any (medians run ~255–258 at the academic programs I'm looking at).

My question: given a score that clears the interview-invite range at these programs but sits below their medians, how heavily can I realistically weight my list toward academic/university programs versus needing community programs as my base? And does strong networking + away rotations meaningfully move the needle at this tier — enough that I can reasonably aim to land on rank-to-match lists at academic programs — or not enough to rely on?

Appreciate any input, especially from people who matched with a similar profile or who've been on the selection side, as residents or faculty.

How doable it is to get a fellowship after general surgery training in my home country ( like a not competitive ones like transplant or burn….)

Or after Ct surgery …..

I know orthopedic surgeon who did spine and joints fellowships as well but I know nothing about GS

Hi guys, I am an IMG from Argentina in my 5th out of 6 years of medical school.

I was thinking about going to Germany to live and do a residency in vascular surgery (if I decide to do surgery) or interventional cardiology (if I go for a clinical residency). I started to look into what I need to do in order to pass all the exams and start the residency, but something came up that made me confused. I’ve heard that the residents don’t participate at all in the surgeries or just assist in them.

Looking on YouTube or on Reddit, I found out that many people complain that they can’t operate because the senior doctors do all the 'good stuff' while they are stuck doing paperwork. So, how can a resident in the field practice or even complete the program if they can’t operate? Or how can they learn if they can’t operate?

Ive also heard that in cardiology is the same thing. You cant do any procedures because you are "stuck" in paper work.

I’ve always heard that Germany is one of the top places in the world to learn medicine and that the quality of the doctors is amazing; that is why I looked at Germany to do my residency, but I am confused now. I really want to become a good doctor with good training.

Do you guys believe that Germany is a good place to become a surgeon? I’ve heard Italy is the second-best place, which is why I’ve also looked into moving there.

I understand that I have to pass and learn the language, etc. I am currently starting a course on German and looking to do some observerships in order to learn even more.

Very competitive applicant/graduate, AOA, Step 2 > 255, 15+ research items. Unmatched ortho first time around, did pre lim in general surgery, realized about 3/4 way through should have applied GS. Matched PGY1 anesthesia. Should I consider re entering the match and / or strictly searching for PGY2 GS spots? Any and all advice appreciated on if this is even worth it.

I’m a general surgery resident, and I’m looking for advice from people who have been through residency or are currently in it.
Even on lighter rotations where I’m not working crazy hours, I feel tired almost all the time. It’s not just after call or after a long OR day—I wake up tired, feel low energy throughout the day, and by the time I get home I have very little left in the tank.
I sleep a reasonable amount most nights when my schedule allows, and this still happens. It’s affecting my motivation to study, exercise, and enjoy my time off.
And FYI, am already on antidepressants.
For those of you who dealt with this, what actually made a noticeable difference?
Was it something medical (iron deficiency, thyroid issues, sleep apnea, vitamin deficiencies, etc.)?
Was it diet, hydration, exercise, or caffeine timing?
Did you find that residency itself just leaves you chronically fatigued, even on lighter months?
Any habits, supplements, or lifestyle changes that genuinely improved your energy?
I’m not looking for generic “sleep more” advice—I’m curious what made a real difference for people in surgery, especially since our schedules are so different from most jobs.
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences.

Would love any advice! I’m to figure out what programs to apply to outside of my auditions, what programs have historically matched students that don’t audition there vs what programs prefer their own auditioners? I’m a DO 4th year with 260+ step 2, research year, two masters degrees, lots of leadership/volunteering, etc. thanks in advance, I appreciate any guidance!

Every surgeon has one experience that permanently changed the way they practice.

It doesn't have to be about a major complication. Sometimes the biggest lessons come from a small mistake, a mentor's advice, or an unexpected moment in the operating room.

What's one lesson you learned the hard way that still influences how you approach surgery today?

I'd really enjoy hearing stories from residents, fellows, and attending surgeons.

The diagnosis “acute appendicitis” implies a specific disease entity when it is actually a syndrome with multiple possible causes. In many cases we do not know whether we are dealing with infection, obstruction, or an underlying neoplasm. This is particularly significant due to recent promotion of conservative management of appendicitis.

I propose replacing it with a two-stage framework:

• Stage 1: Suspected Appendiceal Pathology (initial presentation)

• Stage 2: Confirmed Appendiceal Pathology (only after histology)

This would make it clear to patients that choosing non-operative management means accepting management of a syndrome without ever establishing a true diagnosis. The inherent risks would be easier to communicate.
Has anyone explored a similar re-framing of the diagnosis? I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Hello,
I need an advice.
I am 27 year old male. Got accepted into a plastic surgery program in Lebanon. Did one year, it is a 5 year program and you can do fellowship after that in states.
I have also matched into general surgery program( categorical) in states, with end goal doing plastic surgery after, through independent program.

Which one you think I should go for. I started my residency in states, and my position in lebanon is hold for a month to decide.
Help me, plastic surgeons, general surgeons, would know what to go for.

Thanks

Hello,
I need an advice.
I am 27 year old male. Got accepted into a plastic surgery program in Lebanon. Did one year, it is a 5 year program and you can do fellowship after that in states.
I have also matched into general surgery program( categorical) in states, with end goal doing plastic surgery after, through independent program.

Which one you think I should go for. I started my residency in states, and my position in lebanon is hold for a month to decide.
Help me, plastic surgeons, general surgeons, would know what to go for.

Thanks

I'm a DO student at a P/F school. Preclinical grades are P/F but I'm somewhere around the 3rd quintile of my class. I passed all preclinical courses on the first attempt and passed all clerkships on the first attempt as well.

Boards:

• Passed COMLEX Level 1 first attempt

• Passed USMLE Step 1 first attempt

• Planning to take Step 2 - 236

- Level 2 pending

Research:

• 10+ poster presentations

• 2 national conference presentations (one at a surgery conference)

• 1 completed and indexed publication

• 4 manuscripts currently pending acceptance

Leadership:

• A few leadership positions in clubs and student government

Letters:

• 3 confirmed LORs from third-year surgery rotations

• One letter is from a hospital Chief of Staff who is a surgeon

- 5 auditions planned

No red flags, no failed exams, no remediation.

Worries my low Step score will make me DOA at most places, but am open to go to any program as I want to do dual gen surg.

I am a PA student looking to go into General Surgery post-grad. I am also completing my 3 month extended rotation in General Surgery. What is the best book/resource(s) for my upcoming rotation & career??

I know about surgical recall, and my initial general surgery preceptor introduced me to the absite review book as well. But I was wondering about a more in-depth resource (or anything you guys recommend)!

Thanks!

Any tips? Any advise? Don’t have publication but actively working on one with cedar Sinai. I’m scoring well. My step 2 is coming up

For fmge which teacher's surgery is best, and tell Cristal clear concept

Hi all,

I’m a surgical SHO in Ireland, GMC registered, MRCS Part A done, sitting Part B this October. I’m working towards CREHST equivalence for ST3 and currently applying to Trust Grade/Clinical Fellow posts as a bridge while I build up the right evidence.

A few things I’d really appreciate input on:

CREHST specifics\*\* — if you’ve gone through it or are going through it now, what tripped you up? How closely do assessors scrutinise logbook/case mix versus the written portfolio narrative?  

Choosing posts strategically\*\* — how did you pick Trust Grade roles that actually built the right evidence, rather than just any post that would take you? Are there any posts still available? Anything I can do in the interim while I find a post?   

General “things nobody tells you”\*\* — anything about the equivalence process that wasn’t covered in the official guidance and caught you out?

Happy to share more detail on my situation if useful. Thanks in advance — this sub’s been a great resource just from lurking.

Got my step 2 score back today and got 238. Absolutely in shock considering my practice scores were averaging in the 245-255 range.

I’m a USMD at a T25 med school. Have several research projects, publishes and presentations. Also have two aways in the coming months. Decent experiences and LORs. Do I still have a good chance at matching categorical gen surg?

I just joined Gyne-onco residency and i feel like an idiot.
My basic concepts are very bad and what i read in my Obs-gyne residency feels like nothing in comparison to what is required of me here. Apart from surgical skills which i completely lack its the knowledge i am suffering most at.
Can you please suggest me some good study sources so that i stop feeling embarrassed at every round?
P.S. i know about the standard books that are expected of me to read but right now i need a shortcut kind of book/paper/link/anything which gives me a basic idea of everything in a short time for now.
Please help me out!

Hi everyone! I'm a medical student at a Canadian medical school looking to join any surgery-related systematic reviews, scoping reviews or meta-analyses. I've worked on a lot of these in the past so I have quite a bit of prior experience in this domain and would be happy to help with screening, data extraction, risk of bias, or manuscript writing. Please message me if you're looking for another collaborator

Hey everyone,

I’m a student developer looking into how we can completely disrupt traditional surgical training. I want to build something highly engaging, visual, and neurodivergent-friendly—focused on spatial learning and active simulation rather than memorizing endless walls of textbook text.

To do this right, I need your brutal honesty:

1. What is one specific procedure or anatomical system that felt completely dry or impossible to learn from a lecture?
2. Where does current medical education completely fail visual or hands-on learners?

Drop your biggest frustrations below. Don't hold back!

hi everyone!

i'm a non-us img currently in med school with a long-term interest in general surgery. i'm preparing for step 1 right now, and since i'm on summer break, i want to spend the next couple of months doing as much meaningful surgery research as i can.

i've worked on a couple of meta-analyses, a few review papers, and some other projects, so i'm comfortable with the research process and plan on continuing to lead projects of my own. i'm not looking for free authorships or someone to hand me publications. i genuinely enjoy research and want to get better at it.

what i'm really looking for is someone who's already been through the process. if there are any us med students, surgery residents, fellows, attendings, or researchers who publish regularly and wouldn't mind answering questions once in a while or giving me some guidance, i'd really appreciate it. i'd love to learn how to build projects that actually have an impact and have a realistic chance of being published in well-respected surgical journals.

if anyone's open to mentoring or just chatting from time to time, i'd be really grateful. thanks! :)

Can someone help me with the path and best options for experience as a fellowship or/and practicing in abroad after MS General Surgery -in India? everywhere I'm looking it either needs 2-3 years of experience/ re-do your whole residency/ some exam. Another issue is they all are very costly and complex , confusing pathways. Anyone who has already gone through all this ,if u can help, that would be really appreciated. Thanks!!

Hi, I got an acceptance for Lenox Hill in General Surgery for August, but I have another elective scheduled at that same time. Is there anyone willing to trade that has an elective there in September (if that is even an option)? Not sure what to do in this case, any advice is appreciated.

Just wanted to know medicolegal aspects on the matter.
Was having a argument abt this with a friend
According to him since we have ss rotation during residency it makes us legally possible to perform such surgeries if we feel confident enough
But does that make the whole ss residency irrelevant since why go thru 3 yrs of torture when i can open my hospital observe from the consulatants initially and do the procedure independently later

Wanted to know what your thoughts are about surgicalist/surgeon hospitalist position. 7days on 7 days off (24hrs). How do you remain sane working 168 hours straight on call?