Welcome to the sixth episode of The Med School Years podcast! In this highly anticipated episode, we sit down with Dr. Joshua McBriar, a freshly minted PGY-1 in Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Neurosurgery/Zucker School of Medicine. Joshua matched into one of the most competitive specialties, and he's here to share the blueprint for how he made it happen.

From discovering his passion for neurosurgery to strategically making himself stand out throughout medical school, Joshua breaks down the entire journey. He offers invaluable insights on mastering the demanding medical school curriculum, balancing competitiveness, and the pivotal process of applying and "signaling" residency programs. This episode is packed with unique perspectives on overcoming challenges and securing your dream residency!

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

02:00 Making it all happen

06:42 Process of applying to residency programs

10:10 Mastering the balancing act through medical school

12:48 Staying on top of being competitive

15:03 Curriculum at Zucker School of Medicine

22:41 Little research implications

26:05 Signaling programs and getting interviews

30:29 Any specialty surprises

33:57 Showcasing “you” in an application

36:54 Geographical differences

38:40 Living through match day

44:14 Looking forward to residency

45:27 Inspiration & final thoughts