neuro subspecialties

[anbuitachi]

How competitive are neurology subspecialties? I know neurology isn't a competitive field in terms of step scores but seeing as how many fellowships don't put heavy emphasis on scores what is he most competitive neurology subspecialty? And do these compare in terms of difficulty w fields like cardiology? Is it important to go to a top neurology program?

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[TUGM]

From what I hear, Neurology fellowships at the big name programs are fairly competitive... e.g. MGH, Hopkins, Columbia, UCSF, UCLA, UPenn, etc. The most competitive fellowships would most like be pain medicine, sleep, IR, and probably stroke and critical care. While it helps to go to the big name programs if you want to do a fellowship at big name programs, you can most likely score a fellowship regardless of your residency program. I'm sure senior residents probably have more insight.

 

[TUGM]

Also, I thought that Neurology this year felt significantly more competitive than last year...

 

[anbuitachi]

Also, I thought that Neurology this year felt significantly more competitive than last year...

everything is getting signifncantly more competitive =(

 

[TUGM]

except for Rads and Gas =)

 

[Hellothere111]

From what I've heard, the most competitive ones are Interventional Neurorad, stroke, NCC and clinical neurophys. Sleep, Movement, Behavioral and neuro-onc are not as competitive. Of course, depends on how big the name of the program is.

 

[Hank Rearden]

Neurology fellowships are not competitive in my experience. I think less than half of all neurologists go on to complete a fellowship and there are many fellowship positions that go unfilled every year. Even if you go to a mediocre program you can often upgrade to a much better place for fellowship. The only tricky part is that programs like to keep good internal candidates. If they have 2 great internal candidates interested in that fellowship and only 2 spots, you're likely to get shut out. It helps to communicate with the program directors to get a feel for those issues. The only fellowship in neurology I know of that's still super competitive is neuro-IR. Most will want you to have completed a stroke fellowship first and even then chances are slim. That's good in my opinion because the neuro-IR market is already over saturated.

 

[typhoonegator]

I think supply and demand are pretty well synched for a lot of fellowships out there, particularly at the programs privileged to get a lot of applications. We fight for you just as hard as you fight for us, if you can believe that. If we've got three spots, we're going to try our hardest to get our top three applicants (within the constraints of the match rules, of course). But it's really the other programs we're competing with, and they're all doing the same thing. So unless you're dying to go to one specific program, this sort of competition benefits you in the end (as long as you're good).