Thinking about applying neuro but letters are Im based?

[scoopdaboop]

Just rotated in neuro this month. NeuroHospitalist service, it was interesting and a lot more focused than general Hospitalist which I appreciated. Most of my letters are IM based but can get a letter from my neuro attending. Thoughts if this can harm me? I know neuro ain’t that competitive

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Captain_Falcon]

A lot of things to consider. Off the top of my head:

1) did you not have a 3rd year rotation in neuro? If not, then having late exposure to neuro is fine but you will have to explain this in your personal statement & on interviews

2) IM-based letters: how many we talking? Generally, neurology requires 3 letters one of which must be from a neurologist. I've been advised to have 2 neurology letters, one of them from the neurology chair at my school and another academic neuro letter from an away rotation. My other letters are not neuro-related but strong

3) What are your thoughts on reaching out to those IM-based letter writers and telling them that you'd like their letter to discuss you being a strong applicant for neurology... also, is there a neurology chair at your school you can have a meeting with

4) on your IM rotations - did you ever have a neurology work-up (encephalopathy, stroke, etc)

5) Neuro is not competitive, but they want people who truly want to be neurologists and not using it as a backup. This ties back into the other points above. Fortunately you seemingly have an IM-based resume so it should not appear to be (at least surface level) that you are using neuro as a backup

6) Albeit not competitive, what are your scores/research/etc? Some of this can make up for a late bloom for neuro, but ultimately you will need something on your app indicating you like neurology (Student Interest group, joining AAN and attendign a virtual conference, etc)

 

[scoopdaboop]

A lot of things to consider. Off the top of my head:

1) did you not have a 3rd year rotation in neuro? If not, then having late exposure to neuro is fine but you will have to explain this in your personal statement & on interviews

2) IM-based letters: how many we talking? Generally, neurology requires 3 letters one of which must be from a neurologist. I've been advised to have 2 neurology letters, one of them from the neurology chair at my school and another academic neuro letter from an away rotation. My other letters are not neuro-related but strong

3) What are your thoughts on reaching out to those IM-based letter writers and telling them that you'd like their letter to discuss you being a strong applicant for neurology... also, is there a neurology chair at your school you can have a meeting with

4) on your IM rotations - did you ever have a neurology work-up (encephalopathy, stroke, etc)

5) Neuro is not competitive, but they want people who truly want to be neurologists and not using it as a backup. This ties back into the other points above. Fortunately you seemingly have an IM-based resume so it should not appear to be (at least surface level) that you are using neuro as a backup

6) Albeit not competitive, what are your scores/research/etc? Some of this can make up for a late bloom for neuro, but ultimately you will need something on your app indicating you like neurology (Student Interest group, joining AAN and attendign a virtual conference, etc)

1- no
2- 3 im based, i can get a neuro letter and use 2 im based letters, no pd/etc
4- yes of course, but its different from the neuro rotation
5- im applying just im, my scores are median for step 1, slightly less step 2, so im pretty sure i can defend myself

 

[Captain_Falcon]

1- no
2- 3 im based, i can get a neuro letter and use 2 im based letters, no pd/etc
4- yes of course, but its different from the neuro rotation
5- im applying just im, my scores are median for step 1, slightly less step 2, so im pretty sure i can defend myself

You can say something to the effect of "I came to realize I wanted to go into neurology later than some other applicants. Early on in my other rotations (reference IM workup for stroke/encephalopathy etc., reference FM work-up for peripheral neuropathy or migraine or vertigo etc), these experiences initially gave me thought of "Neuro is cool" which made me want to do a neuro rotation my 4th year (or if it is required, say those experiences really got you excited for your 4th year neuro rotation). Better yet - if you could recall those IM experiences with the neurology work-up, have your letter writer personalise your LOR with that in mind so it shifts it from more IM-based to neuro based (even though its from an IM doc).


Also - you need to contact somebody at your school in the neurology department to help you frame your change of mind more and see what you can do in the remaining 5 weeks before apps go out

 

[kazill]

Just rotated in neuro this month. NeuroHospitalist service, it was interesting and a lot more focused than general Hospitalist which I appreciated. Most of my letters are IM based but can get a letter from my neuro attending. Thoughts if this can harm me? I know neuro ain’t that competitive

I decided to go from IM to neuro fairly late as well; of my 4 letters: 1 was neuro, 1 was IM, 1 was peds, and 1 was my research. All but the neuro letter was written when I was thinking IM but I checked with my writers and they said they were general enough that they could be used either way. As long as the letters don't say "...and that is why scoopdaboop would be an amazing internist" you're probably fine. I matched to my #1, an academic center in a major east coast city, so this is hardly the thing that will hold you up.

 

[Dantes]

I decided to go from IM to neuro fairly late as well; of my 4 letters: 1 was neuro, 1 was IM, 1 was peds, and 1 was my research. All but the neuro letter was written when I was thinking IM but I checked with my writers and they said they were general enough that they could be used either way. As long as the letters don't say "...and that is why scoopdaboop would be an amazing internist" you're probably fine. I matched to my #1, an academic center in a major east coast city, so this is hardly the thing that will hold you up.

What made you switch from IM to neuro?