Worried - Advanced neurology interviews with no prelim med interviews

[Res2011]

I have a good number of neurology interviews but most of them are advanced programs and I do not have any prelim medicine interviews yet. Can anyone tell me what happens if you match into an advanced neurology program without prelim med. How real are the chances to scramble for a prelim med year. What does one do in this situation?

Thanks for your time with my question.

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[clement]

I have a good number of neurology interviews but most of them are advanced programs and I do not have any prelim medicine interviews yet. Can anyone tell me what happens if you match into an advanced neurology program without prelim med. How real are the chances to scramble for a prelim med year. What does one do in this situation?

Thanks for your time with my question.

Word on the street is that scrambling into prelims yields a good chance of getting a position unless you have some major red flag action on your app. What bugs the crap out of me with prelims, is that unless you're applying to a big-name place, you have no idea how competitive the program might be. For example, you might apply to a small community program you're not familiar with in a location you think could to be "low-key" (under the assumption that it might be a "chill" program) and find out it's actually uber competitive because the local MS4 derm, optho, rads gunners knows for a fact that it is laid back...And you're like WTF?! I just wasted loan money when you get the rejection. Regardless, I hate to have to fall back on a scramble just by virtue of the fact that if you end up in a malignant prelim, you'll be working your ***** off as an IM intern and then again as a neuro PGY1. Basically, advanced programs are really testing your commitment to the field.

 

[95439]

I have a good number of neurology interviews but most of them are advanced programs and I do not have any prelim medicine interviews yet. Can anyone tell me what happens if you match into an advanced neurology program without prelim med. How real are the chances to scramble for a prelim med year. What does one do in this situation?

Thanks for your time with my question.

How many prelim programs did you apply to? Whatever it was, apply to more. Yeah it's late but it's important. Honestly, if you're an AMG then you probably can scramble into a program. It's tougher for FMG's from what I've seen. But do you really want to scramble? Try to avoid it by applying to as many prelim programs as possible, that you realistically have a chance of getting accepted to (i.e. if you haven't heard of them, then apply).

 

[mcfreak]

I have a good number of neurology interviews but most of them are advanced programs and I do not have any prelim medicine interviews yet. Can anyone tell me what happens if you match into an advanced neurology program without prelim med. How real are the chances to scramble for a prelim med year. What does one do in this situation?

Thanks for your time with my question.

There are plenty of prelim spots out there, even if you scramble. You will find a spot

 

[clement]

Yeahhh...I'm starting to revert back to my original hypothesis...If you've applied BROADLY to neuro but only to a handful of advanced programs within the term "broadly," it's almost easier just to risk a scramble if you match advanced...Who has the time and money? On the other hand, if you're a superstar applicant from a top notch school with top notch board scores that only applied to like <7 neuro programs, hell, apply to prelims. The thing is, no one has a sense of how many prelim invites is sufficient and THAT'S what's frightening given the apparent intense level of competition for these spots.

 

[liquidshadow22]

just curious, how easy is it these days to SOAP into a pre-lim spot as an AMG?

 

[mochachino]

I think this NRMP data gives you a sense of how many prelim positions there would be to SOAP into:
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uplo...Match-Results-by-State-and-Specialty-2014.pdf