Best top 5 Neurology residencies?

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Here is my list of schools I'm applying to, and yes I used the "new 82" to help me a little!! I want to stay warm if possible and I would really like to be in Cali, also I'm a American grad in a top 20 med school and my step scores are decent but not out of the world!!

Here is my list in order (but this may change). I would appreciate seeing your list and any feedback.

1. UCSF
2. MGH
3. Stanford
4. Hopkins
5. U Penn
6. Wash U
7. UCLA
8. Cornell
9. UT Southwestern
10. Emory
11. UVA
12. UCSD
13. USC
14. UC Irvine
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All Chicago programs for me
Partners, BIDMC, Boston U, JHU, Yale, NYU, Albany, Stonybrook, Seton Hall, UMDNJ
As yours, it could still change...(twilight zone theme)
Right now though, I guess we'll cross paths only if we end up interviewing at JHU!!!
I would like to stay warm too, but then again my frinds tell me that thermal underwear and electric heating have been invented...I like Cali too...if it wasn't such a hassle applying there, I'd go for it myself. I particularly liked UCSF. Goodluck.
p.s. have u decided where to apply for the prelims? check out the thread I posted! I'd appreciate help with that.
 
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yup! I missed that...Thanks GopherBrain...got so used to calling it Partners/Dream
hahaha...i guess that means we have 2 chances of meeting---Partners and JHU! wow, I can see the probability........................ Im definitely going there! :)
 
thanks but I prefer shorts over new inventions like thermal underwear...
 
play274 said:
crackerjack:

You're very welcome. Honestly, the U.S. News and World Report rankings are nice for bragging rights, but they tend to straight-out miss some VERY good neurology residency programs (ie. UWashington, Yale, etc.); as you have implied, rankings for neurology residencies are unique and require their own ranking (apart from what is frequently published - ie. U.S. News, research dollars).

As for ranking GWU highly, I weighed in the reputation of the department and the assumption that John Kelly Jr. is still their chairman; from what I have heard (and I did not interview at either of the DC schools), it believe that it has a strong reputation for its graduating residents. In our field, 'names' do matter, and strong support from Dr. Kelly would likely go a long way in helping one achieve his/her career goals (especially in neurophysiology).

Please keep in mind that I am only one neurology resident who is trying to rank more than fifty programs based on a perspective derived from a limited experience (4 years in the field as a neurology resident). It is evident that I cannot possibly know the "ins and outs" of each program, and I won't be as bold as to profess such omnipotency in knowledge. I am sure that there are tons of "holes" in my list; moreover, after programs 25 or 26 on the list, it can be a toss-up for the programs, in that each program is respectable and will have specific strengths and/or weaknesses for individual applicants. Arguments can also be made with all the tiers. Nonetheless, (for me) it has been fun trying to place all these programs on a list; I believe that it can be helpful to have a view of the programs from the vantage point of a large list (probably one of a thousand perspectives that you have and will go through this week).

Take care, and good luck with the match!

-274
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As we all know Playa 274 = 274 was the score he got on the usmle
(sorry i was just reading this thread and wanted to start a rumor hehe)

Good List !
 
Trooth said:
As we all know Playa 274 = 274 was the score he got on the usmle
(sorry i was just reading this thread and wanted to start a rumor hehe)

Good List !
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His list is out of date!!!! I used the "new 82" because I think it reflects neurology programs today (at least what I have heard and seen) !!!
 
Papez2008 said:
Just my take based on what I've heard from residents/faculty. The big mover is WashU and some minor movers.

TOP TIER

1. MGH/Partners
2. UCSF
3. Columbia
4. Hopkins
5. Penn
6. Mayo Clinic
7. WashU
8. Stanford
9. UCLA
10. BI

NEXT TIER

11. Cornell
12. Yale
13. UT Southwestern
14. Emory U
15. Duke
16. U of Rochester
17. Michigan
18. Virginia
19. Cleveland Clinic
20. Mount Sinai

ANOTHER TIER

21. UCSD
22. U of Chicago
23. Baylor
24. Rush
25. Oregon
26. Miami
27. USC
28. Albert Einstein
29. Case Western
30. Tufts
31. Colorado
32. Brown
33. UIC
34. North Carolina
35. UAB
36. Thomas Jefferson
37. Northwestern
38. NYU
39. Arizona
40. Utah
41. Pittsburgh
42. George Washington
43. Cincinnati
44. U of Washington
45. U of Florida
46. Drexel
47. Vanderbilt
48. Iowa
49. UMass
50. Barrows Institute/Arizona
51. Georgetown
52. Boston U
53. Tulane
54. UMDNJ
55. Mayo/Scottdale
56. UTexas/Houston
57. Maryland
58. Minnesota
59. Wake Forest
60. Saint Louis
61. UC Irvine
62. Wisconsin/Madison
63. UC Davis
64. Henry Ford
65. Mayo/Jacksonville
66. Loyola
67. LSU
68. Cleveland Clinic/Weston
69. Michigan State
70. Indiana
71. Long Island Jewish
72. Dartmouth
73. St. Vincents/NY
74. Kentucky
75. Loma Linda
76. Temple
77. Medical College of Georgia
78. SUNY/Syracuse
79. UConn
80. Ohio State
81. New Mexico
82. SUNY/Buffalo
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Where's University of Washington?
 
Woatalk said:
wow..my bad..:oops:

What a drop from the original list?
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I sort of agree with their new number!! Havent heard much that was good about their program...actually havent heard too many people talk about them at all...and its too rainy for me!! My only info is from a friend in an Army neuro residency and his program spent time at UW; he was not impressed with them.
 
Wow, this thread just...won't...die.

While my program's location on this list is flattering, I really want to emphasize Gopher's multiple previous posts that it is absolutely ludicrous to think that you can parse out neurology programs like this. I know that applicants are encouraged to make lists, but anyone who reads this list and thinks that the University of Chicago is unquestionably better than Pitt, which in turn is unquestionably better than Florida, ought to have their head examined.

I think the idea of "tiers" is reasonable, but beyond that it really becomes a Chevy vs. Ford sort of argument -- everyone has an opinion, but there is no real benchmark for comparison.
 
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I dont think Cleveland Clinic is in the top tier anymore. Lot of the faculty has left, and there has been multiple complaints from residents to the review commitee about unequal treatment of different types of people. Things are not looking good there IMHO.
 
my post is obviously biased, but nevertheless, i think jefferson has one of the best clinical neurology programs on the east coast. I think when it comes to basic science research there maybe programs slightly better such as UPenn, Columbia, Johns Hop, Harvard, etc.
 
i love this thread because of the title....maybe we can start best top 5 super extreme fasntastic neurology residencies :laugh: i feel like this discussion/rankings rivals that of preseason college football polls
 
Havent heard much about them and applied because I have a good friend in Irvine!!! I know they have a decent neurobiology historically but having second thouhts about their neuro program!!
 
It is interesting to see all the different lists that people come up with. Medical schools are ranked differently on the basis of "Research" and "Primary Care", two very different things. Harvard may be top in research but it is certainly not the top school in primary care. The same thing can be said for Neurology Programs and other specialty residencies.

So which one would be the best Neurology Program for YOU? It depends on what you want to do. Do you want to get plenty of clinical experience or do you want to spend more time doing basic lab bench research? Do you want to experience a lot of stroke clinical trials or are you more interested in neuro opthalmology? And let's not forget individual preferences...a small town in Kentucky or a big city like Chicago? I have found that the degree of "atractiveness" of residency programs changes "some" every few years. Faculty and Chair changes play a role as well.

I am surprised to see how some of you "rank" Miami, which as i already stated in another thread, is really one of the top programs in the country.

Miami is one of the largest neuro residencies in the country, and according to Hopkins, one of their "peer" programs. Not only do you have a very comprehensive and vast exposure to neurological disease ( major referrals from South America, Central America and the Caribbean with a disease spectrum that you will never get in Washington, California nor in Boston) but Miami also has the number one Opthalmology program in the country ( Bascom Palmer!) The rotations thru Neuro Opthalmology are impressive and so is the exposure to Neuroradiology. UMiami also houses the National Parkinson's Foundation and their clinics.

If you are planning to go into clinical neurology, traditional state schools in so called college towns like Gainesville ( UF), Madison ( U Wisconsin ) will fail to give you the exposure that you will get at programs like Miami. Also, a new Chairman from Columbia University, with all the money and faculty changes that something like that brings along, could only enhace the program in the coming years.
 
True. Miami is one of the best in opthalmology, so yes it would be strong if you want to get into Neuro-optho...however that is not a common subspecialty..and is actually rare.

I've heard all of the above about the residents working way too hard and not being happy. I've also heard other things like residents dont get enough money for miami....they dont put you up in a hotel when you interview...the interview itself was sucky etc...(the devil is in the details...good programs know this)....however everyone said it was sunny and nice outside. Also heard the rep is not great anymore from faculty. Of course everyone knows Bradley and his great tomb/book of neurology.
 
dopamine, i am not surprised how much different anecdotal experiences can be. All the people that i know that interviewed in Miami, were taken to the best restaurants in town for lunch. I really do not know of anyone that has ever been put up in a hotel for an interview...If that's hapening around the country now, it is news to me. By the way, an individual's "sucky" interview, is not representative of a program at all.

Miami is an expensive city, no question about that. Resident salaries compare nation wise in my opinion once you adjust it to local standard of living.

You do work hard, no doubt. The hard work is because of the many cases that you get to see. That can only make you a better neurologist. After all, i would not to go to a specialist who ended up choosing a residency program because of the amount of free time that it offered or the light case load that it had.
 
You are missing UT-San Antonio (UTHSCSA) in your rankings. The Department of Neurology at UTHSCSA has 19 neurologists and an impressive clinical trial group funded by NIH. Just to name a few: SPAF-1, 2, and 3, and SPS3. These trials were about 100 million from NIH over the past 20 years. The faculty is still here. Strenghts are Stroke (obviously), Epilepsy and Neuromuscular. The Research Imaging Center has also been continuously funded by NIH for past 15 years. Neurology was a Division of Medicine, but just became a Department.

I have been faculty here for several years, but I have also been Neurology faculty at U-Wisconsin and U-Colorado, and trained at Duke. In some areas, UT-San Antonio is way ahead than some of the places that were listed on top tier. I interviewed at four of the top 7 in your list (MD PhD), and I ranked all of them lower than Duke. It truly depends on what you are looking for.

You become known in your field for what you have published and not by where you trained. Find a place where you are comfortable and where you can learn at your pace.
 
I have to agree with some of the other residents that have weighed in on the issue. It's possible that 'tiers' are helpful, but trying to compare within one is like apples to oranges. Frankly, I think there a few 'top tier' residencies followed by 'the rest'. Realize that the tiers are mainly a function of name recognition and generally not a reflection of the malignancy or supportiveness of the program, so use caution even when ranking top tier programs. Bragging rights only go so far during those 30 hour shifts!

There are a staggering number of variables to consider when choosing a residency program. What are your career goals? Private practice, research, administration, academic, or some combination? Someone who knows they want to go directly from residency into private practice might want to consider in which state they wish to practice and establish themselves in a residency of that state. They may choose a residency known for giving a solid clinical education and not one that pushes residents to publish or do research during electives. Conversely, if the applicant knows that he/she aspires to be an attending at a university, he/she should apply to programs that provide plenty of opportunity for original research or research with well-known neurologists in the subspecialty of interest.

Speaking of which, some programs are overweighted in one area or another (e.g. stroke, neuromuscular, epilepsy). There are very few that have breadth as well as depth of attending specialization. If the applicant knows they want to specialize in one of those areas, it might be a good match. However, having the advantage of multiple subspecialist attendings can provide remarkable training and research opportunities.

The applicant may know that they want to apply to a particular fellowship. It's much easier to be accepted into a competitive fellowship when one has graduated from that school's residency program!

And I haven't even mentioned variables that involve lifestyle, cost of living, program friendliness to families, and other quality of life issues. These things can make the residency experience wonderful or a nightmare.

Ultimately, one must choose a residency that matches with the career goals of the individual and the needs of his/her family.

Much of this is advice that was given me by my attendings while in med school and it served me well. I hope others find it helpful, too.
 
....I really do not know of anyone that has ever been put up in a hotel for an interview...If that's hapening around the country now, it is news to me...

I interviewed with approx 8 programs when I applied for residency (both 'top tier' and 'other') and they ALL paid for accommodations.
 
To the person who said that if you're serious about this specialty, then weather shouldn't be a major factor in your rank list... I am somewhat embarrassed to say that, after the quality of the program, it is the next most important factor to me.

I'm guessing I shouldn't tell program directors this!?! But I am just miserable in the cold...maybe at least part of it is has a medical basis...with Raynaud's, I worry about losing a finger if I spend too long just walking to the car or driving to the store in the winter here...and I'm not too far north now.

So I'm trying to find a mix of very good to excellent programs that are within manageable weather ranges...I don't know that I can handle Boston, and definitely not Mayo or Michigan...I guess I should at least include Hopkins, though. It stinks how so many of the top programs are in such cold places! Anyone have other suggestions? (Should I include some less competitive programs too?). So far my list looks kind of like this:

UCSF (a stretch for me)
UCLA
Wash U
UT-SW
Baylor
Duke
UVA
Emory
Stanford
Hopkins (maybe?)
MGH (??? I even have family there, but it's COOOLLD)
 
chagall said:
To the person who said that if you're serious about this specialty, then weather shouldn't be a major factor in your rank list... I am somewhat embarrassed to say that, after the quality of the program, it is the next most important factor to me.

I'm guessing I shouldn't tell program directors this!?! But I am just miserable in the cold...maybe at least part of it is has a medical basis...with Raynaud's, I worry about losing a finger if I spend too long just walking to the car or driving to the store in the winter here...and I'm not too far north now.

So I'm trying to find a mix of very good to excellent programs that are within manageable weather ranges...I don't know that I can handle Boston, and definitely not Mayo or Michigan...I guess I should at least include Hopkins, though. It stinks how so many of the top programs are in such cold places! Anyone have other suggestions? (Should I include some less competitive programs too?). So far my list looks kind of like this:

UCSF (a stretch for me)
UCLA
Wash U
UT-SW
Baylor
Duke
UVA
Emory
Stanford
Hopkins (maybe?)
MGH (??? I even have family there, but it's COOOLLD)
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I have similar feelings!!! I'm actually excited about UT Southwestern (UTSW) as I've heard it is becoming a hot spot for us sun birds!! Ha!! Dont think I will go with Baylor or Duke but I agree with your UCSF note! UCSD may be another to think about but they have a really small program!! Good luck!!
 
I see a lot of compelling reasons being thrown around for choosing a specific program over others (including weather and location), but not too many people seem concerned about program size. As far as I know, Stanford (1st or 2nd tier program depending on which version of the 82 list you're looking at) has 4 residents per year. Isn't that on the small side, and doesn't size matter?
 
You guys are ridiculous. Everyone is ranking Hopkins top 5 despite the reputation for malignancy. You're all star struck by name recognition and big NIH grants. Screw that! The 82 program list isn't worth the bandwidth I'm using to load it.
 
The list of 82 is incomplete and the ranking does not even reflect truly the extent of neurological research being performed.

A neurology residency is for you to learn how to take care of patients, and not how to do neurological research. What use is there for a big wig figure who is not teaching you how to take care of patients. The list is based on reputations and perceptions ... not reality of clinical neurology.

I don't want to bash specific programs but I got robbed during my interview to one of those top 5 places many years ago. I had kept that program in such high esteem until that incident occurred.

Visit programs with open mind and select them based on your gut feeling. Ask the older residents: would you have come here if you had the choice again?
 
Doc Samson said:
Anyone have any insight on the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix?
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Actually I interviewed & matched there (preliming right now).

It's a busy program. They'll tell you that too. They've expanded from 4 to 6 residents per year, but the hospital is getting bigger too, so it'll stay busy. They have a night float system now. Actually, when they switched from regular to night float the senior residents who had completed their call requirements elected to take call to make the transition work! That said a lot about the spirit to me. The program director is great, very focused on providing rotations with good training value to their residents & balancing out the program. He actually had to tone down the epilepsy teaching to give room for the other subspecialities. The program is well balanced with strengths in Epilepsy, stroke, neuroimmunology, neuroonc & movement disorders from what I've seen. it's a stroke centre & they push tPA frequently. The hospital is home to a top neurosurgery program and the patient population is slanted towards a lot of neurosurgery/neurology admission. So expect consults from neurosurg. My medschool was affiliated with a big neurosurgery hospital & I worked there in neuro & neuropath, I think a strong neurosurgery program is a strength. It means you see more epilepsy surgery, neuroonclogy, movement disorder surgery/DBS & brain biopsies for vasculitis. The reputation of the neurosurgery program overshadows that of the neurology program, but when I was asking neurologist about where to apply, they did recommend BNI to me. The hospital is also private, but having said that there are a lot of research opportunities and they have a neuroopthalmologist on staff and a neuroophthamology rotation. It isn't affiliated with a university. I'm not sure if there are any plans for affiliation with university of Arizona.

Teaching-wise there is a lot of teaching. 100% first attempt board pass rate for 6 years. loads of conference that the residents get to go to. The residents are also expected to "step up to the plate" and make decisions rather than carry out someone else's orders. They are the biggest centre in the area, the only other one being Mayo Scotsdale and from what I hear BNI is the more dominant of the 2 except for maybe Headache. So you get most of the neurology in the area. I got on well with the residents. They seemed happy and confident about their training.

I had some questions after my interview there so I asked one of the residents. Here are his answers.

1. What electives are offered for residents?
"Epilepsy, EEG, Neuro-onc, Neuro-ohpthal, Neuro-otology, Neuromuscular, Peds Neurology clinics, Neuro-immunology, Pain (Dr. Singh), Sleep medicine, Stroke clinic, Neurorehab, Neuroendovascular Neurology (interventional Neurology), Movement disorders, General Neurology. If we dont have a given specialty, we could arrange to have it done elsewhere, if solid interest is demonstrated."

2. What is the neuromuscular rotation like?
Do residents get the opportunity to do their own nerve conduction studies & EMGs under supervision?
"EMG is deemed to be a 3-month course series (not necessarily all 3 months together), but as you progress along, you will have the opportunity to do NCS/EMG under supervision of two of the best Neuromuscular doctors that are in the Southwest (Drs. Sivakumar and Ladha)."

In Summary: It's a busy program with good teaching that is pretty balanced with most subspecialties and especially strong in stroke, epilepsy.

This info is based on my interview last season. I'll know more once I start there. btw, I ranked them high (second).
 
The difference between Play's list and the "new 82" is that (if I remember correctly) when Play created the list, he/she was just starting out an academic fellowship. Play had been through Neuro residency interviews, a whole residency at a high caliber program, and then again interviewed for fellowships at many neuro programs.

The creator of the "new 82", on the other hand is a med student who has likely had one month of a neurology rotation at their med school. The most glaring anomaly in their list is the drop in U. of Washington, as others have mentioned, a program that has had no turnover in faculty, PD, or chairman.

We all have our regional biases, but if I (as a current neuro senior resident)were to guess the order on the West Coast, it would look something like the following:

UCSF > UCLA > Stanford = U of W = UCSD > OHSU = USC > UCI = UCD
 
Head said:
The difference between Play's list and the "new 82" is that ...
...as a current neuro senior resident)were to guess the order on the West Coast, it would look something like the following:
UCSF > UCLA > Stanford = U of W = UCSD > OHSU = USC > UCI = UCD
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As a faculty member that has lectured at several of those pacific programs, I tend to agree with you. However, any of the top 5 listed will provide you an excellent education (better than most places in the country), particularly the top 2. Nevertheless, for some areas within neurology, some of the lower ranked programs are better than the top 2.

For Texas, having lectured in every neurology program, the difference between the presumed top 2 (UT-Southwestern and Baylor) and the next 2 (UT-San Antonio and UT-Houston) is much less than in the pacific programs. In fact, if you are leaning to Stroke, UT-San Antonio and UT-Houston are better than the top 2. If you are leaning to neuro-onc, UT-Houston is the best. If you are leaning Epilepsy, UT-San Antonio and UT-Southwestern are the best. There are other neurology programs but none compete with these top 4.
 
Look, with the U of Miami, I will say there is a new chair so we'll see how the program shakes up. I'm quite sure it will get better.
When I had interviewed there a few years ago,it was very apparent the residents were tired and too busy. One pulled me aside and told me not to rank the program (I did follow his advice). Also, a program should actually be wary of its presentation to interviewees which the facility did not do a good job. I thought my interview day was disorganized especially meeting with the PD. So pay attention to how the residents are when you apply to a program.
 
Fencer said:
As a faculty member that has lectured at several of those pacific programs, I tend to agree with you. However, any of the top 5 listed will provide you an excellent education (better than most places in the country), particularly the top 2. Nevertheless, for some areas within neurology, some of the lower ranked programs are better than the top 2.

For Texas, having lectured in every neurology program, the difference between the presumed top 2 (UT-Southwestern and Baylor) and the next 2 (UT-San Antonio and UT-Houston) is much less than in the pacific programs. In fact, if you are leaning to Stroke, UT-San Antonio and UT-Houston are better than the top 2. If you are leaning to neuro-onc, UT-Houston is the best. If you are leaning Epilepsy, UT-San Antonio and UT-Southwestern are the best. There are other neurology programs but none compete with these top 4.
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Wow!!! Not from what I'm hearing and reading. I picked UT Southwestern for many reasons and not any other UT schools (but really considered Baylor); first it is a top 20 medical school and top 10 if not top 5 research shcool. Second UT-SA only has 2 residents per class and most are FMG and UT-H has mostly FMG. True UTSW has FMG but that has competely changed (look at their PGY1s all 6 are US medical school graduates). Lastly, I think you are misleading people when you say go to UT-Houston if you like stroke, as a resident you must get an overall neurology education, true Grotta is great in stroke and he is their chair but comparing the rest of the facutly to UTSW or Baylor there really is no comparison, this is true for UT Houston as well. Lastly, saying you should go to UT-Houston if you like neuro-onc again is misleading..because the powerhouse in neuro-onc is MD Anderson not UT-Houston and neuro-onc is fellowship material....so if you want to do neuro-onc go to a solid neurolgy program (and learn neurology) and do your fellowship at MD Anderson. Well at least this is how I saw it when I picked my schools.

Also I disagree with the poster that believes UW is equal to Stanford!!! No way!!!
 
The main criteria for the quality of ANY residency is whether residents are getting a high quality education in that area of expertise, which is in our case CLINICAL NEUROLOGY. It is not how many IMGs or USMGs are in the program.

The three main determinants for a quality education in Clinical Neurology are: 1) access to a variety of patients with neurological illnesses, 2) quality of the faculty that ACTIVELY TEACH RESIDENTS (vs those hiding in their research labs due to being on tenure-track), and 3) collegial environment among faculty and residents.

No, I am not misleading people about their potential choices if they already have choosen a specific field. If you are decided to work on Neuro-oncology and select UT-Houston for residency, you will be able to do several rotations at MD Anderson. Would that give you a head-start before fellowship? Definitely! You might be able to get more out of your fellowship, which in the end is what you will be doing most of your time.

After doing rounds with neurology residents of UT-SW, Baylor, UT-Houston, UTMB, and UT-SA over the past 7+ years, I can tell you there are less differences in their Clinical skills than in other geographical regions, where I have been Neurology faculty.
 
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Thanks for your insight on the Texas programs. So what do you think about this new UT Austin program? Do you think it'll fly? :)
 
Fencer said:
The main criteria for the quality of ANY residency is whether residents are getting a high quality education in that area of expertise, which is in our case CLINICAL NEUROLOGY. It is not how many IMGs or USMGs are in the program.

The three main determinants for a quality education in Clinical Neurology are: 1) access to a variety of patients with neurological illnesses, 2) quality of the faculty that ACTIVELY TEACH RESIDENTS (vs those hiding in their research labs due to being on tenure-track), and 3) collegial environment among faculty and residents.

No, I am not misleading people about their potential choices if they already have choosen a specific field. If you are decided to work on Neuro-oncology and select UT-Houston for residency, you will be able to do several rotations at MD Anderson. Would that give you a head-start before fellowship? Definitely! You might be able to get more out of your fellowship, which in the end is what you will be doing most of your time.

After doing rounds with neurology residents of UT-SW, Baylor, UT-Houston, UTMB, and UT-SA over the past 7+ years, I can tell you there are less differences in their Clinical skills than in other geographical regions, where I have been Neurology faculty.
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I agree with your "clinical neurology" statement and that is what I stated in my above post. When did you complete your residency??

Well based on your previous post I can conclude that your a FMG, with a US PhD, res/fellowship from Duke and currently fellowship dir at UT SA?? I think you may be too biased to provide info on this board about Texas schools (and esp comparsions between them) and I have a problem with it!! Also as a USMG (too be)...one of the guages I use to see how popular programs are to US grads is the # of FMG's to USMG's. I agree this is not fair but I'm sorry that is reality for me and many others.

I would take what this poster says with a grain of salt about Texas schools!!
 
Completed residency - 11+ years.

I was the chair of resident education for the American Epilepsy Society for 3 years and involved in that committee for 8 years. This experience allowed me to review many residency programs across the country. I have also been interviewed as a chair candidate at 3 of the Texas programs (despite being relatively junior), that is also why I know about Texas residency programs. I was also a rotating med student at BCM in '85 (6 months).

Your view (as a future MDPhD) about reputation is tainted by the perception that the strength of the basic research programs are critical for a department. It is your opinion, but as a practicing clinician-scientist (NIH funded for bench research and for clinical research), I disagree. If you are learning Clinical Neurology, it is more important to learn from Clinicians and from Clinical Researchers practicing Clinical Neurology than basic scientists doing 1-2 months of Attending time.

Regarding UTHSCSA, let me set the record straight. There are 8 positions over the 3 years of residency, but the program interfaces with the 6 neurology resident positions at Wilford Hall (the only military Neurology residency). The 2 programs have teaching conferences together and all 14 residents rotate in all 4 institutions. Out of the last 10 residents that graduated from UTHSCSA, there were 5 over the 90% in the NRITE, including 2 in the 99% (both FMGs), and a 100% passing rate in the Neurology Boards over the last 5 years. Currently, the program has 6 USMG and 2 IMG as residents. I am not the program director for Neurology Residency at UTHSCSA.

This is my last post regarding this thread. I stand by my "biased" opinion. Choose wisely, you don't want to be miserable during your residency. They are among the best and most exciting years in your professional life. Later, you will worry about # of publications, RVUs, liability, etc.
 
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I'm not quite sure how choosy or not most people are about accepting interview offers...say you got interviews at both UT-SW and Baylor, but are leaning more towards UT-SW based on what you've read. Would most people think it's worth it to pay for the flight and hotel and spend the time to interview at both places still? (I guess probably so, given that I'll be spending 4 years in a place...maybe I'm just cheap and poor!).
 
i had my miami interview 2 weeks ago. it is definitly a top tier program. the faculty is huge and growing, definitely comparable to the ny/conn/boston/atlanta neurology programs that I went to. the residents are very happy, we all went to dinner on south beach and it was clear they were having fun and enjoying the program.
 
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Hi i am currently finishing my 3rd year rotations in NY and I go to SGU, i really dont know which programs to apply to, i have looked at the hsopitals that accepted students from my school but i was wondering if anyone else has a more comprehensive list, i rather stay in the north east. MY step scores 200.
Thank You
 
Javad said:
Hi i am currently finishing my 3rd year rotations in NY and I go to SGU, i really dont know which programs to apply to, i have looked at the hsopitals that accepted students from my school but i was wondering if anyone else has a more comprehensive list, i rather stay in the north east. MY step scores 200.
Thank You
Click to expand...

You are a professional student. No one will tell you where to apply. Look at the programs website for guidelines...most want 80's on both Steps 1 and 2 while others want 85's. As as carib student you should aim higher though.
 
sleepingneuro said:
You are a professional student. No one will tell you where to apply. Look at the programs website for guidelines...most want 80's on both Steps 1 and 2 while others want 85's. As as carib student you should aim higher though.
Click to expand...

Hi thank you for your response, i have looked at many websites but honestly the more i read it seems like everyone has their own opinion thats why i thought someone has gone through the porocess who was in my shoes.
thank you again for your advice
 
i was talking about the neurology department website...it is their opinion that counts.
 
Can I ask why UIowa is ranked so low? From what I have heard they have a great stroke program, especially if you want to do interventional.
 
HarveyCushing said:
Can I ask why UIowa is ranked so low? From what I have heard they have a great stroke program, especially if you want to do interventional.
Click to expand...

Shhhh, let's just keep this one a secret, I need a good residency! I agree with you of course. I think because it's "Iowa" and the midwest, not a big city it often gets overlooked.
 
1st group
UCSF
UPenn
Hopkins
Partners

2nd group
Columbia
Stanford
Mayo-Rochester
WashU

3rd group
Cornell
BIDMC
UMiami
Emory

4th group
Yale
UMich
UWash
UVa

5th group
OHSU
UCLA
Duke
Georgetown

6th group
UPitt
Vanderbilt
Baylor
Mt. Sinai

7th group
UAB
Cleveland Clinic
Northwestern
Rush

8th group
UCSD
UNC
UT Southwestern
UCDavis

9th group
Thomas Jefferson
UChicago
URochester
USC

10th group
Case
George Washington
UFlorida
UColorado
 
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I don't think your ratings reflect the educational experience for a neurology residency. They reflect to some degree "reputation", but they have a lot of bias. Cornell and Stanford are a fine residencies but not ahead of Duke, Michigan, UCLA, URochester, or UVA.
 
This has been discussed before in different threads, but I feel it is appropriate to bring it up again.

The previous posts on the "all-in-one" ranking approach has no utility and is futile. If we are to provide some useful information for the group at large, I think it only makes sense to list those programs based on known expertise in separate categories. In this manner, you can make up your own mind based on what is important for your future. In my travels and interviews these categories seem to make a lot of sense when deciding which program to choose. Weather, city life, etc. is all personal and irrelevant to talk about. I have started a list based on previous comments and my own exposure over the last year.

bench/basic science research
UCSF, UCLA, WashU, Hopkins, Rochester, Columbia, Penn, Boston U, Emory, Mount Sinai, MGH, UT-SW

translational/clinical research
UT-San Antonio, OHSU

clinical-based training
Tufts, Rochester, TJU

pediatric neurology
UPenn, Utah

Neuromuscular
Mayo (Dyck), Utah (Bromberg), Colorado, Wake Forest, Barrow Neurological Institute (Sivakumar and Ladha), Cleveland Clinic, Case Western, MGH, Univ Rochester

Epilepsy (clinical)
Stanford, MGH, Rush, Penn, UTSW, UT-SA

Epilepsy (academic)
Cleveland Clinic, Columbia, Duke, Mayo, Montreal Neurological Institute, UCLA, Yale, UW

Combined EEG/EMG
UT-SA

Movement Disorders
Baylor (Jankovic), Mt. Sinai (Olanow and Tagliati), OHSU (Nutt), Columbia, Miami, Rush, Mayo

Sleep disorder

MS/Neuroimmunology
Colorado, OHSU

Stroke/Vascular Clinical
UT-SA, Iowa, U Miami, Mayo, Barrow Institute, UT-SW,
MGH: has telemed, Schwamm and Koroshetz are prominent. Have fellows going into neurointerventional as well.
UT Houston: excellent telemed program. Jim Grotta is a major name in cerebrovasc disease. Has largest volume of stroke patients in the US (over 700 patients a year). TPA rate exceeds 30 % (national average is 2-3%). Largest volume of stroke patients receiving endovasc stroke therapy. Fellows have trained in interventional as well.
U Cincinnati: Joseph Broderick is a major name in stroke. He is also the PI of IMS (Interventional management of stroke) study. I am not sure about telemed. Fellows trained in interventional as well.
U Pittsburgh: Lawrence Wechsler is a strength. Excellent acute stroke and endovascular service. Fellows trained in interventional as well.
CCF: Anthony Furlan is a strength. Tremendous work in intracranial stenting.
Wash U: was big in PET imaging in stroke, but William Powers has now left.
Hopkins: stroke faculty not as academically renowned as NICU (but certainly have the hopkins name).

Stroke/Vascular epidemiology/research
Columbia: heavy on stroke epidemiology. JP Mohr is a strength (but more epidemiology). Ralph Sacco has moved to Miami. Strength is stroke epidemiology, TCD, not heavy on thrombolysis.
UCSF: fellows train in NICU as well as stroke (but not sure how it would change, now that ACGME and UCNS requirements are different for stroke and NICU)
Duke: only stroke epidemiology and basic science. Larry Goldstein is a prominent name,but confined to epidemiology. The general neurology svc does acute stroke management, so there is no stroke svc per se.
Mayo Clinic: more in epidemiology. Robert Brown ia prominent name (current president of the ANA), but more involved in epidemiology and basic sciemce; acute stroke svc has a lot to be desired.

There are other programs that may not be at the highest level, but have prominent faculty-
U Chicago: Jeffery Frank (NICU), Wayne State: Bill Coplin(NICU) and Seemant Chaturvedi (Stroke), Baylor: Jose Suarez (NICU), Emory: Owen Samuels(NICU) and Marc Chimowitz (Stroke), Barrow: Mark Malkoff (NICU) and Alexandrov (stroke), BIDMC: Louis Caplan (stroke), BU: Viken Babikian (stroke)

Neuro-Interventional
WashU, Iowa, Cincy, UPMC, MGH, Stanford, UCSF (Johnston), Case Western (Furlan), Pittsburgh, Cleveland Clinic, Columbia
UCLA: excellent telemed and interventional stroke program. Jeffrey Saver is a strength. Fellows trained in neurointerventional as well.
U Pittsburgh: Lawrence Wechsler is a strength. Excellent acute stroke and endovascular service. Fellows trained in interventional as well.

Cognitive/Dementia

Neurosciences Critical Care
Hopkins (Mirski), JHU, Columbia (Mayer), Mayo (Wijdicks and Manno), UCSF (Hemphill), MGH (Schwamm), Cleveland, UVA (Gress), UCLA (Vespa), WashU (Diringer), Northwestern (Bleck), Case (DeGeorgia), Duke (Graffagnino), Penn (Andy Kofke, Josh Levine, Peter LeRoux, Soojin Park)

Neuro-oncology
Utah, UT Houston, MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering, UCSF, Duke, Dana Farber, Hopkins

Neuro-Ophthalmology
Miami (Palmer)

Neurogenetics
Utah

NeuroID
Colorado, Indiana, UCSF, Miami, UW
 
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