Do you get better jobs with a prestigious neuro residency?

[marsupial]

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What do you think? Any anecdotal evidence? Or is it more about who you meet while you're in residency--in that same city?

 

[jjmack]

I have no data or personal experience, but I think it could only help if you want to join a fancy private practice.

 

[typhoonegator]

At my program, which is pretty "big name", not a single person in our graduating class this year got a real job. Every single one of them went into a clinical fellowship or went to the NIH. This may serve as an indicator that the top echelon programs are possibly not the best choice for those looking to jump from residency into private practice. Or not. Whatever.

 

[marsupial]

Did they WANT to get a job, or did they specifically want fellowships?
Am wondering if a regular program in an area I want to practice is really worse than an elite program where I don't want to live later.

 

[typhoonegator]

There is self-selection at some of the top-tier places for people who desire academic careers in sub-specialized fields, necessitating fellowships. More than half of my class in my program also has PhDs, so there is also a huge research drive. Hence, most people here would never even consider getting a job right out of residency. That isn't to say that they couldn't get one if they wanted to, but it just isn't the primary focus.

If you aren't interested in subspecialization or research, you might be better served going to a program in an area where you would be interested in working afterward. I'm not convinced that the clinical instruction itself is really that much better at a top-tier program than anywhere else. We see more crazy presentations and rare disease, and I can get you a portable head CT, but whatever. The relationships you build during residency with faculty and administration are important for networking. If you are interested in private practice, then starting to build that network during residency would certainly help when it comes time to get a real job.

 

[ChildNeuro]

There is self-selection at some of the top-tier places for people who desire academic careers in sub-specialized fields, necessitating fellowships. More than half of my class in my program also has PhDs, so there is also a huge research drive. Hence, most people here would never even consider getting a job right out of residency. That isn't to say that they couldn't get one if they wanted to, but it just isn't the primary focus.

If you aren't interested in subspecialization or research, you might be better served going to a program in an area where you would be interested in working afterward. I'm not convinced that the clinical instruction itself is really that much better at a top-tier program than anywhere else. We see more crazy presentations and rare disease, and I can get you a portable head CT, but whatever. The relationships you build during residency with faculty and administration are important for networking. If you are interested in private practice, then starting to build that network during residency would certainly help when it comes time to get a real job.

I wouldn't select a residency based on what you believe can get you a better job. For many people the lure of a more prestigious neuro residency is perceived better training and better research opportunities. For some people getting a neurology fellowship is a "real job" and part of some people's dream to be a specialist in neurologic disorder x. If you want to get a pure clinical or "real job" out of neurology residency it probably is better to do the residency where you want to practice, because, you will have a leg up when it comes to navigating the complex healthcare field in the state of your choice, and make local contacts so that when Hopspital Y need to recruit to get a neurologist maybe they would call you. But, I would also consider what residency you would be happiest at and is the best fit for you, you could easily relocate after residency.

 

[neurologist]

How do you define "better job"? Better than what?

 

[GopherBrain]

How do you define "better job"? Better than what?

The other one, obviously.