Interview question - what area of Neurology do you want to go into?

[95439]

Sooo...what if you're still undecided about what aspect of Neurology you want to go into? I know it's best to be 'honest', but let's be 'honest', sometimes it's better to not be 'honest' lol. I mean, I personally have no idea what aspect of Neurology I want to go into - I'm fascinated by strokes, Alzheimer's developments, parkinson's, even headaches and movement disorders are interesting to me. My concern is during the interview - they're going to want a well-formed, concise answer when they ask "what area of neurology do you plan on going into?". My honest answer would be -I'm not sure I'll have to wait and see. But I assume most programs want to know that you at least have an idea of what specialized area you plan on practicing in. Any advice on how to answer this question? Should I know if I plan on going into private practice or academia?
Also, are there generic questions people can expect to get on their Neurology residency interviews?
Thank whoever answers in advance!!

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[AznTrojan]

Sooo...what if you're still undecided about what aspect of Neurology you want to go into? I know it's best to be 'honest', but let's be 'honest', sometimes it's better to not be 'honest' lol. I mean, I personally have no idea what aspect of Neurology I want to go into - I'm fascinated by strokes, Alzheimer's developments, parkinson's, even headaches and movement disorders are interesting to me. My concern is during the interview - they're going to want a well-formed, concise answer when they ask "what area of neurology do you plan on going into?". My honest answer would be -I'm not sure I'll have to wait and see. But I assume most programs want to know that you at least have an idea of what specialized area you plan on practicing in. Any advice on how to answer this question? Should I know if I plan on going into private practice or academia?
Also, are there generic questions people can expect to get on their Neurology residency interviews?
Thank whoever answers in advance!!

tell them the truth (you have no idea).. that's what residency is for (finding out your passion)

 

[95439]

tell them the truth (you have no idea).. that's what residency is for (finding out your passion)

Thank you....do you know what some general Neurology questions they seem to always ask at residency interviews are?

 

[typhoonegator]

I agree with AznTrojan that it is perfectly acceptable to not have your whole life planned by interview day. I think I posted something similar a month or so ago, so you might want to check the back-posts. I think most interviewers use this question to gauge your knowledge of neurology in general, and make sure you have given the issue some thought. Several of my classmates in residency were still trying to decide specialties in their PGY3 year, so you shouldn't feel too pressured.

I would recommend coming up with a good anecdote about your experience in a specialty that you might be interested in, and an explanation of how this might fit into your personal goals/interests.

For instance, "I remember that I met a patient with [insert disease] during my clinical clerkship, and I was shocked by the impact this disease had on the patient and his family. I assisted in the work-up of this patient with a [insert subspecialty] neurologist, and I could definitely see myself doing that. But I had similarly impressive experiences with [insert disease] patients and a patient with a [insert neuropathology], so I'm not convinced that I know what I want to do yet...yada yada yada."

I was asked no "general neurology" questions on my interviews, but I didn't go to any interviews where I saw a general neurologist. I certainly wasn't pimped about anything. You should have some anecdotes ready about some patients you have seen, because I was asked several times about an interesting neuro case I encountered during my clerkships. You can do a lot with a question like that.

 

[95439]

I agree with AznTrojan that it is perfectly acceptable to not have your whole life planned by interview day. I think I posted something similar a month or so ago, so you might want to check the back-posts. I think most interviewers use this question to gauge your knowledge of neurology in general, and make sure you have given the issue some thought. Several of my classmates in residency were still trying to decide specialties in their PGY3 year, so you shouldn't feel too pressured.

I would recommend coming up with a good anecdote about your experience in a specialty that you might be interested in, and an explanation of how this might fit into your personal goals/interests.

For instance, "I remember that I met a patient with [insert disease] during my clinical clerkship, and I was shocked by the impact this disease had on the patient and his family. I assisted in the work-up of this patient with a [insert subspecialty] neurologist, and I could definitely see myself doing that. But I had similarly impressive experiences with [insert disease] patients and a patient with a [insert neuropathology], so I'm not convinced that I know what I want to do yet...yada yada yada."

I was asked no "general neurology" questions on my interviews, but I didn't go to any interviews where I saw a general neurologist. I certainly wasn't pimped about anything. You should have some anecdotes ready about some patients you have seen, because I was asked several times about an interesting neuro case I encountered during my clerkships. You can do a lot with a question like that.

Typhoonegotiator - my frigging hero.

 

[buckley]

curbside-- how do you choose fellowships?