Looking for AOA/ACGME Neurology Advice

[Dold60]

Hey all!
I am a 3rd year DO student that has decided to apply to Neuro next year. No one at my school has recently applied or matched Neuro (either AOA/ACGME), but I need some advice for away rotations next year.

Stats:
Comlex I: Mid 500s, Didn't take USMLE (Planning on taking Step II with Comlex II)
Top 20% of my class
Masters Degree with Thesis Research (Breast Cancer though)

Does anyone know which AOA Neuro programs require a rotation for an interview? Any AOA Neuro programs to avoid/ don't think they will make the merger?

Planning on applying for both AOA and ACGME programs, but I was told ACGME programs don't necessarily need an away rotation to be considered. Is this still true?

Feel free to PM if more comfortable. Thank you for the help!

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[TUGM]

I am not familiar w/ AOA programs at all, so I can't comment on that. For ACGME programs, especially if you find yourself in an uphill battle-type situation, an away rotation may be quite beneficial. First, you'll see if you actually like the program you were considering. Second, if you do well, the program will give you higher consideration, as they'll already be familiar with your reliability and work ethic. Third, there is the opportunity to add to your collection of LORs, and I would think it's safe to assume that ACGME PDs are probably more familiar with other ACGME faculty than those at AOA programs.

 

[seap3]

Pretty much all the AOA Neuro programs require an audition rotation, so you might want to pick a few that you are most interested in and set something up if you really want to do the AOA match.

I honestly prefer the ACGME Neuro programs and decided against the AOA match. It would probably be good for you to set up some AOA rotations early though so you can see if you like them.

ACGME programs don't require audition rotations at all.

 

[hallowmann]

Hey everyone, sorry if this is hijacking the thread or anything, but it's probably better to post here than anywhere else.

First off, for OP, I don't know much about AOA programs, but it seems like ACGME Neuro is pretty receptive to DOs. I talked to residents at university affiliated programs in a generally DO unfriendly area (in CA) and it seems like those programs take a DO every other year, and they aren't taking IMGs, so they don't seem like desperate programs. Those 3 DOs I talked to never did auditions at the ACGME programs they matched to, but said for AOA programs it's a must. Obviously this is all variable and program dependant, but it's what I've heard talking to them.

I'm a 2nd year DO student trying to decide if Neuro is right for me. I find the subject matter fascinating, but the things I'm worried about are the things everybody says they "hate" about Neuro, like dealing with patients that may be hard to communicate with and generally not being able to do much for the patients. Is this concern overblown?

Do people get around this "downside" by going into outpatient or focusing in things like movement disorders that have more effective/significant treatments? Any feedback from neurologists would be great.

 

[arewethereyet...]

Pretty much all the AOA Neuro programs require an audition rotation, so you might want to pick a few that you are most interested in and set something up if you really want to do the AOA match.

I honestly prefer the ACGME Neuro programs and decided against the AOA match. It would probably be good for you to set up some AOA rotations early though so you can see if you like them.

ACGME programs don't require audition rotations at all.

I'm OMSII and really want to do an ACGME Neuro program. I talked to an MD pediatric neurologist who is currently at Stanford and she seemed to think that I only had a shot at places where I rotated because my school is "not well known." I'm thinking she was mostly referring to the top programs (ie Hopkins doesn't have any DO residents listed, shocker) and that she doesn't know much about DOs.

seap3 you sound like you have done some rotations, do you have any comments on this?

 

[bustbones26]

At some point in the future, the AOA/ACGME are trending to a "joint match" process, so who knows what exactly that means?

In short, you're fine. Neurology is not a competitive specialty. Big name programs will be hard to match at even for an MD.

As for the current AOA programs, colleagues from Garden City and Sparrow report positive experiences. Colleagues from UPMC Hamot report a malignant program. All others? Well, I cannot tell you?

As I have said prior in similar post, negative DO bias tends to be regional. For example, the Cleveland Clinic is surrounded by DOs, if you consider OUCOM and short drives from MSUCOM and LECOM. They are okay with it. Out in the Western states, good luck!

 

[Dharma]

Colleagues from UPMC Hamot report a malignant program. !

I had an away rotation here last year. There was not one displeased resident in the whole program. All of them were quite happy actually and they make a great team. They work extremely hard (probably due to the small class sizes which means a lot of overnight call) but they seemed pretty darn pleased with the hospital, the attendings, and their training/education. If I ended up going with neuro, I will most definitely apply there.