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I am an MS3 in the third quartile, 206 step I, a few minor extracurriculars but no med school research, at a top 20 US MD school. Do you think I can match in neuro?
My chances at matching in neuro?
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Absolutely... with a few caveats. To get into a respectable program, you need to significantly improve on your score on Step 2. If you could break into the 230s, that'd be a huge help. Be sure to look at the NRMP Charting Outcomes in the Match and Program Directors Survey- both available on the NRMP site to get a better idea of where you stack up compared to Neuro applicants in previous years.
Get a little more involved if you can- is there a Neurology Interest Group at your school? If so, join up and get to work! If not, you may want to look at starting a small one. Ask a faculty member to help you and who would be willing to be a moderator. Extracurriculars aren't going to make or break you, but get involved where you can. I know third year is a time crunch, but if you can get involved with volunteer projects that last an afternoon, for example, and are something you care about, go for it! Just don't be that guy/girl that joins every interest group on the planet just to have stuff to put on your CV. PD's see through that REAL quick.
Showing some interest (at a minimum) in research is a big help to your application. It's probably too late to start anything huge, but ask faculty if there is a project you can join in on, and, hey, as a med student, case reports and book chapters are nothing to turn your nose up at (and MUCH easier to do time wise). Remember, 4th year may not be as academically intensive as 3rd year, but come October, your life's going to be semi-crazy until Match Day.
Finally, aim high, but be realistic. Apply to a variety of programs. Figure out how many places you want to apply to (I haven't heard of many people going beyond 30), dedicate 1/4 to "reach" programs, 1/2 to programs you like that you can reasonably expect interview invites from, and 1/4 to "safety" programs that you'd be willing to attend in a Match worst case scenario. Also consider doing Away Rotations at programs you think you're most interested in. If you work your tail off, make a good impression, and they like you, it can help offset negatives in your application.
Be careful, too, when selecting which interview offers you'll accept if you get more than you can go to. Go to those dream programs, but make sure you don't get a false sense of bravado and cut all of those safety schools. Lots of people get burned this way.
Good luck!
Get a little more involved if you can- is there a Neurology Interest Group at your school? If so, join up and get to work! If not, you may want to look at starting a small one. Ask a faculty member to help you and who would be willing to be a moderator. Extracurriculars aren't going to make or break you, but get involved where you can. I know third year is a time crunch, but if you can get involved with volunteer projects that last an afternoon, for example, and are something you care about, go for it! Just don't be that guy/girl that joins every interest group on the planet just to have stuff to put on your CV. PD's see through that REAL quick.
Showing some interest (at a minimum) in research is a big help to your application. It's probably too late to start anything huge, but ask faculty if there is a project you can join in on, and, hey, as a med student, case reports and book chapters are nothing to turn your nose up at (and MUCH easier to do time wise). Remember, 4th year may not be as academically intensive as 3rd year, but come October, your life's going to be semi-crazy until Match Day.
Finally, aim high, but be realistic. Apply to a variety of programs. Figure out how many places you want to apply to (I haven't heard of many people going beyond 30), dedicate 1/4 to "reach" programs, 1/2 to programs you like that you can reasonably expect interview invites from, and 1/4 to "safety" programs that you'd be willing to attend in a Match worst case scenario. Also consider doing Away Rotations at programs you think you're most interested in. If you work your tail off, make a good impression, and they like you, it can help offset negatives in your application.
Be careful, too, when selecting which interview offers you'll accept if you get more than you can go to. Go to those dream programs, but make sure you don't get a false sense of bravado and cut all of those safety schools. Lots of people get burned this way.
Good luck!
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I'll apply to all of the categorical programs minus the top ten lol. I wish I had time for a case report or research or something, but I don't 
. Does it help that my undergrad research paper is coming out this year? I really need to focus on bringing my scores up . I'm aiming for mid 230's hopefully. I am doing another neuro rotation soon too.
. Does it help that my undergrad research paper is coming out this year? I really need to focus on bringing my scores up . I'm aiming for mid 230's hopefully. I am doing another neuro rotation soon too.
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when you do your next Neuro rotation, blow it out of the water. Ask for feedback on how you can improve. Read extra stuff about neurology and share when pertinent. When someone uses an exam technique that is new to you have them explain it. Get into conversations with attendings and residents about interesting patients... most neurologists love geeking out over interesting patients if time permits. The purpose of all of this is to get some solid letters, because the field of neurology is not as behemoth as, say, IM, and if you get on the good side of someone that knows someone it can really open doors.
Also, everything that curlygirlie said is solid advice. If you continue on your trajectory you can match somewhere. If you improve you application you will be more competitive, obvs, and keep in mind there is a large gradient between being able to walk into any neuro residency in the country and not matching.
Also, everything that curlygirlie said is solid advice. If you continue on your trajectory you can match somewhere. If you improve you application you will be more competitive, obvs, and keep in mind there is a large gradient between being able to walk into any neuro residency in the country and not matching.
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It's end of third year for me. I'll try to do wonderfully on my neuro rotation. But I don't have time for research and getting involved in the neuro interest group before applications. Am I screwed? Or can I still match if I get good letters and improve on step 2?
You will match! Neuro is not that competitive. Take Step 2 sooner rather than later, study hard and try to improve your score. Even if you don't have a dramatic improvement into the 230s+, you should still match. Apply broadly with reach programs, mid-range, and lower-range. You don't have to apply to every program - that's expensive and unnecessary. Speak with a trusted advisor and try to get some real feedback from them. Good luck!
