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Hello all,
I'm currently a final-year student at the University of Sydney in Australia. I'm hoping to go into neuropsychiatry, and I'm trying to figure out what I can do (if anything) to poise myself for a spot in a combined neuro/psych spot for 2013. My future research interests would benefit greatly from combined training... I'd like to study the behavioral aspects of different somatic influences (i.e. specific neurotransmitters, functional imaging, etc.).
The problem is that my research background doesn't really focus much on this... most of my past experience is completely unrelated to neuro or psych, except for one abstract at this year's Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine conference and the paper that will eventually spawn from that abstract. I have a couple of great rec letters from American psychiatrists - one who is also a pain specialist and one who is also an internist, both at Tulane - but none from neurologists.
As an IMG, is there much I can do to improve my chances? I'm taking Step 1 in about 2 weeks and I'm anticipating a score in the 240-250 range if my last NBME practice test was any indicator. I'm planning to take Step 2 in December and go on the interview trail in January/February. I'll also be able to do 8 weeks of away Sub-I's in January and February... of course, that'll be too late for a rec letter, but I figure it might help me audition for a residency.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure if I should have posted this in the psych section or the neuro section, but the combined section seemed appropriate...
Thanks!
I'm currently a final-year student at the University of Sydney in Australia. I'm hoping to go into neuropsychiatry, and I'm trying to figure out what I can do (if anything) to poise myself for a spot in a combined neuro/psych spot for 2013. My future research interests would benefit greatly from combined training... I'd like to study the behavioral aspects of different somatic influences (i.e. specific neurotransmitters, functional imaging, etc.).
The problem is that my research background doesn't really focus much on this... most of my past experience is completely unrelated to neuro or psych, except for one abstract at this year's Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine conference and the paper that will eventually spawn from that abstract. I have a couple of great rec letters from American psychiatrists - one who is also a pain specialist and one who is also an internist, both at Tulane - but none from neurologists.
As an IMG, is there much I can do to improve my chances? I'm taking Step 1 in about 2 weeks and I'm anticipating a score in the 240-250 range if my last NBME practice test was any indicator. I'm planning to take Step 2 in December and go on the interview trail in January/February. I'll also be able to do 8 weeks of away Sub-I's in January and February... of course, that'll be too late for a rec letter, but I figure it might help me audition for a residency.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure if I should have posted this in the psych section or the neuro section, but the combined section seemed appropriate...
Thanks!