Neuro Residency Apps Questions

[california777]

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Hello All-
Here are a few questions that I have for anyone who would be so kind as to answer them. I am a MS3 from an osteopathic medical school and I'm trying to get myself prepared for the upcoming application season. Here are my questions:

1. When applying to Neuro and Prelim Medicine programs, does this require two separate personal statements and separate letters of recommendations?

2. I am planning on doing my Neuro Sub-internships at the beginning of 4th year (July-Aug/Sept) and hope to get some really good LORs during that time. However, will this be too late to submit for applications? Basically, when is the latest that you can submit LORs? Will the Neuro programs schedule you for an interview before they recieve your LORs, or do they wait for the entire application to be complete first? And what about Dean's Letters; I understand that most med schools don't release Dean's Letters until November, but don't Neuro Programs start interviewing before then? It seems that because the Neuro Match is early, they must schedule interviews before a lot of the components of the application are complete (i.e. LORs and Dean's Letters); how does that work?

3. Where can I find listings of Prelim Med programs? I believe that FREIDA lists transitional/rotating internships, but where can I find a complete listing of Prelim Medicine programs?

Thanks for you help!

 

[BigTree]

1. You can use the same personal statement, but I think that most people probably slightly modify their neurology PS before submitting it as their prelim PS. The affairs dean of my school sent out an email to everyone saying that its really not necessary to write a whole separate PS. Besides, IM program directors aren't stupid. They know that it is not your "dream" to complete a preliminary year in internal medicine. For my PS, I just added an intro paragraph stating that I thought IM was an integral part of neuro and that i considered it a very valuable part of training. Also stated why I chose their program/location etc.

2. That's not too late necessarily, but you might end up cutting it very close. I think end of August was my personal cut-off point. I'm not sure what requirements are necessary to get an interview at different programs. Probably varies program to program. Email specific programs if you want to be sure.

3. Frieda: Select your region, specialty (IM) and then under options check "Must offer Preliminary Positions" and check "Must meet all of the above selctions".

Also: BE SURE TO READ GOPHERBRAIN'S FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS STICKIED ABOVE. I THINK IT COVERS MOST IF NOT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.

Best of luck!! 👍

 

[tofurious]

2. I am planning on doing my Neuro Sub-internships at the beginning of 4th year (July-Aug/Sept) and hope to get some really good LORs during that time. However, will this be too late to submit for applications?

Remember that you can submit one late letter from your chosen specialty if the rotation in your chosen specialty is done after your application has been submitted.

 

[california777]

Remember that you can submit one late letter from your chosen specialty if the rotation in your chosen specialty is done after your application has been submitted.

Thanks for the answers! What about Letters of Recommendation; do I have to get a set for Pre-lim Medicine and a separate set for Neuro?

 

[GopherBrain]

Thanks for the answers! What about Letters of Recommendation; do I have to get a set for Pre-lim Medicine and a separate set for Neuro?

Yes and no. It depends on how compulsive you are, and how competitive the programs are.

For 95+% of prelim programs, they will be perfectly happy getting your neuro letters. However, if you are applying to Hopkins, MGH, etc, you will probably want some good medicine letters.

The thing is, letters are easy to ask for, and not that hard for people to write. Ask anyone you want one from. If you end up not using it, they never have to know, and at least you will have the option.

 

[GopherBrain]

There isn't much left for me to say. Unfortunately, that isn't going to stop me.

1. When applying to Neuro and Prelim Medicine programs, does this require two separate personal statements and separate letters of recommendations?

In terms of personal statements, most people make superficial modifications to their neuro statement and call it good enough. That is what I did. Those things are a pain to write. Don't stress yourself by doing two.

2. I am planning on doing my Neuro Sub-internships at the beginning of 4th year (July-Aug/Sept) and hope to get some really good LORs during that time. However, will this be too late to submit for applications? Basically, when is the latest that you can submit LORs? Will the Neuro programs schedule you for an interview before they recieve your LORs, or do they wait for the entire application to be complete first? And what about Dean's Letters; I understand that most med schools don't release Dean's Letters until November, but don't Neuro Programs start interviewing before then? It seems that because the Neuro Match is early, they must schedule interviews before a lot of the components of the application are complete (i.e. LORs and Dean's Letters); how does that work?

You are cutting it damn close, but it isn't impossible. The SF Match will not distribute your application without 3 LORs, so you need to have them in hand by early/mid September (if you want to send in your app in the first wave, a good idea). After that, as tofurious said, you can submit one additional letter.

You are right that you will get interview requests before the Dean's letter is out, but the rest of the application is pretty much set in stone. Once you turn it in, there are very limited circumstances to supplement it (ie the one additional LOR, AOA election, etc) and NO opportunity to change or delete what has already been distributed.

3. Where can I find listings of Prelim Med programs? I believe that FREIDA lists transitional/rotating internships, but where can I find a complete listing of Prelim Medicine programs?

FREIDA has this info, just like BigTree says. This is the best place to go.

 

[ptolemy]

not too much left to say but wanted to add that you should remember that YOU need to collect your LORs and send them in with your application, they all must be sent out together (except the rare occurence of a 4th LOR). your dean's letter goes out after that, and like gopher said, you usually get interview requests before the dean's letter.

also, prelim is a different application, neuro is sfmatch and prelim is nrmp, so you can change things around if you want for that, ie send different letters/statements to different programs, but you only have one application for sfmatch to all the programs. (though i doubt many would send different statements/letters to prelim programs, but they might)

 

[california777]

You are cutting it damn close, but it isn't impossible. The SF Match will not distribute your application without 3 LORs, so you need to have them in hand by early/mid September (if you want to send in your app in the first wave, a good idea). After that, as tofurious said, you can submit one additional letter.

In terms of the LOR for my sub-internships, don't most people do a sub-I in their 4th year (and not during their 3td year)? I already completed one neuro rotation in my 3rd year and got a great LOR from that, but since 4th year doesn't begin until June, I wasn't able to schedule a neuro sub-I until then. How much earlier do the programs expect you to rotate in order to get a good LOR? I'm a little concerned because as I stated before, I was hoping to get a good LOR from my sub-I rotation as the neuro rotation I did in my 3rd year was with a private practice neuro group (and i'm assuming that it's more credible to get a LOR from neurologist at a university/teaching program than from a private preceptorship).

 

[GopherBrain]

I would agree that a letter from an academic neurologist will go farther than one from some guy at Joe's Clinic of Neurology.

In terms of the specifics of getting the letter, we need to know more about your situation. You mentioned doing the SubIs "July-Aug/Sept". A month makes a ton of difference that time of year. When do you start, and when do you end, exactly?

 

[california777]

I would agree that a letter from an academic neurologist will go farther than one from some guy at Joe's Clinic of Neurology.

In terms of the specifics of getting the letter, we need to know more about your situation. You mentioned doing the SubIs "July-Aug/Sept". A month makes a ton of difference that time of year. When do you start, and when do you end, exactly?

I have 3 neuro rotations scheduled (I know that's probably a little overkill, but I still haven't received confirmation from these rotations so it's possible that I won't get all 3 rotations). Anyhow, the first is from June 27-July 24, then July 25-Aug 21, and finally Aug 29-Sept. 25. Should I plan on only being able to get a LOR from my first rotation as the other ones probably won't be in time?

Also, if I submit my completed application by early September, would that be considered early on just on time? I would like to have my apps in early (to give me a better chance at getting interview offes) and am just wondering how early is "early"? Thanks for you help!! 🙂