Neurology Applicant Tips?

[Lifeblood_20]

M4 applying to Neuro, just wanted to get some thoughts:

USMD, top 20 fwiw
Pre-clinical: Pass/Fail school. All pass.
Step 1: pass on first attempt
Clinical grades: bottom quartile in my class. HP in Neuro and P in IM.
Step 2: 25x
Research: 1 paper + 4 posters from undergrad in neuroscience, 1 poster in neuro-adjacent field in med school, 1 other manuscript in process hoping to submit before ERAS
LORs: will get 2 Neuro, 1 IM, 1 FM, and 1 from research mentor
ECs:
- 1 club leadership and 2 volunteering activities in med school
- A non-profit leadership and meaningful clinical employment before med school that I plan on including on ERAS
Hobbies:
- Board games, Anime, fitness

I am hoping to match somewhere in midwest (MI, IL, OH, WI if possible), not gunning for tippy top programs but would prefer a decent sized program somewhere in a decent city/suburb with nice living environment. Seems doable?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[neuroiscool42]

You'll be okay. Just start practicing on your interviews.

 

[Aldertonghen]

You will only match in my program in the Midwest if we agree on your preferences in anime.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

You will only match in my program in the Midwest if we agree on your preferences in anime.

Oh boy.
Some of my favorites are Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Attack on Titan, Madoka Magica, Made in Abyss, Demon Slayers

 

[Captain_Falcon]

You will have no issues matching. Apply to 25 ish of your favorite programs in the Midwest and garner 10 interviews and try to relax and enjoy the ride

 

[Thama]

Obviously no problems with matching. You'll get some questions about grades, particularly the HP in neurology. A sub-I in neurology even if at your home institution with an honors would do a lot to smooth that over.

Otherwise, you should be competitive for all but the upper crust of programs out there as long as you aren't a sociopath on interviews, and even then if we didn't consider matching the personality disordered, nobody's neurology program would match all its slots.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Obviously no problems with matching. You'll get some questions about grades, particularly the HP in neurology. A sub-I in neurology even if at your home institution with an honors would do a lot to smooth that over.

Otherwise, you should be competitive for all but the upper crust of programs out there as long as you aren't a sociopath on interviews, and even then if we didn't consider matching the personality disordered, nobody's neurology program would match all its slots.

Thanks for the reply!
Currently doing a Neuro sub-I at my home institution. In your experience, how important are clinical grades? My MSPE comments are fine, never failed a shelf, got the classic “pretty good student, 2/4” treatment a few too many times

 

[Thama]

Thanks for the reply!
Currently doing a Neuro sub-I at my home institution. In your experience, how important are clinical grades? My MSPE comments are fine, never failed a shelf, got the classic “pretty good student, 2/4” treatment a few too many times

Grades are about as important as step scores IMO. Having mostly OK grades isn't going to hurt you much as long as you did well in the specialty you want to go into. If you didn't stand out in your field of choice among students who mostly didn't want to do that thing for a living, that will raise questions of enthusiasm and commitment.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Grades are about as important as step scores IMO. Having mostly OK grades isn't going to hurt you much as long as you did well in the specialty you want to go into. If you didn't stand out in your field of choice among students who mostly didn't want to do that thing for a living, that will raise questions of enthusiasm and commitment.

I got docked points on Neuro rotation for being "too enthusiastic" (asking too many questions and impeding work flow) it was my first rotation and I definitely learned my lesson...