Only 6 D.O. Neuro Programs?!

[Techniq]

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Hi,

I'm extremely interested in Neuro and I want to do an osteopathic residency only. However, I recently discovered that there are only 6 osteopathic neuro residencies! I can't help but feel slightly discouraged by this finding.

1. Botsford General Hospital - Farmington Hills MI
2. Garden City Hospital - Garden City MI
3. Edward W. Sparrow Hospital - Lansing MI
4. St John - Oakland Hospital - Madison Heights MI
5. OUCOM/Grandview Hosp & Med Ctr - Dayton OH
6. Hamot Medical Center - Erie PA

are these programs extremely competitive? any good? I don't have great board scores at all and I really want to do neuro... but I also need to be realistic. 🙂

Any insight/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Boxer1]

One of my neurology preceptors graduated from an osteopathic program. She told me that getting a spot has a lot to do with how much people like you and who you know. The osteopathic neurology world is very small, and everyone knows each other. So rotating with at least one of those 6 programs and getting letters from some of the high ups would be pretty beneficial for your application.

I don't know how competitive they are so I can't speak to that.

 

[mlw03]

perhaps you could explain why you're so set on osteopath neuro? i never realized there were significant differences in DO vs. MD residency programs within a given specialty. there's still 12 cranial nerves in DO neuro, right? (just kidding... heheh). anyway, if you are willing to consider MD programs my med school (USF) had a fair number of DOs in neuro residency when i did my neuro MS3 clerkship, and they all seemed quite capable.

 

[bustbones26]

perhaps you could explain why you're so set on osteopath neuro? i never realized there were significant differences in DO vs. MD residency programs within a given specialty. there's still 12 cranial nerves in DO neuro, right? (just kidding... heheh). anyway, if you are willing to consider MD programs my med school (USF) had a fair number of DOs in neuro residency when i did my neuro MS3 clerkship, and they all seemed quite capable.

Hamot program in Erie formed by the end of my first year there. Dr. Esper was a great teacher at our school, hence, a lot of LECOMers had an interest in Neuro (more than the usual med school at least). So when his program was new, it was competitive only because many people at LECOM wanted to do neuro, and many of those wanted to stay local.

I was told that the program became very political and hence it lost interest over time. Of course, this is just what I am told. I can tell you though overall that Hamot is a nice medical center.

 

[Techniq]

perhaps you could explain why you're so set on osteopath neuro? i never realized there were significant differences in DO vs. MD residency programs within a given specialty. there's still 12 cranial nerves in DO neuro, right? (just kidding... heheh).

I just don't want to go through the stress and hassle of taking the USMLE. It's been months since I studied for COMLEX 1 and I already feel as though I've forgotten everything (hopefully that's not true)! But if I feel that I really need to take the USMLE, I will.

Maybe there are allopathic residency programs that accept COMLEX scores? I'll have to look into that.

Thanks for all the responses 🙂

 

[dockev]

Botsford Hospital takes between 2 and 3 residents per year and obviously if you rotate here you have a better chance then not being here. Often if neurology is full and you do any rotation here and get a chance to meet with the neuro program director and get a good evaluation on your medicine service this also increases your chances


Kevin Frankel DO
Physician Director of Clerkship
Botsford Hospital