Peds neuro match

[Cardsfan]

Any word on how the peds neuro match worked out with the SF match for neuro and the regular match for peds?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dkn79]

anyone know? help!!

 

[Noelle]

anyone know? help!!

I'd like to know too!

 

[cpb1213]

hey child neuro folks to be...

I know it seems like there aren't many answers to this whole process, but never fear, surely some of us who have navigated the waters will help ya!

As an applicant, the sf match for pedineuro (or whatever it's called where you live) worked fairly well...I feel like we were all a bit nervous and even though the field is wide open, it felt competitive at interviews, simply because the number of spots at any particular program was 3 at the most...for the most part the applicants seemed extremely bright and were friendly folks (a few otherworldly nerds, but that's to be expected)...I really didn't know what I was looking for in a program until I interviewed at a few places and I interviewed at far too many (as I'm eating pb and banana sandwiches now) but did get to sample an array of programs.

no real problems coordinating interviews with peds, you will almost always do one day in peds (which is a breeze, 2 interviews usually) and one (which they will arrange consecutively if possible) in neuro (will usually be anywhere from 5-9 interviews, meet as many in the dept. as possible...a true fellowship interview)...these are TIRING...as is my excessive use of parentheses...

okay...so I interviewed at 13 programs, if you have specific ??'s I can try to help but please keep in mind the weather is nice and the tarheels are attempting to win a national championship. Priorities.
...boston ch, vanderbilt, wash u, wake forest, loma linda, usc, children's national dc, baylor, u alabama birmingham, unc, vcu, u washington, cinci children's...is that 13?

I think the average board score for matching applicants was 245...
just kidding, 215 or something...and there were a good number of spots left unfilled for 2007, so if you're not sure about it now, you can always enter the old fashioned way later...

anyway...this is an exciting time for us all...meeting future colleagues on the interview trail makes you realize what a small field pedineuro is, everyone knows everyone...good luck and ask away...I know how confused I was last year this time, as no one else in my state that I knew of was going into child neuro...

 

[omores]

So who besides me is applying to child neuro residencies in the upcoming cycle? I need a peer group!

 

[JT30]

Hi Omores,

I will also be in the next round of the Peds Neuro Match. Its nice to talk to someone else who is going that route! If I learn anything of interest I'll pass it along.

 

[Cardsfan]

Hello all,
I'm planning on goin through the peds neuro match this coming year too

 

[omores]

Hello future colleagues!

Pleased to meet you -- if this counts as a meeting. It's probably quite likely we'll meet in person one of these days.

Yes, shared information would be great -- this is such an opaque process. I'll be much more active on this thread when I actually start applying and have something to say. First, however, there's a certain Step 1 exam I should be studying for (D-day = 17 May). Yuck. Off to relearn some immunology.

Ci vediamo.

 

[Cardsfan]

So is everyone starting to think about CAS apps? Where are people going to apply? Anyone heard any good stories/advice from people who matched last year. Good luck to all

 

[Barry Otter]

Could someone shed some light on how peds neuro programs work? I looked on the sfmatch.org site, but I'm still very confused. Do medical students directly enter combined peds-neuro training, or do they have to secure a peds residency first? Many thanks.

 

[omores]

So is everyone starting to think about CAS apps? Where are people going to apply?

Yep -- now that Step 1 is behind me forever -- at least I hope so; still waiting for scores -- I'm starting to assemble the CAS stuff.

What a pain. I've got so many college transcripts. My u-grad one is particularly humourous. I went to a school with no grades, so the transcript consists entirely of long comments about my work. Keep in mind that I was a fine arts major with a minor in percussion, so my instructors go on in great detail about my use of varnish, for example, or my high-hat technique. So relevant to child neurology.

The other thing that's worrying me is that we have to include our Step 1 performance profile -- you know, the thing with all the little bars that tells how you did in various subject areas. I'm concerned that my profile will be pretty well balanced except for a really crappy performance in, say, neuroscience.

As to where I'll apply: probably will concentrate on west coast and central schools. I need to get away from this side of the continent. Will be limited to cities in which I can support a family of 3 on my resident's salary. Dreaming of U Wash, but I'll have to see what the program feels like. Only so much you can tell from a website.

 

[omores]

Could someone shed some light on how peds neuro programs work? I looked on the sfmatch.org site, but I'm still very confused. Do medical students directly enter combined peds-neuro training, or do they have to secure a peds residency first? Many thanks.

Confused? Whatever for? What could be more straightforward than the child neurology match?

Just kidding.

From what I can tell, some child neuro programs have official arrangements with pediatrics departments to set aside slots for child neuro residents. Other programs may have unofficial arrangements (i.e., the CN director makes a phone call to the peds director and they work something out.) And then there are a few programs where there is no coordination between departments. In all virtually all cases, I think you have to apply for CN in the early match and peds in the regular match -- even if you've already been guaranteed a peds slot.

Keep in mind that quite a few CN residents do a whole three year peds residency first -- could be because they weren't able to get a two-year peds slot, could be because they wanted all the peds training, could be because they didn't know they were interested in child neurology until later -- I've run into examples of each.

Maybe cpb1213 can comment on this if he's not too busy with his move south.

 

[Barry Otter]

Thanks for the helpful explanation, omores. It sounds like you have a lot of flexibility in the process, but it could also be messy.

 

[omores]

The other thing that's worrying me is that we have to include our Step 1 performance profile -- you know, the thing with all the little bars that tells how you did in various subject areas. I'm concerned that my profile will be pretty well balanced except for a really crappy performance in, say, neuroscience.

Ha! Just got my scores today. Did quite well overall. On my performance profile, only two areas were weak enough to cross into the "borderline performance" gray zone: respiratory, and -- you guessed it -- neuro.