Northwestern
Program Director – charismatic, strong interest in research
Schedule – Front-loaded
Prelim-spot – For 6 out of 8 (usually a non-issue)
Research emphasis – Strong
Fellowship %/placement – almost 100%, excellent programs
Hospital ranking – 8
City – Amazing
Salary – $55-64
Vacation – 4 + 1 for educational conferences
Special attractions – Rehab Center of Chicago, supervised junior call, Medical Educator curriculum
Negatives - Expensive, COLD, no exposure to Cook County
Utah
Program Director – very enthusiastic
Schedule – Front-loaded
Pre-lim spot – Guaranteed
Research emphasis – Required
Fellowship %/placement – 75%, mostly regional, but a few top tier
Hospital ranking – top ranked for overall patient safety
City – average
Salary – $55-62
Vacation – 4 weeks
Special attractions - international elective w/ infectious tropical disease focus (Kenya/Ghana)
Negatives – SLC, Mormonism, isolated
Colorado
Program director – extremely nice and supportive. Gets things done on behalf of residents. But has a tic
Schedule – Front-loaded
Pre-lim spot – Guaranteed (7 total)
Research emphasis – Strong emphasis
Fellowship%/placement – mostly at U Colorado, but some elite programs every year
Hospital ranking – 20
City – superb, but out there
Salary - $52-61
Vacation – 3 + 1 for educational leave
Special attractions – neuro-ID fellowship, MSU, LeadR curriculum
Negatives – Far away, overall academic reputation
Miami
Program Director: President-elect of AAN. Ambitious and supportive.
Schedule – Front-loaded
Pre-lim spot - (8/11); 4 + 2 + 2 (ambulatory/research); 6-8 wks neuro in-pt + stroke, 6 wks ambulatory, 6 wks of night-float; can do research elective (also includes didactics – how to write grants, etc.
Research – unlimited potential, no requirement except an abstract
Fellowship/placement – Almost 100%, amazing placement
Hospital ranking – 42 for neurology
City – Amazing, language barrier
Salary – $52-58
Vacation – 4 weeks
Special attractions – Neuro-trauma, neuro-interventionalist training, Good Morning America elective, research track, NMDA/CBD trial for concussions, Brain endowment bank (1 of 6)
Negatives – expensive city, Spanish-speaking
Tulane
Program Director: Not very enthusiastic
Schedule – Front-loaded
Pre-lim spot – guaranteed
Research – Almost non-existent, some potential with Dr. Digs
Fellowship/placement – not bad, neuro-optho placement at Bascom-Palmer this past year
Hospital ranking – NR
City – NOLA, nuff said
Salary – $48-53
Special attractions – None
Negatives – small department, not as academically recognized as others
Emory
Program Director - On the way out, but says he is still heavily involved
Schedule – Front-loaded, but provides time for outpatient in PGY-2 year
Pre-lim spot – Guaranteed for all 8 (4 pre-lim, 4 transitional) – DO NOT HAVE TO DO
Research – Superior, clinical-researcher track if desired
Fellowship/placement – anywhere you want really
Hospital ranking – 15
City – ATL, nuff said
Salary - $55-62
Vacation – 4 weeks
Special attractions – Grady training, neuro-interventional suite, CDC
Negatives – Program director transitioning out
GWU
Program Director – Very supportive, emphasis on teaching
Schedule – Front-loaded – 1 resident for each stroke, epilepsy, and consult
Pre-lim spot – not guaranteed
Research – weak
Fellowship/placement – Very good considering ranking; chairmen willing to make calls
Hospital ranking – NR
City – DC – expensive, but close to home
Salary - $56-64
Vacation -
Special attractions – relationship to NIH, growing department
Negatives – no neuro ICU service/attending, small department (4 residents)
Pittsburgh
Program Director- very nice, elderly man (probably on his way out, replacement much more dynamic)
Schedule – NOT front-loaded, time for electives in PGY-2 year, inpatient rotations in 4th year
Pre-lim spot – guaranteed
Research – very strong
Fellowship/placement – a lot at UPitt but excellent overall
Hospital ranking – 19
City – Progressive, UPMC is head honcho, 4 hr from DC, 7 from NYC not that expensive
Salary - $56-62
Vacation -
Special attractions – VERY STRONG IN STROKE, direct path to neuro-interventional, medium-sized program (7 spots), established moonlighting system
Negatives – weak in cognitive, but getting stronger
Thomas Jefferson
Program Director – chillest guy on interview tour, huge resident advocate, not going anywhere
Schedule – Heavy PGY-2 year but with 9 elective months built into 2nd and 3rd years
Pre-lim spot – newly guaranteed
Research – dwarfed by Penn but required for residents, chairman is huge advocate
Fellowship/placement – Heavy at Jefferson, close to 100%, chair willing to make calls
Hospital ranking – 24
City – Philly – very accessible, not as expensive as NYC/BOS, City Center is fantastic
Salary –
Vacation – 4 weeks + 1 holiday week
Special attractions – Stand-alone hospital, 4+2 intern year
Negatives – not top ranked hospital, competing w/ Penn, not a lot of national placement, neuro-interventional is run by neurosurgery, residents not that impressive during morning report
Mayo Jacksonville
Program Director – frat bro-style, EMG specialist, relatively nice
Schedule – heavy PGY-2, but neuro electives last 2 months of intern year, neuro intro course in beginning of PGY-2 year, clinical neurophysiology course in 2 months of PGY-3 year; clinical load lightens heavily in PGY-3 year; outpatient elective time in PGY-2 year
Pre-lim spot – guaranteed
Research – up to residents, can do a lot if you want
Fellowship/placement – Lot at Mayo Jax, opportunities to go else where (UMIch – sleep, WashU – stroke, Rochester – epilepsy, MGH – stroke, etc.)
Hospital ranking –
City – Jacksonville has nice beaches, a bit isolated
Salary - $53-60
Vacation – 15 calendar days, cannot take during inpatient, wknds not counted as vacation days
Special attractions – place to live, neuropath course/brain bank, can do electives in Rochester, international electives, neurophys course where call minimal and can learn EMG/NCS, neuro-critical care elective, Mayo will pay for 1 research trip per year, 10 presentation days allotted, can participate in admin committees, can teach MCR 3rd years and Dartmouth 4th years, call is 3 PM – 7 AM with morning of and entire post-call day off
Negatives – no stroke fellowship, lots of IMGs/DOs, only 3 weeks of vacation, only 4 residents
Boston University
Program Director – 20-year veteran, can place you wherever you want to go, huge advocate
Schedule – Front-loaded
Prelim-spot – 6/6 guaranteed, but not required, can apply to it without neuro
Research emphasis – Strong, has own research symposium, access to Framingham Heart Study
Fellowship %/placement – almost 100%, excellent programs
Hospital ranking – NR
City – Amazing but expensive
Salary – $60-68
Vacation – 4 + 1 for educational conferences
Special attractions – BMC is safety-net hospital of city, can place into pharma, can go wherever you want after, has a stroke fellowship outside of the match, charismatic prelim director, lot of VA exposure, strong global health initiative, neuro-rehab fellowship
Negatives – Expensive, not top dog in city, didactics not spread out (every Tuesday all day), currently no chair
New York University
Program Director – Very young, but enthusiastic and committed to residents, chairman/vice-chair very supportive
Schedule – Front-loaded, but elective time on PGY-2 year; 12-14 24-hr call as N2; ½ of wknds off completely, has night float (~4 wks)
Prelim-spot – 11/11 guaranteed, but not required, 4+2
Research emphasis – Very strong
Fellowship %/placement – almost 100%, excellent programs
Hospital ranking – 7
City – Amazing but expensive
Salary – $62-71
Vacation – 4
Special attractions – top-ranked program, lots of money pouring in, growing department, neuro-IR fellowship, Parkinson’s disease home visits program
Negatives – Expensive, not top dog in city, Bellevue can be tough, limited NYU housing
Tufts Medical Center
Program Director – Did not meet, they didn’t set up interview; vice-chair Sabin is a boss
Schedule – Front-loaded with 8 wks Tufts in-patient, 12 weeks Lahey, not very flexible, 10 weeks night float w/ 24-hr call on Friday, outpatient 2 wks PGY-2 year, very little in-pt PGY-3 year, 20 weeks ward senior as PGY-4
Prelim-spot – 3 at St. Elizabeth’s (preferred) and 2 at Lahey so 5/5 guaranteed
Research emphasis – Very little, strong clinical emphasis
Fellowship %/placement – almost 100%, excellent programs (Mayo, MGH, UCSF, etc.)
Hospital ranking – NR
City – Amazing but expensive
Salary –
Vacation – 4
Special attractions – Spend lots of time at Lahey which is more community-based, does have INR fellowship, residents can join as co-investigators on clinical trials, week of boot camp before PGY-2 year, connection to Dr. Leung, Sabin rounds are fun
Negatives – Only 4-5 residents, lots of DOs/IMGs, did not meet program director
Mount Sinai Beth Israel
Program Director – very east to talk to, supportive, huge advocate
Schedule – Front-loaded
Prelim-spot – Guaranteed, can apply to it separately
Research emphasis – Not as strong as some on list, would need to access Mount Sinai uptown
Fellowship %/placement – almost 100%, excellent programs
Hospital ranking – NR, will be moving into new facility in 2020
City – Amazing but expensive
Salary –
Vacation – 4
Special attractions – Guaranteed subsidized housing, located in East Village
Negatives – Not main Mount Sinai, small group of residents per class
Rush
Program Director – one of nicest people on the trail, very supportive, editor-in-chief of Continuum
Schedule – Front-loaded, 2 week blocks, 6 weeks nightfloat during PGY-2 (none beyond that)
Prelim-spot – 8/8 guaranteed but not required
Research emphasis – more emphasis on clinical, requirement to do one project, weaker on basic science
Fellowship %/placement – almost 100%, many at Rush/NW/mid-west; can theoretically go anywhere
Hospital ranking – 13
City – Amazing, but located in somewhat of a shady neighborhood
Salary – $53-61
Vacation – 4
Special attractions – Zambia elective where you can help set up residency program, daily noon conferences w/ lunch provided, Cook County exposure for ~20% of residency, can teach medical students (M1 and M3), 2 vascular fellowships/year, 4 NCC fellowships/yr, telestroke/MSU
Negatives - Expensive, COLD, not in best part of Chicago, lots of local fellowship placement