We present to you the most complete and up-to-date IMG friendly neurology residency programs list with full match selection criteria and requirements for these programs. This book is essentially written for international medical graduates seeking residency in the US.
Among the many considerations faced by International Medical Graduates, geological location is an important aspect of medical residency research for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Not only must IMG residency applicants research individual residency programs, they should also be aware of state limitations and the overall IMG friendliness of whole states. Knowing how IMG friendly a state is can help IMGs better focus their research, and resources.
Based on the 2018 NRMP Main Residency Match®: Match Rates by Specialty and State study, the Top 10 Most IMG Friendly States are:
- New York (1,384 IMGs)
- Florida (529 IMGs)
- Michigan (496 IMGs)
- Pennsylvania (462 IMGs)
- New Jersey (399 IMGs)
- Texas (378 IMGs)
- Illinois (360 IMGs)
- Ohio (341 IMGs)
- California (290 IMGs)
- Massachusetts (242 IMGs)
Below is the full list of all 50 US states and analysis of US IMGs and Non-US IMGs per state:
State | US IMG | Non US IMG | Total |
Alabama | 40 | 47 | 87 |
Alaska | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Arizona | 44 | 27 | 71 |
Arkansas | 40 | 26 | 66 |
California | 209 | 81 | 290 |
Colorado | 3 | 4 | 7 |
Connecticut | 66 | 152 | 218 |
Delaware | 6 | 1 | 7 |
D.C. | 26 | 90 | 116 |
Florida | 270 | 259 | 529 |
Georgia | 108 | 86 | 194 |
Hawaii | 11 | 12 | 23 |
Idaho | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Illinois | 106 | 254 | 360 |
Indiana | 19 | 25 | 44 |
Iowa | 17 | 24 | 41 |
Kansas | 7 | 20 | 27 |
Kentucky | 24 | 21 | 45 |
Louisiana | 95 | 58 | 153 |
Maine | 1 | 8 | 9 |
Maryland | 46 | 134 | 180 |
Massachusetts | 49 | 193 | 242 |
Michigan | 188 | 308 | 496 |
Minnesota | 19 | 53 | 72 |
Mississippi | 18 | 17 | 35 |
Missouri | 34 | 79 | 113 |
Montana | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Nebraska | 16 | 35 | 51 |
Nevada | 31 | 16 | 47 |
New Hampshire | 8 | 6 | 14 |
New Jersey | 208 | 191 | 399 |
New Mexico | 8 | 13 | 21 |
New York | 572 | 812 | 1384 |
North Carolina | 43 | 29 | 72 |
North Dakota | 15 | 12 | 27 |
Ohio | 111 | 230 | 341 |
Oklahoma | 12 | 28 | 40 |
Oregon | 8 | 7 | 15 |
Pennsylvania | 154 | 308 | 462 |
Puerto Rico | 63 | 14 | 77 |
Rhode Island | 10 | 26 | 36 |
South Carolina | 13 | 7 | 20 |
South Dakota | 6 | 9 | 15 |
Tennessee | 45 | 39 | 84 |
Texas | 139 | 239 | 378 |
Utah | 3 | 5 | 8 |
Vermont | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Virginia | 58 | 57 | 115 |
Washington | 14 | 8 | 22 |
West Virginia | 27 | 38 | 65 |
Wisconsin | 33 | 33 | 66 |
Wyoming | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Source: 2018 Match Results by State, Specialty, and Applicant Type
Competitiveness: Low
Neurology is a smaller, but growing specialty that is for those who like to work with problem solving and a logical approach to the mysteries of the human brain. Neurology programs generally focus on the whole residency applicant, making it less competitive than other specialties. It is also one of the most IMG friendly specialties from the last few NRMP Matches. Neurology is an advanced specialty as most programs require a PGY-1 Intern Year completed before starting training. Some programs include the PGY-1 year, but residency candidates interested in Neurology should be prepared for both contingencies. Overall, Neurology is a specialty with a diverse amount of career options after your residency training is complete.
ENTER YOUR CREDENTIALSCustomize your Neurology program list
IMG Profile
Average Stats for a Matched US IMG in 2018:
- USMLE Step 1 score: 227
- USMLE Step 2 CK score: 234
- Research: 2.6
- Abstracts/Presentations/etc: 2.6
- Work: 3.6
- Volunteer: 4.3
Average Stats for a Matched Non-US IMG in 2018:
- USMLE Step 1 score: 236
- USMLE Step 2 CK score: 240
- Research: 3.2
- Abstracts/Presentations/etc: 7.3
- Work: 5.6
- Volunteer: 3.7
Specialty Factors
![Programs Programs](http://www.residencyprograms.biz/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/img-friendly-internal-medicine-residency-programs-300x193.jpg)
Every specialty has unique factors they want each candidate to have in their residency application. NRMP conducts regular Program Director surveys to identify which parts of the residency application are most important in differing specialties. Among the information gathered, Program Directors were asked to to cite factors they used to select candidates for interviews. They were also asked to rate each factor on a scale from 1 (least important) to 5 (most important).
The Top 5 Most Important Neurology Application Factors
Percentage of Programs Citing Each Factor
- USMLE Step 1 score (89%), Any failed attempt in USMLE (89%)
- Grades in required clerkships (86%)
- Grades in clerkship in desired specialty (84%)
- Specialty specific Letters of Recommendation (81%)
- MSPE (78%), USMLE Step 2 CK score (78%), Class ranking/quartile (78%), Lack of gaps in medical education (78%)
Average Importance Rating for Each Factor (scale of 1 to 5)
- Flagged by NRMP (4.7)
- Perceived commitment to specialty (4.6), Evidence of professionalism and ethics (4.6)
- Perceived interest in the program (4.5)
- Personal prior knowledge of applicant (4.4)
- Grades in required clerkships (4.3), Any failed attempt in USMLE (4.3), Grades in clerkship in desired specialty (4.3), Passing USMLE Step 2 CS (4.3), Consistency of grades (4.3), Lack of gaps in medical education (4.3)
Fast Facts
Total Training | 4 years |
Average Residency Salary | $56,000 |
Average Work Week | 50.8 Hours |
Peak Interview Months | November, December |
Key Organizations and Societies: | American Board of Neurology |
Match Statistics
Main Residency Match and Post-Match Stats
IMGs Matched
Number of Programs/Positions
Post-Match SOAP Unfilled Positions
Main Residency Match
Categorical
Post-Match SOAP
Program Track | Participating Programs | Filled Programs | Positions Available | Filled Positions |
PGY-1 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 12 |
PGY-2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Program Track | PGY-2 | |
Participating Programs | 9 | 2 |
Filled Programs | 9 | 2 |
Positions Available | 12 | 4 |
Filled Positions | 12 | 4 |
Subspecialties
- Brain Injury Medicine
- Child Neurology
- Clinical Neurophysiology
- Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology
- Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
- Neuromuscular Medicine
- Pain Medicine
- Sleep Medicine
- Vascular Neurology
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Main-Match-Result-and-Data-2018.pdf
http://nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NRMP-2018-Program-Director-Survey-for-WWW.pdf
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Charting-Outcomes-in-the-Match-2018-IMGs.pdf
https://www.aan.com/uploadedFiles/Website_Library_Assets/Documents/4.CME_and_Training/2.Training/2.Resident_Resources/2.How_to_Apply_for_a_Residency/A%20Step-by-Step%20Guide%20to%20Applying%20to%20a%20Neurology%20Residency%20Program.pdf