Matched my #1 choice for Neurology!



I write this post because I mentioned that I mentor my peers during my interviews and now have to do it. On a serious note, I couldn’t find a lot of Neurology-focused posts in this group last season, so I hope my experience can be of use to next year’s aspirants.



My credentials aren’t the most important, but to get it outta the way - 2017 graduate, require visa, 247/228/1st attempt pass/no step 3, 3 months university-based observership (1 IM, 2 Neuro), no publications, 1 research and 3 poster presentations while in college, and plenty of volunteer work while in college. I had 13 Neuro interviews, 2 Prelim IM, and ranked them all. 



I believe 2 things were key to my journey:

1. Knowing what I want

2. Knowing who I am



Since a lot of posts focus on how to get good scores, apply for research/clinical experience etc., I’ll elaborate on these instead:



1. Knowing what I want:


- One, I decided I wanted to go into Neurology 2 years back. I made sure every academic activity, every work experience, most volunteer work I did had some relevance to my chosen specialty. My personal statement, my letters, my application were all leaning heavily towards my interest in Neuro. This demonstrated my commitment to the field and was well-received in all my interviews. I assume that played a crucial role in me getting invited to programs which had candidates who worked with some of the top names in the field and had some impressive credentials to their profile. 



- Secondly, in Neurology, I had goals. I knew what kind of practice I would like to be involved in, in the future. What subspecialties I was passionate about. What kind of options graduates have after residency and what clinical/academic/research profile I was looking to gain from residency. I could visualize and convey this in most of my interviews, and this also helped me frame my questions to them accordingly. Remember, the interviews are also a way to get to know them better, and they get to know you through the kind of questions you ask them too. Nothing is as tiresome as hearing the same questions downloaded from the internet, from every candidate. Thus, knowing what you want helps you personalize these interactions, and it comes off more genuine.



- Third, whatever else in my application that did not scream neurology, I was able to talk about how they make me a better physician/neurologist. My hobbies, interests, life experiences all came up in different situations, and the interviewers seemed to appreciate it. It could be anything really (being athletic, being multi-lingual, overcoming hardships, being well-read outside of medicine, etc.) but it needs to be genuine and convincing. PDs have been doing this for ages and been in our shoes too, so they can smell a lie a mile away, but hearing a new perspective on things is also refreshing. This is where mock interviews or even discussions with someone who knows you well, or knows the process well, help. Some ideas sound splendid in theory but stupid in action, and vice versa. 



- Lastly, knowing what programs you want to end up in, and what you bring to the table. Programs receive tonnes of applications, and they often have sufficient candidates interested in them. What sets you apart, is what you contribute, and this is where you need to introspect on how your background and experiences add to their team. 




2. Knowing who I am:



I mean this positively and negatively. The USMLE scores and ERAS application uses a lot of objective data to place where they think you fit. However, if only that was required, the interview process would be futile. The problem is when you put too much weight into what others have to say based on just these data. Take everything with a pinch of salt, the good and the bad. 
Know yourself well, be honest about your strengths and weaknesses, your accomplishments and your deficits, your ambitions, and your fears. You need a strong support system, but don’t let them navigate the ship for you either. There may be experts who analyze the timing of your interview invite, compare you with other impressive candidates who aren’t even applying to the same field, or think they are strengthening you by drilling ‘reality’ into you constantly. There may be others who make it sound like a cakewalk, act like all you need is a pulse, or tell you if you have ______, you’re matched for sure. If only it were that straightforward! The truth is, it’s your money, your time, your life. Often the very people who discourage you are the ones trying to get into residency themselves, and it’s understandable. It’s a draining process and sometimes everything seems to be going wrong. But you don’t have to deal with that negativity.



If you have a red/yellow flag, work on other areas to strengthen yourself as a candidate. This group is filled with ideas and suggestions, go through those and work out what works for you. At the end of the day, most of us don’t have a perfect profile, everyone is worried about one thing or the other. Know that you’re not alone in feeling unsure about what the future holds, and proceed wisely.


 Coming to what I believe is the most important, your interview performance:


- Be yourself, but be smart about how you portray yourself. You cannot pretend to be chirpy for 3-4 years of residency, if that’s not who you are. Then again, if you’re someone who has a penchant for dark humor, interviews are probably not the best place to demonstrate that. Be pleasant, be gracious, be confident. Don’t oversell yourself, that gets annoying real soon. Don’t be arrogant, nothing you’ve done or seen so far places you above the person interviewing you. Don’t worry about taking pride in your achievements or background - you know what you’re made of, and the only way to convince someone you will be a great resident is by believing in it yourself first.
 Sounds like a lot of rules, but inculcate them one at a time, and practice, practice, practice.


- Improve your language skills. It’s ok to have an accent, but find out if you’re being understood well. You may have to make some minor modifications accordingly. If your grammar and spelling aren’t up to speed, try to do stuff to improve it over time. You don’t need to use flowery language, the simpler the better, but let it be fluent. It isn’t discrimination; I had to learn to be fluent in a different language in my own country based on the local demographic. If I were a patient, I’d be more comfortable with a doctor who I can communicate with freely, and the people interviewing you would mostly think as much. Of course, we all have different backgrounds, resources, and abilities, and this isn’t to make anyone unnecessarily nervous. It’s just one more thing for you to work on during your application and interview season. 


- Be polite! I cannot emphasize this enough. Some of us don’t use the magic words often in our native languages (please, thank you, sorry), but be mindful of the culture where you are headed, and blend in. If someone answers your question, thank them, don’t just stay silent or worse, respond with ‘K’. If you need help with anything, any time during your application, please ask politely - we all got ahead with the support of others, but people can also be busy, and we aren’t entitled to be helped the moment we need it (also side note, do your homework first; if you take someone's time for something that can be easily Googled, they probably won't spare their time for you when you have specific queries). Be patient. 
If there are people in the room, converse with them, acknowledge them. Don’t be wooden till your interviewer walks in and then transform to another being. Do NOT talk to others in your native language, if there are more people in the room - it is rude, irrespective of your intentions. Don’t discuss other interviews, or badmouth anyone within the hospital premises. Honestly, it’s easier to practice these in real life, than to have to concentrate on every little thing during the interview season, but if that’s not possible, apply them at least from September till February, for your sake.


- Dress appropriately, groom yourself well, and look your best, not just on your interview day, but in your ERAS pic as well. I’d suggest getting a suit from the US, preferably fitted. I wouldn’t go overboard either (like bowties for men/6plus-inch heels for women); be conservative to be on the safe side. 
Dress business casual for your pre-interview dinners - I picked the best-looking clothes from what I wear to the clinic, and that worked.

- Be natural. Yes, you have to impress, but they want to see if you’re a good fit. Appropriate humor is always a plus. I would make an observation or try to say something witty before the interview begins, and it often broke the ice well. Sometimes the interviewers are the ones who are a laugh riot, and it’s just fun to share a moment. Talk to your co-applicants. I’ve made many friends on the trail, and irrespective of the interview outcome, it was fun to talk, discuss and even hang out. Yes, we are all competing for a limited number of spots, but acting like a gunner during your interviews isn’t going to bump you up the ranklist. You gotta be a team player. 




Apologies if my words came out too blunt, and for the length of the post. Wish all the future applicants the very best, give your best in every aspect of your application, but be smart about how you divide your energy for each. If you have any #Neurology-specific queries, I’ll be happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge, whenever time permits