Is child neurology competitive? How important are the USMLEs, research, med school reputation, and AOA membership for matching into child neurology? Is child neurology IMG-friendly? And what is the DO match rate for child neurology programs?
In this article, you’ll learn everything about child neurology’s competitiveness in 2022. In the process, you’ll learn what to focus on – and what not to – to maximize your chances of matching into this desirable specialty.
Summary:
- Child Neurology Overall Competitiveness: Low
- Research Importance: Low
- USMLE Importance: Moderate
- Importance of Attending Top 40 Med School: Low
- Importance of Class Rank / Obtaining AOA (Med School Honors): Low
Table of Contents
Is Child Neurology Competitive in 2022?
One way to assess the competitiveness of a specialty is to look at the match rate – the % of people who apply who end up matching into their preferred specialty.
Among US Seniors, the unmatched percentage was 1.9%, making it less competitive among US residencies. The match rate for child neurology is considerably better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. Only one specialty was less competitive in the 2022 match (pediatrics).
For more on the most competitive US specialties, see this article.
Child Neurology Match Rate
What is the child neurology match rate for US seniors, DO seniors, and IMGs? The “match rate” is the % of people who applied to a particular specialty as their preferred specialty who successfully matched into the specialty.
- US Senior Child Neurology Match Rate (2022 Match): 98.1%
- DO Senior Child Neurology Match Rate (2022 Match): 89%
- US IMG Child Neurology Match Rate (2022 Match): 50%
- Non-US IMG Child Neurology Match Rate (2022 Match): 67%
See below for more on matching into child neurology as a DO or IMG.
Child Neurology Match Statistics 2022
In 2022, there were 188 child neurology positions available in the NRMP match. A total of 182 applicants listed it as their preferred specialty.
In the 2022 Match, child neurology ranked #19 for most total positions offered, far fewer than other specialties:
- Internal medicine: 9,809 positions
- Family medicine: 4,926 positions
- Pediatrics: 3,016 positions
- Emergency medicine: 2,921 positions
- Psychiatry: 2,047 positions
- Anesthesiology 1,969 positions
How Many Applicants Receive Interviews in Child Neurology?
According to the 2021 Program Director survey, each child neurology program received 1,226 applications on average. Other data include:
- Applications received (Anesthesiology): 115
- Applications rejected based on standardized screen (Anesthesiology): 36
- Applications receiving holistic review (Anesthesiology): 90
- Interview invitations sent (Anesthesiology): 39
- Applicants interviewed (Anesthesiology): 31
- Applicants ranked (Anesthesiology): 30
Looking at the percentages, we can see that for the 2021 Match:
- 31% of child neurology applications were rejected via standardized screen,
- Only 78% of child neurology applications received a holistic review,
- 27% of child neurology applications received an interview invitation, and
- 26% of all child neurology applicants were ranked to match
Child Neurology is Moderately Reliant on Screens
Child Neurology relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, child neurology PDs respondents reported that 31% of applications were rejected via standardized screen. This ranked near the lower end of residencies.
USMLE Scores for Child Neurology
Step 1 scores for child neurology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Child Neurology Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 221
- Median: 234
- 75%ile: 244
Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for child neurology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Child Neurology Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 241
- Median: 247
- 75%ile: 256
See this article for more on USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK percentiles for each specialty and the overall percentiles.
Matching into Child Neurology as a DO
Matching into child neurology as a DO is less competitive, with an 89% match rate and 9% of spots filled by DO Seniors in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 19 DO seniors applied for child neurology; 17 matched.
For more on the most DO-friendly specialties, see this article.
Is Child Neurology IMG Friendly?
Child neurology is more IMG-friendly compared to other specialties, with an overall 61% match rate and 15% of spots filled by IMGs in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 16 US IMGs and 30 non-US IMGs applied to child neurology; 8 US IMGs and 20 non-US IMGs matched.
We can see that US IMGs had a slightly lower match rate (50%) than non-US IMGs (67%) in child neurology.
For more on the most IMG-friendly specialties, see this article.
Child Neurology-Friendly IMG Residency Programs
For a list of the most IMG-friendly child neurology programs, see this article.
How Important is AOA for Child Neurology?
AOA – Alpha Omega Alpha – is the med school honors society. Each school may elect up to 20% of the graduating class of students.
Having AOA membership confers a greater advantage to matching into some specialties more than others. Often this AOA advantage is greatest for the most competitive specialties.
In the 2022 Match, the match rate for US seniors with AOA membership was 3% greater than that of US seniors without AOA membership. AOA membership provided a slight advantage to matching into child neurology residency.
A number of schools do not have AOA chapters. Even in those schools, many of them rank students against each other. Regardless of AOA status, we can see that class rank may provide a small advantage in child neurology.
For more on AOA medical schools and the importance of class rank for matching, see this article.
How Many Publications for Child Neurology Residency in 2022
Research is an important characteristic for matching into many specialties, particularly the most competitive. So, how many publications do you need to match into a child neurology residency?
In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into child neurology was 7.4. The mean number of research experiences was 3.8.
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Match Into Child Neurology?
You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into child neurology. It appears that having a PhD correlates with a modest advantage of 3% when applying into child neurology. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 3% higher than for those without one when applying into child neurology.
Child Neurology PhD Match Rate, No PhD Match Rate and PhD Advantage (2022 Match)PhD Match Rate, No PhD Match Rate and PhD Advantage (2022 Match)
Note that those with PhDs are relatively common among child neurology residents. In fact, over 21% of matched applicants into child neurology had a PhD in 2022 making it one of the highest ratios of all specialties.
Should You Attend a Top Medical School to Match Into Child Neurology?
Does attending a top medical school help with matching into child neurology? According to the program director survey results above, 46.2% of child neurology PDs consider medical school reputation when considering whom to interview. The mean importance score was 3.5.
Similarly, we can look at the advantage to attending a school in the top 40 by NIH funding. In 2022, there was a 4% advantage in match rate to those attending a school in the top 40 for NIH funding vs. those who did not.
Does an MPH or MBA Help Match Into Child Neurology?
Medical training is long. Despite this, many consider – or complete – other degrees, like MPHs or MBAs.
But how much of an advantage – or disadvantage – does an MPH or MBA confer when applying into child neurology? Not much, it turns out. In fact, the match rate for US seniors with other degrees was 8% lower than the rate for those with other degrees.
These statistics imply that having a second degree that isn’t a PhD doesn’t appear to help your chances of matching into child neurology, and may even hurt them.
What Are the Best Child Neurology Programs?
While child neurology may be moderately competitive, the most desirable programs will always be extremely difficult to enter. So which are the best child neurology residency programs?
Opinions will vary. However, some of the most desirable child neurology residency programs would include:
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Harvard Medical School
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Baylor College of Medicine
Concluding Thoughts
So how competitive is child neurology in 2022? Based on the statistics, it’s among the least. Only one specialty has a higher match rate for US Seniors, and DO and IMG match rates also rank among the highest. While PhDs are more common than average, huge amounts of research or extra credentials like AOA membership or an Ivy League education don’t appear to effect the match.
That said, with so few spots available it is still a competitive specialty, particularly for the most desirable programs. While it is true for all specialties, USMLE scores – and particularly Step 2 CK – will be emphasized moving forward, particularly given how reliant child neurology is on standardized screens to weed out applicants.
To learn more about how to master – not memorize – for impressive USMLE scores and higher class rankings, sign up for a free consultation. You can learn more about how Yousmle can help you to make the most of your time, to excel in your classes, Board exams, and the extracurriculars that are critical to matching.
Looking for a Child Neurology Residency Advisor?
Looking for a child neurology residency advisor? Want help writing your personal statement? Need effective strategies for interviewing? Do you have things on your application – e.g., low USMLE scores, failed USMLEs, no research, IMG status, or others – you need help overcoming?
Be sure to check out our Residency Advisor service.
