Are you wondering how IMG-friendly (or unfriendly) neurological surgery is as a US medical specialty? Do you want to know your chances of matching in this highly competitive field? Would you love to figure out what neurological surgery programs an IMG would stand the best chance?
This article will give you the most up-to-date information on IMG-friendly neurological surgery programs. Use this information to strategize on whether – and where – to apply to maximize your chances of matching as an IMG in neurological surgery.
Summary:
- Neurological surgery is among the least IMG-friendly US medical specialties.
- Some neurological surgery programs have a large number of IMGs, including Iowa (29% IMGs) and Louisville (28% IMGs).
- In addition, some programs favor US IMGs while others prefer non-US IMGs.
- See the full list of searchable residency programs to strategize where IMGs have recently been the most welcome.
- Be sure to bookmark this page – and sign up for the newsletter – to keep up with the latest residency and USMLE trends and maximize your chances of matching.
Table of Contents
What is an IMG Again?
Let’s start with some definitions.
IMG: International Medical Graduate
- You attended a medical school outside of the United States and Canada
US- vs. Non-US IMGs
IMGs consist of two sub-groups:
- US-IMGs: US Citizens or permanent residents who attended a “foreign” medical school. Example: someone born in the US but went to a Caribbean medical school (a non-US school).
- Non-US IMGs: Non-US citizens or permanent residents who attended a “foreign” medical school. Example: someone born in South Korea, who does not have US citizenship or a green card, and who went to medical school in South Korea.
NRMP: “National Resident Matching Program®”
- The organization that administers the “Match.” In the Match, the NRMP pairs residency applicants with a residency program.
Note that “International Medical Graduate” (IMG) refers to the medical school you attended. Thus, a foreign citizen who attends a US medical school is NOT an IMG. However, a US citizen attending a med school outside the US would be considered an IMG. (Technically, s/he would be a US IMG).
For more on how IMGs can attain residency in the US, see The IMG’s Guide to Obtaining Residency in the United States (2022).
Neurological Surgery is Not Very IMG-Friendly
Looking at the percentage of spots filled by IMGs in the 2022 Match, we can see neurological surgery was among the least IMG-friendly specialties. Several other medical specialties had higher IMG rates.
Similarly, the match rate for IMGs in neurological surgery is among the lowest of all the specialties in the 2022 Match:
Here are the same data represented in a table:
| % Spots Filled by IMGs | % Spots Filled by US IMGs | % Spots Filled by non-US IMGs | Total Positions Offered | Total # All Applicants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiology | 8% | 3% | 4% | 1,969 | 2,560 |
| Child Neurology | 15% | 4% | 11% | 188 | 182 |
| Dermatology | 3% | 1% | 1% | 544 | 834 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 8% | 2% | 6% | 1,155 | 1,568 |
| Emergency Medicine | 7% | 6% | 1% | 2,921 | 2,813 |
| Family Medicine | 21% | 13% | 8% | 4,916 | 5,055 |
| General Surgery | 9% | 3% | 5% | 1,622 | 2,400 |
| Internal Medicine | 36% | 9% | 25% | 9,809 | 11,598 |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatrics | 5% | 2% | 2% | 392 | 458 |
| Interventional Radiology | 2% | 0% | 2% | 169 | 226 |
| Neurological Surgery | 8% | 1% | 7% | 240 | 379 |
| Neurology | 25% | 5% | 18% | 1,014 | 1,249 |
| Obstetrics and Gynecology | 5% | 2% | 3% | 1,503 | 2,044 |
| Orthopaedic Surgery | 2% | 1% | 1% | 875 | 1,435 |
| Otolaryngology | |||||
| Pathology | 41% | 7% | 31% | 631 | 827 |
| Pediatrics | 18% | 7% | 11% | 3,016 | 3,153 |
| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | 6% | 2% | 3% | 532 | 725 |
| Plastic Surgery | 6% | 1% | 4% | 194 | 340 |
| Psychiatry | 15% | 7% | 6% | 2,047 | 2,560 |
| Radiation Oncology | 11% | 5% | 7% | 185 | 162 |
| Vascular Surgery | 7% | 0% | 7% | 84 | 143 |
For more on the most IMG-friendly medical specialties, see this article.
The Most IMG-Friendly Neurological Surgery Residency Programs
While neurological surgery as a field is not very IMG-friendly, the same cannot be said for every neurological surgery residency program. For example, four neurological surgery residencies in the most recent GME census had IMG percentages of 10% or higher: Iowa (29%), Louisville (28%), Virginia (25%) and Louisiana State (21%). In addition, 21% of all neurological surgery residency programs filled 10% or more of their available positions with IMGs.
Here is a list of the most (and least) IMG-friendly neurological surgery programs. It includes data from the most recent National GME Census Survey. Percentages are of all residents in the program in 2020.
| ACGME residency program code | Residency program name | City | State | % residents IMG (US + Non-US) | % residents US-citizen IMGs | % residents non-US-citizen IMGs | % residents US MD graduates | % residents US DO graduates | Program consider applicants with J-1 visa? | Program consider applicants with H-1B visa? | Program consider applicants with F-1 Visa (OPT 1st year)? | # of positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match) | # of positions (2021 NRMP Main Match) | # of applications submitted to this program in 2021 | % of applicants interviewed by the program in 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1601811028 | University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Program | Iowa City | IA | 29 | 29 | 0 | 71 | 0 | No | Yes | Yes | 2 | 2 | 279 | 11.4 |
| 1602031031 | University of Louisville School of Medicine Program | Louisville | KY | 28 | 14 | 14 | 71 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 269 | 19.7 |
| 1605121088 | University of Virginia Medical Center Program | Charlottesville | VA | 25 | 0 | 25 | 75 | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 3 | 3 | 342 | 15.4 |
| 1602113119 | Louisiana State University (Shreveport) Program | Shreveport | LA | 21 | 14 | 7 | 71 | 7 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 206 | 14.6 |
| 1603521058 | SUNY Upstate Medical University Program | Syracuse | NY | 18 | 9 | 9 | 73 | 9 | No | No | No | 2 | 2 | 267 | 14.3 |
| 1602321034 | Johns Hopkins University Program | Baltimore | MD | 17 | 14 | 3 | 83 | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 4 | 4 | 323 | 12.6 |
| 1603321106 | Rutgers Health/New Jersey Medical School Program | Newark | NJ | 17 | 11 | 6 | 56 | 28 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 273 | 15.7 |
| 1602121033 | Tulane University/Ochsner Clinic Foundation Program | New Orleans | LA | 16 | 8 | 8 | 85 | 0 | Yes | 1 | 1 | 247 | 16.4 | ||
| 1603521050 | University at Buffalo Program | Buffalo | NY | 16 | 11 | 5 | 84 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 298 | 14.5 |
| 1604831126 | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Program | Houston | TX | 15 | 10 | 5 | 85 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 324 | 13.6 |
| 1602021030 | University of Kentucky College of Medicine Program | Lexington | KY | 14 | 14 | 0 | 86 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 238 | 14.6 |
| 1604121074 | Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University/TJUH Program | Philadelphia | PA | 14 | 0 | 14 | 86 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4 | 4 | 355 | 14.3 |
| 1604511079 | Medical University of South Carolina Program | Charleston | SC | 14 | 7 | 7 | 80 | 7 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 299 | 15.1 |
| 1602521039 | University of Michigan Health System Program | Ann Arbor | MI | 12 | 6 | 6 | 89 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 349 | 15.7 |
| 1601711027 | Indiana University School of Medicine Program | Indianapolis | IN | 10 | 5 | 5 | 89 | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 3 | 3 | 297 | 11.1 |
| 1603621060 | Duke University Hospital Program | Durham | NC | 10 | 5 | 5 | 90 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 341 | 9.5 |
| 1604131076 | UPMC Medical Education Program | Pittsburgh | PA | 10 | 7 | 3 | 90 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4 | 4 | 339 | 12 |
| 1601621025 | University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago Program | Chicago | IL | 9 | 0 | 9 | 91 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 320 | 13.1 |
| 1601621026 | Loyola University Medical Center Program | Maywood | IL | 9 | 9 | 0 | 91 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 287 | 14.3 |
| 1602721044 | University of Mississippi Medical Center Program | Jackson | MS | 9 | 9 | 0 | 82 | 9 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 184 | 17.7 |
| 1603521051 | Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine Program | Bronx | NY | 9 | 0 | 9 | 91 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 | 2 | 267 | 14 |
| 1602621043 | Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Rochester) Program | Rochester | MN | 8 | 4 | 4 | 92 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4 | 4 | 326 | 21.3 |
| 1603521052 | New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus) Program | New York | NY | 8 | 0 | 8 | 92 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 324 | ||||
| 1602321035 | University of Maryland Program | Baltimore | MD | 7 | 0 | 7 | 93 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 321 | 15.5 |
| 1603021111 | University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine Program | Omaha | NE | 7 | 7 | 0 | 93 | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 2 | 2 | 228 | 15.6 |
| 1603511055 | New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus) Program | New York | NY | 7 | 7 | 0 | 93 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 307 | 22.2 |
| 1603521053 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Program | New York | NY | 7 | 7 | 0 | 93 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 | 2 | 338 | 15.8 |
| 1605121089 | Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program | Richmond | VA | 7 | 0 | 7 | 93 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 246 | 13.7 |
| 1605421090 | University of Washington Program | Seattle | WA | 7 | 0 | 7 | 93 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 | 3 | 346 | 20.2 |
| 1605621092 | University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Program | Madison | WI | 7 | 0 | 7 | 93 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 321 | 14.2 |
| 1604121110 | Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center Program | Hershey | PA | 6 | 0 | 6 | 89 | 6 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 322 | 17.9 |
| 1604931086 | University of Utah Health Program | Salt Lake City | UT | 6 | 0 | 6 | 94 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 317 | 11.8 |
| 1601621022 | McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program | Chicago | IL | 5 | 5 | 0 | 95 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 | 3 | 340 | 11.7 |
| 1603521054 | NYU Grossman School of Medicine Program | New York | NY | 5 | 5 | 0 | 95 | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 3 | 3 | 343 | 14.1 |
| 1603822066 | Cleveland Clinic Foundation Program | Cleveland | OH | 5 | 5 | 0 | 95 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 | 3 | 336 | 13.2 |
| 1604021070 | Oregon Health & Science University Program | Portland | OR | 5 | 0 | 5 | 95 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 | 3 | 336 | 14.8 |
| 1604721081 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program | Nashville | TN | 5 | 0 | 5 | 95 | 0 | Yes | No | Yes | 3 | 3 | 360 | 12.7 |
| 1600121003 | University of Alabama Medical Center Program | Birmingham | AL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 3 | 3 | 278 | 11.4 |
| 1601621099 | University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria Program | Peoria | IL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | No | No | No | 2 | 2 | 222 | 12.2 |
| 1601921029 | University of Kansas School of Medicine Program | Kansas City | KS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 258 | 16.9 |
| 1602121032 | Louisiana State University Program | New Orleans | LA | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 271 | 12.9 | ||||
| 1602313129 | Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health Program | Bethesda | MD | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 1 | 1 | 249 | 8.6 | ||||
| 1602500133 | Spectrum Health/Michigan State University Program | Grand Rapids | MI | 0 | Yes | No | Yes | 1 | 1 | 222 | |||||
| 1602500134 | Ascension Providence/MSUCHM Program | Southfield | MI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 71 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 187 | 9.5 |
| 1602500136 | Beaumont Health (Royal Oak and Dearborn) Program | Royal Oak | MI | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 | 1 | 200 | 10.8 | ||||
| 1602511040 | Henry Ford Hospital Program | Detroit | MI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 2 | 2 | 263 | 17.4 |
| 1602621042 | University of Minnesota Program | Minneapolis | MN | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 289 | 11.7 | ||||
| 1602811046 | Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium Program | St Louis | MO | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | 4 | 4 | 334 | |||
| 1602821045 | University of Missouri-Columbia Program | Columbia | MO | 0 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 180 | 17.5 | ||||
| 1602821047 | St Louis University School of Medicine Program | St Louis | MO | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9.8 | ||||
| 1603221048 | Dartmouth-Hitchcock/Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital Program | Lebanon | NH | 0 | Yes | No | Yes | 1 | 1 | 276 | 11.9 | ||||
| 1603400001 | University of New Mexico School of Medicine Program | Albuquerque | NM | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1603500134 | Stony Brook Medicine Program | Stony Brook | NY | 0 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 23 | 16.8 | ||||
| 1603511057 | University of Rochester Program | Rochester | NY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 293 | 10.9 |
| 1603521049 | Albany Medical Center Program | Albany | NY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 262 | 13.9 |
| 1603521108 | Westchester Medical Center Program | Valhalla | NY | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 2 | 2 | 237 | 16.9 | ||||
| 1603531130 | Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Program | Manhasset | NY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 | 2 | 279 | 11.8 |
| 1603600062 | Carolinas Medical Center Program | Charlotte | NC | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 1 | 1 | 294 | 7.3 | ||||
| 1603611059 | University of North Carolina Hospitals Program | Chapel Hill | NC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 341 | 14.7 |
| 1603611061 | Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program | Winston-Salem | NC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 323 | 14.4 |
| 1603821064 | University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program | Cincinnati | OH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 295 | 8.9 |
| 1603821065 | Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Program | Cleveland | OH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 1 | 1 | 336 | 9.6 |
| 1603821067 | Ohio State University Hospital Program | Columbus | OH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | No | No | No | 3 | 3 | 333 | 16.3 |
| 1603921068 | University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Program | Oklahoma City | OK | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 | 2 | 220 | 11.2 | ||||
| 1604100135 | Geisinger Health System Program | Danville | PA | 0 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 234 | 14 | ||||
| 1604100136 | Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Program | Philadelphia | PA | 0 | No | No | No | 1 | 1 | 133 | 8.8 | ||||
| 1604121073 | Temple University Hospital Program | Philadelphia | PA | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 1 | 1 | 294 | 12.3 | ||||
| 1604121075 | University of Pennsylvania Health System Program | Philadelphia | PA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 323 | ||||
| 1604131116 | Allegheny Health Network Medical Education Consortium (AGH) Program | Pittsburgh | PA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 7 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 282 | 15.3 |
| 1604321103 | Brown University Program | Providence | RI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | No | Yes | No | 2 | 2 | 305 | 11.5 |
| 1604721080 | University of Tennessee Program | Memphis | TN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 3 | 3 | 291 | 6.3 |
| 1604800001 | University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School Program | Austin | TX | 0 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 1604800127 | Texas A&M College of Medicine-Scott and White Medical Center Program | Temple | TX | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 | 1 | 225 | 14.2 | ||||
| 1604812123 | Methodist Hospital (Houston) Program | Houston | TX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 302 | 12.2 |
| 1604821083 | University of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals Program | Galveston | TX | 0 | Yes | No | No | 2 | 2 | 209 | 14.7 | ||||
| 1604821084 | Baylor College of Medicine Program | Houston | TX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Yes | No | No | 4 | 4 | 348 | 15.7 |
| 1604821085 | University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Joe and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine Program | San Antonio | TX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 12 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 255 | 14.8 |
| 1605021101 | University of Vermont Medical Center Program | Burlington | VT | 0 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 247 | 13.2 | ||||
| 1605100091 | Inova Fairfax Medical Campus Program | Falls Church | VA | 0 | Yes | Yes | No | 1 | 1 | 228 | 10.7 | ||||
| 1605100092 | Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program | Roanoke | VA | 0 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 227 | 22.1 | ||||
| 1605511091 | West Virginia University Program | Morgantown | WV | 0 | Yes | No | No | 1 | 1 | 222 | 17 |
Concluding Thoughts
Neurological surgery is among the least IMG-friendly of fields. Some neurological surgery residency programs fill a moderate proportion of their available positions with IMGs. Therefore, for the top of the top applicants, there are still places for IMGs.
Are you despairing at your chances of matching into neurological surgery as an IMG? Then, check out Never Forget, where you can learn how to master – not memorize – for the impressive USMLE scores to match at your dream residency. And if you’re looking for a residency advisor, look at our residency advisory services.
