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The Most DO-Friendly Neurology Programs in the US

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by Monique Cloete in Residency

Are you wondering how DO-friendly (or unfriendly) neurology 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 neurology programs a DO would stand the best chance?

This article will give you the most up-to-date information on DO-friendly neurology programs. Use this information to strategize on whether – and where – to apply to maximize your chances of matching as a DO in neurology.

Summary:

  • Neurology is a competitive US medical specialty but there are DO-friendly residency programs.
  • Several residency programs accept at least some DOs, while others are DO favored.
  • One neurology program filled all its available positions with DOs (Beaumont Health).
  • See the full list of searchable residency programs to strategize where DOs 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’s the Difference Between a DO and an MD?

Let’s start with some definitions.

DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Licensed physicians trained in “whole body” wellness and treatment techniques in muscle and joint manipulation in addition to mainstream treatments.
Allopathy Vs. Osteopathy

In the US, there are two main branches of registered physician:

  • Allopathy: In this path, doctors train in modern, sometimes referred to as “Western”, medicine to treat symptoms and diseases. Doctors who train in this branch are licensed as Doctors of Medicine (MD)
  • Osteopathy: These doctors have the same education and licensing exams as MDs but have additional training in muscle and joint manipulation. Doctors who train in Osteopathy are licensed as Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and have the same residency training and choices as MDs.
COMLEX vs. USMLE

To begin practicing medicine, DOs and MDs must take specific licensing exams:

  • COMLEX-USA: This test assesses osteopathic medical knowledge in addition to allopathic medical knowledge in order to become licensed as a DO in the USA.
  • USMLE: This test assesses allopathic medical knowledge and is required to become licensed as an MD.
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 prior to the 2020 Match, DOs had access to a “pool” of residencies reserved for which only they could match. The current system has merged DO and MD residencies so that every applicant has the same “chance” for matching in their chosen specialty.

For more on how to maximize your match chances and how the “Merge” has changed residency applications, see THE MATCH: Everything You Need to Maximize Your Residency Chances

Neurology is Moderately DO-Friendly

Looking at the percentage of spots filled by DOs in the 2022 Match, we can see neurology was moderately DO-friendly, and it ranks just above the average of all residencies.

However, the match rate for DOs in neurology (92%) shows the DOs still have a great chance for acceptance in neurology in the 2022 Match:

Here are the same data represented in a table:

% DO Applied that Matched% DO Unmatched% Positions Filled by DOTotal Positions OfferedTotal # All ApplicantsDO Senior MatchedDO Senior UnmatchedDO Senior Total
**Radiation Oncology0%100%0%185162
**Plastic Surgery0%100%0%194340
Vascular Surgery8%92%1%8414311213
Neurological Surgery43%57%4%24037991221
Dermatology50%50%7%544834383876
Orthopaedic Surgery56%44%13%8751,43511186197
Interventional Radiology59%41%12%169226201434
Otolaryngology60%40%6%361556211435
General Surgery62%38%12%1,6222,400200125325
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation64%36%33%53272517699275
Obstetrics and Gynecology65%35%16%1,5032,044241130371
Anesthesiology66%34%16%1,9692,560313161474
Diagnostic Radiology67%33%15%1,1551,56816984253
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics74%26%9%392458371350
Psychiatry87%13%18%2,0472,56037857435
Child Neurology89%11%9%18818217219
Neurology92%8%15%1,0141,24915013163
Pathology93%7%12%63182775681
Internal Medicine94%6%15%9,80911,5981,503931596
Emergency Medicine95%5%25%2,9212,81373638774
Family Medicine96%4%27%4,9165,0551,345621407
Pediatrics97%3%19%3,0163,15356520585

For more on the most competitive DO medical specialties, see this article.

The Most DO-Friendly Neurology Residency Programs

Several programs fill a proportion of their available positions with DOs. In fact, some programs are likely to fill most spots with DOs. For example, 6 neurology residencies in the most recent GME census had DO percentages of 50% or higher. Four had DO rates of 70% or higher: Beaumont (100%), Sparrow (76%), Kaiser (75%), and Ascension (70%).

Here is a list of the most (and least) competitive neurology programs for DOs. It includes data from the most recent National GME Census Survey. Percentages are of all residents in the program in 2020.

Specialty: Neurology
ACGME residency program codeResidency program nameCityState% residents US DO graduates% residents US MD graduatesOsteopathic Recognition# applications submitted (2021 NRMP Main Match)% applicants interviewed (2020 NRMP Main Match)# categorical positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match)# categorical positions filled (2021 NRMP Main Match)# advanced positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match)# advanced positions filled by (2021 NRMP Main Match)
1802500153Beaumont Health (Farmington Hills and Royal Oak) ProgramFarmington HillsMI1000No4812.64400
1802521149Sparrow Hospital/Michigan State University ProgramEast LansingMI7618No4649.25500
1800512010Kaiser Permanente Southern California (Los Angeles) ProgramLos AngelesCA7525No33819.63300
1802500151Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital ProgramMadison HeightsMI7020No3542.33100
1800512008University of California Davis Health ProgramSacramentoCA6733No39224.78800
1803313158Cooper Medical School of Rowan University/Cooper University Hospital ProgramCamdenNJ6027No73010.44400
1803521067University at Buffalo ProgramBuffaloNY4525No6667.95500
1801112154University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville ProgramJacksonvilleFL4250No45423.30044
1801721038Indiana University School of Medicine ProgramIndianapolisIN4258No44614.6101000
1801621147University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria ProgramPeoriaIL416No6387.54400
1803521066Albany Medical Center ProgramAlbanyNY4028No77211.16611
1802500152Spectrum Health/Michigan State University ProgramGrand RapidsMI3825No4948.74400
1803521081Stony Brook Medicine/University Hospital ProgramStony BrookNY3641No77618.86600
1800511018Los Angeles County-Harbor-UCLA Medical Center ProgramTorranceCA3340No36710.64400
1803521074Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell ProgramManhassetNY3362No44820.80077
1804100166Geisinger Health System ProgramDanvillePA3333No87212.94400
1804100169St Luke’s Hospital – Anderson Campus ProgramEastonPA3333No53819.74400
1803800144Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine ProgramDaytonOH3169No45120.54400
1801621036Loyola University Medical Center ProgramMaywoodIL2942No57912.86600
1800321006University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson ProgramTucsonAZ278No68610.66600
1800500167HCA Healthcare Riverside ProgramRiversideCA2736No3068.54400
1801100156Larkin Community Hospital ProgramSouth MiamiFL277No52011.84300
1804111096Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center ProgramHersheyPA2550No5878.65500
1803321157Rutgers Health/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School ProgramNew BrunswickNJ2331No41613.20044
1804821110Baylor College of Medicine ProgramHoustonTX2335No68614.2101010
1803821088University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine ProgramCincinnatiOH2269No68514.1101010
1803821092Ohio State University Hospital ProgramColumbusOH2272No66711.48822
1800312005Barrow Neurological Institute at St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center ProgramPhoenixAZ2179No5568.47700
1804031095Oregon Health & Science University ProgramPortlandOR2179No37815.65500
1800521165Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ProgramLos AngelesCA2053No390150055
1801121025University of Florida ProgramGainesvilleFL1969No624208800
1802331046University of Maryland ProgramBaltimoreMD1969No68931.17700
1803811090Cleveland Clinic Foundation ProgramClevelandOH1971No68515.3121200
1803221063Dartmouth-Hitchcock/Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital ProgramLebanonNH1818No759145500
1803621086Wake Forest University School of Medicine ProgramWinston-SalemNC1882No54016.76600
1802621055University of Minnesota ProgramMinneapolisMN1758No50811.96600
1801922040University of Kansas School of Medicine ProgramKansas CityKS1535No52511.75500
1803621085Duke University Hospital ProgramDurhamNC1570No46416.70077
1801121027University of South Florida Morsani ProgramTampaFL1347No56313.58800
1805011114University of Vermont Medical Center ProgramBurlingtonVT1356No49912.65500
1802021041University of Kentucky College of Medicine ProgramLexingtonKY1238No562117700
1803821089Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center ProgramClevelandOH1257No69717.5121200
1802421051Tufts Medical Center ProgramBostonMA105No578120066
1801611033Rush University Medical Center ProgramChicagoIL991No57818.28800
1803521076Westchester Medical Center ProgramValhallaNY945No57611.24400
1802421121UMass Chan Medical School ProgramWorcesterMA829No50213.10088
1803521077NYU Grossman School of Medicine ProgramNew YorkNY780No58242.4001818
1803531082University of Rochester ProgramRochesterNY783No49813.28800
1803611084University of North Carolina Hospitals ProgramChapel HillNC771No69411.37700
1804821112University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Joe and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine ProgramSan AntonioTX739No6779.57700
1800131004University of Alabama Medical Center ProgramBirminghamAL676No51513.99900
1800521011University of Southern California/LAC+USC Medical Center ProgramLos AngelesCA678No28623.40066
1801821039University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics ProgramIowa CityIA658No63119.78800
1802021042University of Louisville School of Medicine ProgramLouisvilleKY66No52612.14400
1802721058University of Mississippi Medical Center ProgramJacksonMS635No467114400
1801221029Medical College of Georgia ProgramAugustaGA562No94224.46610
1802121044Tulane University ProgramNew OrleansLA537No46711.15500
1803321064Rutgers Health/New Jersey Medical School ProgramNewarkNJ526No7117.55500
1804831111University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston ProgramHoustonTX550No6689.8101000
1804921113University of Utah Health ProgramSalt Lake CityUT591No48910.18800
1801621035University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago ProgramChicagoIL471No6949.45500
1802521129Henry Ford Hospital ProgramDetroitMI429No65220.36600
1802621057Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Rochester) ProgramRochesterMN489No46719.96633
1803921141University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center ProgramOklahoma CityOK425No4098.36600
1801121026University of Miami/Jackson Health System ProgramMiamiFL376No75813.29944
1801221028Emory University School of Medicine ProgramAtlantaGA386No70215001010
1802531054Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University ProgramDetroitMI326No72910.89900
1800521009University of California (Irvine) ProgramOrangeCA075No38920.80055
1800521012UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical Center ProgramLos AngelesCA096No34715.500109
1800521014University of California (San Diego) Medical Center ProgramSan DiegoCA094No29818.10066
1800521016University of California (San Francisco) ProgramSan FranciscoCA098No44313.1101022
1800521017Stanford Health Care-Sponsored Stanford University ProgramStanfordCA0100No32113.66666
1801621032McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University ProgramChicagoIL096No50318.8001010
1801621034University of Chicago ProgramChicagoIL039No57517.30088
1802100154Ochsner Clinic Foundation ProgramNew OrleansLA045No5526.43300
1802321045Johns Hopkins University ProgramBaltimoreMD084No40920.2001010
1802421049Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School ProgramBostonMA088No46632.94444
1802421145Boston University Medical Center ProgramBostonMA081No53118.37700
1802431050Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School ProgramBostonMA085No49816.9001919
1802531052University of Michigan Health System ProgramAnn ArborMI097No55817.89900
1802821061Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium ProgramSt LouisMO093No56816.6111100
1803421065University of New Mexico School of Medicine ProgramAlbuquerqueNM033No4986.95511
1803521070Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine ProgramBronxNY094No73712.36633
1803521072New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus) ProgramNew YorkNY082No6389.38800
1803521075Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Mount Sinai Hospital) ProgramNew YorkNY095No71813.38822
1803521079SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University ProgramBrooklynNY021No76614.2111110
1803531071New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus) ProgramNew YorkNY097No57115.3101000
1800121123USA Health ProgramMobileALNo68384211
1800300160University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix ProgramPhoenixAZNo36217.13300
1800311150Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Arizona) ProgramScottsdaleAZNo4269.45500
1800421007University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine ProgramLittle RockARNo6399.44400
1800500001Riverside University Health System ProgramMoreno ValleyCANo02200
1800500002Arrowhead Regional Medical Center ProgramColtonCANo02000
1800500003HCA Healthcare/Los Robles Regional Medical Center ProgramThousand OaksCANo03100
1800521124Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium ProgramLoma LindaCANo4214400
1801100159Memorial Healthcare System, Hollywood, Florida ProgramPembroke PinesFLNo62410.54400
1801100160Palmetto General Hospital ProgramHialeahFLNo6311.91100
1801113148Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Jacksonville) ProgramJacksonvilleFLNo5649.46600
1801122152Cleveland Clinic (Florida) ProgramWestonFLNo444180022
1801600568Carle Foundation Hospital ProgramUrbanaILNo5428.11100
1801621134Southern Illinois University ProgramSpringfieldILNo5448.34400
1802121043Louisiana State University ProgramNew OrleansLANo8215.64400
1802131153Louisiana State University (Shreveport) ProgramShreveportLANo59254400
1802200001Maine Medical Center ProgramPortlandMENo4066.73300
1802500150Mercy Health Grand Rapids ProgramGrand RapidsMINo64274400
1802500154Garden City Hospital ProgramGarden CityMINo3404.22100
1802800062University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine ProgramKansas CityMONo5296.23300
1802821059University of Missouri-Columbia ProgramColumbiaMONo61196600
1802821060St Louis University School of Medicine ProgramSt LouisMONo7007.55510
1803000063Creighton University School of Medicine (Omaha) ProgramOmahaNENo42314.52200
1803021062University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine ProgramOmahaNENo51514.46600
1803100153OPTI West/Valley Hospital Medical Center ProgramLas VegasNVNo2457.42200
1803100154HCA Healthcare Sunrise Health Graduate Medical Education ProgramLas VegasNVNo08.63300
1803321142JFK Medical Center ProgramEdisonNJNo6856.19900
1803500001Nuvance Health ProgramPoughkeepsieNYNo056.25500
1803500002SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University/One Brooklyn Health System ProgramBrooklynNYNo
1803500003Garnet Health Medical Center ProgramMiddletownNYNo
1803500156Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Staten Island University Hospital ProgramStaten IslandNYNo020.90066
1803513155Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Beth Israel/West) ProgramNew YorkNYNo49600055
1803521083SUNY Upstate Medical University ProgramSyracuseNYNo62312.79900
1803700001Univ of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences ProgramFargoNDNo018.53300
1803800145Kettering Health Network ProgramDaytonOHYes340103300
1803800146Mercy St Vincent Medical Center ProgramToledoOHNo39720.70044
1803821143University of Toledo ProgramToledoOHNo58514.95511
1804100001Tower Health ProgramWest ReadingPANo004400
1804100167Lehigh Valley Health Network ProgramAllentownPANo39221.20066
1804100168UPMC Medical Education (Erie) ProgramEriePANo3774.22100
1804700001HCA Healthcare/TriStar Nashville ProgramNashvilleTNNo
1804821127San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium ProgramJBSA-Fort Sam HoustonTXNo

Concluding Thoughts

Neurology is a competitive specialty for DOs. That said, there are still places for DOs with over 90 residency programs accepting at least one DO. In addition, only 8% of all neurology applicants are rejected.

Are you despairing at your chances of matching into neurology as a DO? 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.

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