FAQ

Q: How many positions are available in the 2024-2025 Match?

A: We have 7 categorical positions available for a start date in late June 2025. We do not offer advanced positions and do not currently have any other openings in our program.

Q: Do I also need to apply to or interview with a separate Internal Medicine preliminary position to fully match with your program?

A: No. Our categorical program includes an integrated intern year that meets ACGME and American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) requirements for the neurology PGY-1 year.

Q: How do I find your program in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) and ACGME systems?

A: Our ACGME ID# is 1805621119. Our NRMP code is 177918C0.

Q: I received an email through ERAS that my application is incomplete. What else do you need?

A: We consider an application complete once an applicant has submitted all of the following documents to us through ERAS:

• ERAS application including personal statement
• Curriculum vitae
• Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE) or equivalent summative academic assessment
• Medical school transcript
• USMLE or COMLEX transcript with passing score for Step 1 or Level 1, as applicable
• Three letters of recommendation
• ECFMG status report, if applicable
• Photograph (screened from Recruitment Committee members until interview day)

Q: I am still waiting on transcripts and/or letters of recommendation. When is the deadline to submit application materials?

A: We review new and newly-completed applications on a rolling basis until October 31st. Any applications received after October 31st will not be reviewed.

Q: Is there a specific date by which you extend all available interview invitations?

A: No. It can take a few weeks after we receive applications to extend invitations. We will invite our most qualified applicants on a rolling basis as our Recruitment Committee members complete their initial application review, generally by the middle to end of October. Applicants who do not meet our minimum qualifications will be notified in ERAS. Qualified applicants who do not initially receive an invitation will be placed on a waitlist and may be invited to interview later in the season if there are cancellations or schedule changes.

Q: When and how do you conduct interviews?

A: All of our residency interviews for the 2024-2025 season will be conducted virtually. We schedule several interview days through the interview season between November 1st and January 15th. Applicants who are invited to interview will be able to choose from specific dates and times through Thalamus scheduling.

Q: Do you offer an in-person second look day?

A: No, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate any in-person recruitment activities. We will offer an optional virtual ‘second look’ at the end of the interview season; details will be sent to all interviewed applicants by email. In accordance with best practices promoted by NRMP and by the AAN (among other groups), our rank list will be finalized before the start of the session and we will not take attendance; participation is entirely optional.

Q: Do you accept COMLEX scores?

A: Yes. Applicants are required to submit either UMSLE or COMLEX scores. If an applicant submits both USMLE and COMLEX transcripts, we will use both in our review.

Q: Do you use a numeric cut-off for class rank and GPA, or for USMLE/COMLEX scores?

A: No. We do consider academic performance as measured by test scores and medical school grades and evaluations during our initial application review, but only as one part of our overall consideration of each applicant’s qualifications and strengths. We are much more interested in matching applicants with exceptional character than with exceptional test scores!

Q: Do you require applicants to submit USMLE Step 2 or COMLEX Level 2 scores to be interviewed?

A: No. USMLE Step 2 or COMLEX Level 2 scores are not mandatory for a candidate to receive an interview invitation. If Step 2 or Level 2 scores are available, we will consider them during our initial application review if they are available. We do find that our most competitive applicants generally provide USMLE Step 2 or COMLEX Level 2 scores early in the application process.

Q: Do you require applicants to submit USMLE Step 2 or COMLEX Level 2 scores to be ranked?

A: Yes. Applicants must provide a USMLE or COMLEX transcript with a passing score on USMLE Step 2 CK or COMLEX Level 2 CE by January 15th to be included on our rank list.

Q: How many letters of recommendation does your program require?

A: We require a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 4 letters of recommendation.

Q: Do you require a certain number of letters of recommendation from one type or category of recommenders?

A: We strongly encourage applicants to provide at least one letter from a clinical neurologist. For international graduates, at least one letter from the preceptor of a hands-on clinical experience is required (see below).  For the remainder, we suggest that applicants identify recommenders who know them well and can provide a clear description of their accomplishments and academic qualifications to enter the field of neurology. We do not require standardized letters of evaluation or comparative departmental letters from a chair, program director, or clerkship director.

Q: How many international medical graduates do you have in your program currently?

A: As of the 2024-2025 academic year, we have seven residents (from a total cohort of 24) who graduated from medical schools outside the U.S. or Canada.

Q: What visas do you accept or sponsor?

1. UW Health does not directly sponsor visas for GME trainees. For applicants who are not U.S. citizens or who do not have permanent residency status (i.e., a green card), UW Health will accept J-1 visas sponsored by ECFMG or an Employment Authorization Document. UW Health does not sponsor H1-B or other H-1 category temporary worker visas and does not accept the F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa.

Q: Do you require that international medical graduates have U.S. clinical experience?

A: Yes. Applicants must have at least 3 months of hands-on clinical experience in the U.S. to be considered. We particularly favor experience in inpatient settings and/or at academic medical centers, but will accept outpatient and/or community-based experiences. Applicants must clearly describe the nature of their U.S. clinical rotations in their ERAS applications. Observerships, shadowing, or other observation-only experiences are not adequate to fulfill this requirement.

Q: Do you require letters of recommendation from clinical experiences in the U.S.?

A: Yes. IMG applicants must provide at least one letter from an attending physician they worked with during a hands-on clinical experience in the U.S. This can be from a neurologist or from a physician in another medical specialty.

Q: I am currently in an ACGME residency training program. Do you require a letter from my current program director?

A: Yes. Applicants currently in ACGME training programs (including preliminary or transitional programs) should include a letter of recommendation from their current program director. If this is not possible, they should include a brief explanation in their ERAS application or personal statement.

Q: I am currently in an ACGME preliminary or transitional year position. Does your program offer credit for rotations completed outside your institution?

A: No. Our intern year is integrated into our residency program as a whole. Individuals who match with us are expected to complete the full PGY-1 clinical curriculum at our institution.

Q: I have already graduated from medical school. Must I have graduated from medical school within a certain maximum number of years?

A: We do not have an absolute cutoff for the number of years since an applicant’s graduation from medical school. We do require that applicants have no more than 2 years’ hiatus between their most recent substantial clinical experience and their start date with our program. Clinical experience for this purpose can include completion of medical school clinical rotations, training in a graduate medical education internship or residency, or the independent (post-graduate) clinical practice of medicine in the U.S./Canada or overseas. Sporadic or very part-time clinical work is not sufficient. Applicants must clearly describe the extent of their most recent clinical experiences in their ERAS applications to be considered.