Recruitment Process

Recruiting News!

  • 2024-2025:  All positions are filled. 
  • 2025-2026:  We are currently accepting applications through ERAS and use NRMP Match to fill our openings.

Introduction

The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and its affiliates are committed to provide a training program for fellows that meet all requirements for programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

The University of Wisconsin Department of Neurology seeks well-rounded candidates with a record of academic success and the potential for future growth.  Desirable attributes include strong intellectual abilities, sincere interest in epilepsy, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

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UW Health Eligibility Requirements

  • All candidates must meet the UW Health requirements for appointment as per the UW Health Graduate Medical Education Departmental Policies: Recruitment and Selection of Residents and Fellows and Appointment Information for Residents and Fellows in Graduate Medical Education Programs. The latter document is provided to all applicants on the interview day.
  • In accordance with these policies, the neurology department does not discriminate based on age, race, color, creed or religion, disability, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, arrest or conviction record (unless substantially related to job duties), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military obligations, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local laws.
  • Candidates must have successfully completed a residency program in neurology, child neurology, neurodevelopment disabilities, or psychiatry with one of the following accreditations:
    • ACGME-accredited residency program
    • AOA-approved residency program
    • ACGME International (ACGME-I) Advanced Specialty Accreditation
    • Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)-accredited residency program located in Canada
    • College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)- accredited residency program located in Canada
  • International medical graduates must hold one of the following:
    • S. citizenship
    • Permanent legal residency status (i.e., a green card)
    • A J-1 visa sponsored by the ECFMG
    • An Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

 Note that UW Health does not sponsor temporary worker (H-1) visas and will not accept the Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa, which does not relate to graduate medical training.

Department of Neurology Eligibility Requirements

  • USMLE or COMLEX-USA passing scores.
  • Applicants should have completed their residency without major difficulty.
  • International applicants:
    • Must be proficient in spoken and written English—advanced level or higher documented in ERAS and university-level proficiency as ascertained during the interview.
    • Must be proficient in the use of electronic medical record systems.
    • Preferably have clinical experience in U.S. academic medical centers; details should be clearly documented in the applicant’s ERAS application.

All applicants will undergo a holistic review so that exceptions to the above criteria can be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants’ personal statements should address any deviations from these criteria.

Application and Interview Process

Applications are accepted solely via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Our ACGME ID# is 1845618003. Our National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) codes are as follows:

  • Epilepsy Adult Fellowship     1779184F0
  • Epilepsy Peds Fellowship       1779184F1
  • Epilepsy 2-Year Fellowship    1779184F2

The Recruiting Committee will objectively rate each application in their entirety: academic performance, performance on USMLE or COMLEX exams, interpersonal communication (personal statement, etc.), extracurricular activities, research accomplishments, and letters of recommendation. The most highly rated applicants are invited for in-person and/or virtual interviews.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews are currently being held virtually and will utilize breakout sessions. Your structured interview day will start with a welcome and overview of the program from the program director. Afterwards, applicants will have individual interviews with 2-3 faculty members and a group interview with 2-3 fellows providing additional opportunities to learn about our program directly from the fellows.

After interviewing applicants, the Recruiting Committee will have a closed-door discussion to create the final rank list by consensus.

All candidates must meet the UWHC “Qualifications for Appointment,” and attest to this by signing an agreement form provided by GME office.

Post-Interview Communications

It is axiomatic that applicants and programs need complete and reliable information about each other to best construct their respective rank lists. Regrettably, there is ample literature showing that both applicants and residency programs often exaggerate their interest in one another. In order to promote the most fair and transparent matching process possible, our program has chosen to adopt the suggestions of Grimm, et al.:[1]

  • We request that post-interview communications be limited to requests for objective information.
  • Our faculty and staff will not personally respond to correspondence expressing thanks or volunteering ranking preferences. This is not to be taken to mean that our program lacks appreciation for our applicants’ interest generally or that a particular candidate is disfavored! Rather, we seek to minimize the possibility of misleading communication by limiting our correspondence to the exchange of objective information.
  • If post-interview communication is required, it should occur via the program coordinator; the faculty have been requested not to directly respond to post-interview communications from applicants.
  • To further safeguard our ethical standards, the program coordinator will log all post-interview communications.

[1]

Lars J. Grimm, Carolyn S. Avery, and Charles M. Maxfield (2016) Residency Post interview Communications: More Harm Than Good? Journal of Graduate Medical Education: February 2016, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 7-9.

Note that UW Health does not sponsor temporary worker (H-1) visas and will not accept the Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa, which does not relate to graduate medical training.

Latest Revision: 10/05/2022, Aaron Struck, MD