application information

MGH at night

Thank you for your interest in the Partners Neurology Residency Training Program. Our application season opens on September 1 each year. We accept applications submitted only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). A link to the ERAS system can be found on the NRMP website: www.nrmp.org.

We begin contacting applicants selected to interview with us in late September or early October. Our application deadline is November 15; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible to expedite scheduling of interviews. We hold interviews every Thursday (excluding major holidays), starting in the last week of October and continuing through November, December, and January.

Currently, we accept 17 Adult Neurology residents per year.  The larger size of our Neurology residency program is due to the fact that it is a combined program and the residents cover two major hospitals - Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).


Preliminary Year

Our Neurology program is advanced, which means that applicants are required to apply separately for a preliminary or transitional position in Medicine.  However, based on applicants’ requests from prior years, we began a joint venture with the Medicine programs at our two hospitals – Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.  We created a joint Advanced Preliminary (AP) program with both BWH and MGH, which gives us the opportunity to have 5 guaranteed internship slots at each hospital. During the 2011-2012 recruitment season, we are launching an additional advanced preliminary (AP) program with North Shore Medical Center, another Partners Institution, which enables us to have an extra 2 guaranteed preliminary slots. Additionally, applicants are still able to match into the regular preliminary Medicine programs at BWH, MGH and North Shore, so the number of residents completing their internship year at our Partners institutions is not limited to a total of 12. Applicants wishing to stay at their home institution or match elsewhere for the Medicine year are still able to do so and are not at any disadvantage in the Neurology match itself.

For the majority of applicants, we are able to coordinate the Medicine interviews so they coincide with the Neurology interviews. Medicine interviews usually take palce on the Wednesday before the Thursday Neurology interviews. It is recommended that applicants arrive in Boston on Tuesday or even on Monday night in order to participate in some Medicine meetings/conferences, meet with residents and get a better feel for the preliminary programs.


International Graduates

We do not have any special requirements for international graduates outside of what ERAS requires. We will not consider applicants who have failed any of the USMLE steps but we do not have an official score cut-off.  We prefer applicants who are within 5 years of graduation from medical school.  US clinical experience is very helpful but not required.  We review all applications in their entirety.  However, our program is extremely competitive and those considered for an interview are very carefully selected. 

If you are interested in a preliminary position in any of our hospitals, you must know that BWH and MGH require US clinical experience for all international graduates and USMLE scores of 216(90) or above.

We do not offer any pre-match contracts.  All applicants match with us through the NRMP. 

For foreign graduates who match with us, we provide either a J1 or an H1B visa, depending on the individual case and circumstances.

Foreign graduates must be ECFMG certified to apply to our program.


Stipends and Benefits

PARTNERS HEALTHCARE
SYSTEM, INC.

RESIDENT SALARIES
BY POST-GRADUATE YEAR

Academic Year 2011-2012

Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
PGY Stipend
1 $ 55,305
2 $ 57,000
3 $ 59,300
4 $ 62,000
5 $ 65,225
6 $ 68,780
7 $ 71,725
8 $ 75,400

The Partners Neurology residency program offers generous and competitive wage and benefits plans that take the Boston area cost of living into account. The hospitals provide malpractice insurance for residents. Comprehensive medical insurance is offered at a minimal fee. Other benefits include life insurance, travel, accident and long-term disability insurance, tax sheltered annuities, health care and dependent care tax saving plans, direct deposit and the Harvard University Credit Union. In addition, fees for a public transportation pass (T pass) and a subsidized health club near the hospital can be directly deducted from the salary.

For a more detailed description of benefits, the Partners Lease Guarantee program, trainee policies, responsibilities and contracts, please, visit the Partners/MGH/BWH GME site. For additional resident resources please visit Partners PORT website.


Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I apply to your program?
A. Please, apply through ERAS and register for the NRMP. The official name of our program is Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Because our two main hospitals are the founding members of Partners Healthcare, you might hear our program referred to as the Partners Neurology Residency Program.

Q. Do I have to apply on September 1?
A. No. We start receiving applications on September 1 but you can apply later. The applications review is ongoing but we encourage applicants to apply as early as possible.

Q. When is your application deadline?
A. Our application deadline is November 15. Applying by November 1 will give applicants the best chances of receiving an interview.

Q. Does my application have to be complete before I submit it through ERAS?
A. No. We download documents through the ERAS post office multiple times each day and you can submit additional documents when available.

Q. How many letters of recommendation should I have?
A. We require 3 letters of recommendation. You are welcome to submit as many letters as ERAS allows you to upload. We will review all letters provided.

Q. Do I have to submit a letter from a Neurologist?
A. It is very helpful to have a letter from a Neurologist.

Q. Do I have to provide a letter from a chair person?
A. No. We ask that the letters you provide are from people who know you well and can speak about you in a knowledgeable manner.

Q. Is research experience required to apply to your program?
A. No. We have many MD, PhDs in our program, as well as other residents with significant research experiences. We also have residents who are more clinically-oriented. Our residents have diverse academic interests and this provides for a balanced residency program.

Q. Do I have to apply separately for a preliminary position?
A. Yes. Our program is advanced, not categorical. We do not offer any 4-year slots, however, we do have 12 guaranteed preliminary Medicine slots, 5 at MGH, 5 at BWH and 2 at North Shore Medical Center. Applicants have to apply separately to the preliminary Medicine programs at all three hospitals but if selected to interview with us, we guarantee you interiews for the Medicine programs at MGH and BWH (foreign graduates, see the International Graduates section for specific requirements for the Medicine programs).

Q. Can I interview for Neurology and Medicine during the same visit?
A. Yes, most likely. We make arrangements for you to interview with Neurology and with the Medicine programs at MGH and BWH during the same visit to help you save on travel. Applicants will not hear from those two programs separately until we have decided whether or not they will interview with us.

Q. Do you usually accept foreign medical graduates?
A. Yes. We currently have foreign medical graduates in our program. The number of foreign graduates in the program at any given time varies and completely depends on the quality of the applicants and the match.

Q. Do you have a cut-off for year of graduation from medical school?
A. No, however, we strongly prefer applicants who are within 5 years of graduation from medical school or who have been continuously involved with clinical work.

Q. Do you have minimum USMLE score requirements?
A. No, however, our program is extremely competitive and the majority of our residents receive very high scores. We will not consider applicants who have a failed attempt.

Q. Do you require US clinical experience?
A. No, however, it is very helpful to have it and we prefer applicants with US clinical experience. Observerships, while helpful and potentially productive, are not considered clinical experience.

Q. Do I have to be ECFMG certified to apply to your program?
A. You must be ECFMG certified when aplying but we might reveiw your application if you expect to be certified soon. You must be certified to be considered for ranking.

Q. Do you provide visas for foreign medical graduates?
A. Yes, we provide both J1 and H1B visas for applicants who match with us. The visa type depends on the individual resident's situation. Applicants usually continue on the type of visa they held during internship (provided to them by the Medicine departments either at our hospitals or at outside institutions). Partners has an International Office, whch handles visas and you are not required to retain a lawyer.


Contact

If you have additional, unanswered questions, please, contact the program’s Education Programs Manager, Vanya Sagar, at vsagar1@partners.org.