Our previous research showed that students were more likely to enter neurology if they rated their basic neuroscience course and/or their neurology clerkship as “excellent,” if they had an undergraduate major in neuroscience or psychology, or if they were interested in neurology upon medical school matriculation. However there remain many unknown factors that impact career choice for graduating medical students. 

Efforts to draw more students to neurology may benefit from focusing on clinical correlations during pre-clerkship neuroscience courses and offering earlier and more diverse clinical experiences, including hands-on responsibilities wherever possible. Finally, optimizing student interactions with faculty and residents, and reinforcing the many positive aspects of neurology are likely to positively impact student perceptions.