To evaluate the relationship between moving the neurology clerkship to 3rd year as opposed to 4th year at Albany Medical College (AMC) & the student match rates into neurology & child neurology specialties.

Medical student career choice can be influenced by many factors including: interest, academic opportunities, environment, pay, & clerkship experience. One of the factors which is often overlooked is the timing of the neurology clerkship. Given the aging population & significant burden of neurologic disease, it is imperative that we optimize factors within our control to attract and effectively train a new generation of neurologists. A majority of U.S. medical schools have a required neurology clerkship in the third or fourth year. The duration of most neurology clerkships varies between two to five weeks. Recent trends in neurology education include shorter clerkships, earlier clerkship exposure, and increased simulation technology. Research also demonstrates greater enthusiasm in 3rd year clerkship students compared to 4th year clerkship students, as well as increased match rates & better prepared neurology residents with 5-week rotations.

1032 match results from AMC were compiled between 2018 to 2024. 

Between the years 2018-2021 (pre-curriculum change), 1.17% (n=7) of students matched into neurology compared to 4.128% (n=18) during the years 2022-2024 (post-curriculum change). Analysis was performed using an unpaired t-test and revealed a two-tailed p-value of 0.0079 (95% CI) demonstrating statistical significance.

We found an increase in students matching into neurology after the curriculum change at AMC. This highlights the impact of clerkship timing on students’ specialty interests. Further directions for analysis include students who applied to neurology pre-and post-curriculum change vs. those who matched, interest in neurology as a specialty during pre-clinical & clinical years, and experience in clerkships of varying durations. These avenues may help us better understand what an optimal neurology clerkship looks like in terms of stimulating interest & promoting success.