interested in neurology but no relevant research/ecs

[anon183838]

I'm a third year medical student that's starting to lean towards neurology as a specialty, pretty late in the game. I never really considered until I did a week elective in it and found it so interesting. However, I haven't done any research in neurology and I've heard it's a pretty academic specialty. Given that it's not in our core rotations either I won't have a chance to get more exposure unless I decide to do fourth year electives in it. Realistically, is it worth a shot to go for neurology at this point? Waiting to see the carms data from this year but it seems like neuro is moderately competitive, I think I'd regret not going for it but also want to be realistic. Any thoughts?

[robclem21]

It is not uncommon to discover a specialty late, particularly one that does not have much exposure in medical school (neurology, public health, anesthesiology, etc.). You're only in 3rd year so there is time to get involved in a research project or find some other ways to show interest in that specialty. Ultimately research is about connections and interest. Nobody cares if you have research productivity. If you want neurology then do your 4th year electives. It's always worth it to try.

Your path to choosing a specialty and understanding the core practice, and being able to communicate that in your personal statements and interview is key in these situations. Focus on why you chose it and how you understand what youre getting into. Not how much exposure you've had.