Research for IMGs applying to Neurosurgery and the Match
Written by Giancarlo Mignucci-Jiménez, MD, MSc
Alongside ten other co-authors, I wanted to provide an overview of a recent publication in the journal Frontiers in Surgery (Section: Neurosurgery). The article, Analyzing international medical graduate (IMG) research productivity for application to US neurosurgery residency and beyond: A survey of applicants, programs directors, and institutional experience, incorporated data from successfully matched IMGs that conducted dedicated research at an academic institution in the U.S., opinions of neurosurgical residency program directors (PDs) in the US, and historical information from our institution (i.e., Barrow Neurological Institute [Barrow]). Specifically, institutional data comes from previous research fellows and Ph.D. candidates at the Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgery Laboratory at Barrow, which has accepted dozens of IMGs to conduct dedicated research.
Eighteen IMGs matched to neurosurgery in the most recent match cycle, representing 7.5% (18/240) of all accepted applicants. Around 8% of IMGs match yearly. From the viewpoint of a program director, the results from our study showed the following: first, PDs (n=32) from the USA believe applicants should spend a minimum of 12 months on research and a maximum of 24 months. Second, they expected a medium number of 5 publications (range: 0-20).
Data from successfully matched IMGs (n=42) in our study showed that they spend a median of 30 months of dedicated neurosurgery research (range: 4-72), with a median of 12 published articles (range: 1-80). Eighty-three percent of IMGs would recommend dedicated research time to their peers and future neurosurgery applicants.
Lastly and most importantly, in an anonymous survey conducted later, all 43 PDs responded that the number of publications is the least important factor when evaluating an IMG applicant's research productivity—79% (34/43) believe that the prestige or reputation of the research institution or associated personnel was the most critical factor when evaluating an IMG's research productivity for residency candidacy.
In conclusion, our results demonstrate that dedicated research time is vital for any IMG who wishes to enter neurosurgery residency in the USA. Although contrary to common belief, the number of publications isn't as significant as once thought—what is essential is the institutional prestige and/or associated personnel with your research.
To read the full article, click here.
