Frequently Asked Questions...
What do I need to know before applying?
What do I need to know if I match at Stony Brook?
Before applying to Stony Brook Neurology…
How many residents will you be accepting?
We have four Adult Neurology positions available for 2014.
What are your interview dates for the 2012-13 interview season?
All interviews are conducted on Tuesdays and Fridays, with a dinner the night before. We have ten interview dates scheduled as follows:
· November 2, 13, 16, and 20
· December 4, 7, 18, and 21
· January 4
What is the deadline for receiving applications?
There is no deadline. However, you are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible.
What documents are required as part of my application?
Please visit our application requirements section here.
Can I fax you my application?
We only review applications that we receive through ERAS. We do not review applications that are emailed or faxed.
When and how will I be contacted for an interview?
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible to expedite the scheduling of interviews. We begin contacting applicants as early as October, and we continue to invite applicants as late as January. The Program Director invites candidates for interviews through the ERAS email.
Do you take Doctors of Osteopathy (DO’s)?
Yes. Many of our current residents and faculty are Doctors of Osteopathy. However, the PGY-1 Internal Medicine year must be completed at Stony Brook (which is not a dually-accredidated program). COMLEX is sufficient, and the USMLE is not required. Please see details regarding the USMLE requirements here.
Do you accept international medical graduates?
Yes, we presently have international graduates in our program.
What Visas do you sponsor?
At the time of application, the candidate must be either a U.S. Citizen, have a green card, or have a current J-1 visa. H-1 visas are NOT sponsored by our institution.
Do I need an ECFMG certificate at the time of my interview?
For international graduates, ECFMG certificates are not required at the time of application, but will be required before a candidate may be ranked. Therefore, you may be interviewed without a current ECFMG certificate.
Is it mandatory to pass the USMLE or COMLEX Step 1 and 2 in the first attempt before being invited to interview?
All candidates must pass Step 1 and Step 2-CK on either the first or second attempt in order to be considered for a residency position at Stony Brook. Applicants who have failed Step 2-CS even once CANNOT be considered. This is a Stony Brook University institutional policy. Please click here for more information about our application requirements.
Is there a cut-off score for USMLE or COMLEX?
While there is no true cut-off score for the USMLE or COMLEX, a 3-digit score of at least 200 on USMLE Step 1 and Step 2-CK is preferred. A 2-digit score of at least 80 on the COMLEX is preferred.
What if I have not received my scores for Step 2?
It is okay if you have not yet received your Step 2 scores at the time you submit your application. When you receive them, post the results to ERAS.
Is there a cut-off time from graduation date of medical school?
There is no cut-off time from graduation date of medical school.
Is clinical experience in the United States required?
Applicants must have no more than five years since last clinical experience. U.S. experience is not required, but is preferred. Please click here for more information about our application requirements.
Do you offer observerships/externships?
No.
Is the PGY-1 Internal Medicine year included?
While the program is not designated as "categorical," it is a linked program to our medicine department. Therefore, all candidates accepted into a Neurology residency position here will automatically do their preliminary medicine year at Stony Brook. However, both programs must still be applied to separately through ERAS.
Is there a pre-match available?
No, the NRMP no longer allows pre-matches.
If I match to Stony Brook Neurology…
What is a typical day like?
Please visit our “A Day in the Life of…” section to learn about all of our rotations.
How often will I be on call?
We employ a junior night float system to cover overnight call Sunday through Thursday. In-house overnight coverage on the weekends is provided by junior residents with senior residents in-house during the day and available as back-up from home during the night. Please read more about night float here and the first year weekend call schedule here.
What is your patient population like?
The patients at Stony Brook come from a wide variety of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Our residents see a wide variety of neurologic illness, from the "bread and butter" migraine and radiculopathy, to the more unusual paraneoplastic syndromes and CJD (Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease).
What research opportunities are available, and is performing research required?
All residents are required to complete two research projects. One is an individual project that is to be completed by the PGY-4 year. It can be basic research, clinical research, or a clinical case report. At the end of the PGY-4 year, there is a Resident Research Day where residents have the opportunity to present their work. In addition, each class year works on a joint QA (Quality Analysis) project before graduation. In addition to the above requirements, there are ample opportunities for residents to become more involved in research if desired.
Is funding provided for attendance at national conferences?
All neurology residents are required to attend one academic conference during their residency, usually the American Academy of Neurology Conference. All residents are given time built into their clinical rotations to allow for attendance of the AAN Conference each year. The Stony Brook Neurology Department usually allots some funds for the residents to help cover the costs of conference attendance, with the possibility of additional monies if presenting at a conference.
How often do we have lectures?
Every day starts with morning report at 7:30am in which the cases from overnight are presented, usually followed by one or two additional lectures before our residents head off to work on the floors. Each month we cover a different neurologic topic, and all lectures that month pertain to that particular topic. We also have weekly Grand Rounds and neuropathology sessions with brain cuttings, as well as a monthly Journal Club. To see our current month's lecture schedule, please click here.
How am I evaluated?
Through the computer program New Innovations, our residents are evaluated by their peers, faculty, and even staff members such as nurses. You meet twice annually with the program directors to go over your progress, goals, and evaluations.
When am I required to take USMLE or COMLEX Step 3?
Stony Brook University School of Medicine requires all residents to take Step 3 by the end of their first year of residency at Stony Brook.
Do I have to take the Neurology boards after graduation?
All Stony Brook Neurology graduates are expected to apply for and take the ABPN examination within their first year of completion of residency.
What fellowships do you offer?
We offer fellowships in Vascular Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology, and Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology. You can learn more about them here.
Is there on-campus housing or subsidized housing available?
Unfortunately, Stony Brook does not provide housing.
What is the housing like on Long Island?
Residents in our department are required to live within 20 minutes of Stony Brook University Hospital. There are numerous options available such as houses, apartments, and condominiums to rent or buy. Rent for a studio apartment could be as low as $800 and a two-bedroom apartment could cost $1400 to $2000 per month.
What is there to do on Long Island?
Please feel free to learn more about life on Long Island here.
Do the residents have opportunities to get together outside of work?
Yes, our residents get along well and often go out together for dinner to celebrate birthdays and have planned trips to places such as New York City, beaches in the Hamptons, and sailing on the Long Island Sound. Please view our “Just for Fun!” section to see more.
Is there public transportation?
There is good public transportation to Long Island. However, the public transportation around Long Island is lacking, so you WILL need a car while living here.
Salary and Benefits…
Salaries (as of July 1, 2012):
PGY Level: Annual Salary: Living Allowance: Total Salary:
PGY1 53,177 2,500 55,677
PGY2 56,910 2,500 59,410
PGY3 60,322 2,500 62,822
PGY4 63,736 2,500 66,236
PGY5 67,145 2,500 69,645
PGY6 70,553 2,500 73,053
PGY7 78,180 2,500 80,680
Vacation:
Four weeks (in 2 two-week blocks)
Benefits:
Paid Insurance
· Disability Insurance
· Life Insurance
· Dental and Vision Insurance
· Personal Malpractice for professional activities within the residency program
Shared Premiums
Medical Health Insurance Benefit Plans
On-Site Child Care
Stony Brook has an on-site child care facility that is available to all employees.
Paid Memberships
Membership to the American Academy of Neurology, which includes a subscription to Continuum and Neurology (the green journal).
Educational Funding
All residents must attend one meeting during their residency and usually are provided with a stipend. Funding will also be provided for attendance at any meeting/conference that you have been chosen to be a presenter (poster or platform presentations).
Additional Benefits:
· Meal cards for call nights
· White coats and scrubs are provided and laundered for free
· Call room
· Doctor’s Dining Room with free coffee, computers, phones
· Health Sciences Library Book and Journal Access online 24/7
· Free Access to UpToDate and MDConsult
· Free copy machines
· Access to the University gym, pool, weight rooms, racquetball and squash courts
· Discount for Staller Center for the Fine Arts (Ballet, Symphonies, Theater, Jazz, Independent Film Festival yearly, wide-screen movies)
· Free access to town beaches
· Teachers Federal Credit Union on-site
· Discounted monthly parking fees ($16/mo)
· Direct deposit
