Child Neurology Has 32% More Applicants Than Four Years Ago
On the day programs opened ERAS 2027 applications, 442 people had applied to child neurology, against 335 at the same point of ERAS 2023. Programs interviewed 43% of the applicants who signaled them and 31% of those who didn't.
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That is a 32% increase, comparing the same day of each cycle. Of the 20 specialties with at least 300 applicants, 17 grew; child neurology had the fifth-largest increase. Over full seasons, the change from ERAS 2023 to 2026 was +18%. By applicant type, the same-day change since ERAS 2023 was +5% for MDs and +50% for international graduates.
Below are five seasons of AAMC ERAS data for child neurology: who applies, how many applications they send, how signals are used and how often programs interviewed applicants who did and didn’t signal them, split by MD, DO and international medical graduate.
The mix of MD, DO and international applicants has barely changed
In ERAS 2026, 537 people applied to child neurology. The pool was 33.5% MD, 8.9% DO and 57.5% international graduates. 11% applied to no other specialty, a count that treats required preliminary and transitional years as another specialty.
Applicants are up 2.8% from the same day last year
| Season | All | MD | DO | Intl. grads | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERAS 2027so far, vs. same day of 2026 | ▲+2.8% | ▼−5.4% | – | ▲+1.4% | ▼−2.1% |
| ERAS 2026vs. 2025 | ▲+15.6% | ▲+9.9% | – | ▲+23.5% | ▲+13.5% |
| ERAS 2025vs. 2024 | ▲+14.5% | ▼−3.8% | – | ▲+40.9% | ▲+3.6% |
| ERAS 2024vs. 2023 | ▼−3.0% | ▲+4.6% | – | ▼−14.8% | ▼−11.3% |
The median applicant still sends 19 applications
By type in ERAS 2026: MDs 25, DOs 30, international graduates 10. The middle half of applicants sent between 5 and 32. The overall median is the third lowest of 23 specialties covered here.
On the programs’ side, the median child neurology program received 108 applications in ERAS 2026, against 114 in ERAS 2023.
About 30% of a program's applicants signal it
In ERAS 2027, 99% of child neurology applicants used signals, and the median signaling applicant used 3 gold and 6 silver.
At the median program, 33% of applicants had signaled it, up from 9% in ERAS 2026. The median program received 39 signals; the busiest tenth received 70 or more.
Signals per applicant by season: 2024: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 3 · 2027: 3 (gold), 6 (silver).
Unsignaled applicants still get interviews
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| Did not signal | Signaled | |
|---|---|---|
| All applicants | 31% | 43% |
| MD | 56% | 79% |
| Intl. graduates | 8% | 13% |
At 68% of programs, signaled applicants were interviewed at a higher rate than those who didn’t signal. Applying beyond your signals still pays in child neurology; a signal raises the odds but isn’t required.
These are last season’s rates. Track who is sending child neurology interview invites this season.
An international graduate's signal returns 16% of what an MD's does
An MD who signaled a child neurology program was interviewed at 79% of the median program, the second highest of 21 specialties with interview data. The AAMC didn’t report a DO figure (under 50 DO applicants).
An international graduate who signaled (13%) still did worse than an MD who didn’t (56%).
These are outcomes by group, not the effect of belonging to one. The groups differ in exam timing, visa needs and U.S. clinical experience, and none of that is controlled here.
The most common backup is pediatrics, chosen by 55%
| Also applied to, ERAS 2026 | Share of applicants |
|---|---|
| Pediatrics | 55% |
| Neurology | 35% |
| Internal Medicine (categorical) | 33% |
| Family Medicine | 28% |
| Internal Medicine (preliminary)PGY-1 year | 27% |
| Internal Medicine (primary care) | 19% |
Rows marked PGY-1 year are preliminary and transitional programs, which specialties that start at PGY-2 require. Categorical programs in another specialty are the real backup plan.