Neurology Has 20% More Applicants Than Four Years Ago
On the day programs opened ERAS 2027 applications, 2,306 people had applied to neurology, against 1,925 at the same point of ERAS 2023. Programs interviewed 38% of the applicants who signaled them and 8% of those who didn't.
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That is a 20% increase, comparing the same day of each cycle. Of the 20 specialties with at least 300 applicants, 17 grew; neurology had the ninth-largest increase. Over full seasons, the change from ERAS 2023 to 2026 was +20%. By applicant type, the same-day change since ERAS 2023 was +38% for MDs, +30% for DOs and +5% for international graduates.
Below are five seasons of AAMC ERAS data for 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 international-graduate share of applicants fell 4 points
In ERAS 2026, 2,881 people applied to neurology. The pool was 32.1% MD, 12.5% DO and 55.4% international graduates. 11.7% applied to no other specialty, a count that treats required preliminary and transitional years as another specialty.
Applicants are down 8.2% from the same day last year
| Season | All | MD | DO | Intl. grads | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERAS 2027so far, vs. same day of 2026 | ▼−8.2% | ▲+5.1% | ▼−1.8% | ▼−19.0% | ▼−11.0% |
| ERAS 2026vs. 2025 | ▲+13.6% | ▲+13.2% | ▲+17.8% | ▲+12.7% | ▲+6.7% |
| ERAS 2025vs. 2024 | ▲+9.1% | ▲+9.6% | ▲+9.6% | ▲+8.7% | ▲+6.8% |
| ERAS 2024vs. 2023 | ▲+5.2% | ▲+5.9% | ▲+2.8% | ▲+5.4% | ▲+8.1% |
The median applicant sends 35 applications, down from 36
By type in ERAS 2026: MDs 35, DOs 54, international graduates 30. The middle half of applicants sent between 17 and 65. The overall median is the 11th highest of 23 specialties covered here.
On the programs’ side, the median neurology program received 520 applications in ERAS 2026, against 486 in ERAS 2023.
Most applications still arrive without a signal
In ERAS 2027, 99% of neurology applicants used signals, and the median signaling applicant used 8.
At the median program, 14% of applicants had signaled it, up from 13% in ERAS 2026. The median program received 79 signals; the busiest tenth received 166 or more.
Signals per applicant by season: 2024: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 8 · 2027: 8.
A signal multiplies the interview rate about 5-fold
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| Did not signal | Signaled | |
|---|---|---|
| All applicants | 8% | 38% |
| MD | 20% | 64% |
| DO | 7% | 50% |
| Intl. graduates | 2% | 13% |
At 97% of programs, signaled applicants were interviewed at a higher rate than those who didn’t signal.
These are last season’s rates. Track who is sending neurology interview invites this season.
A DO's signal returns 78% of what an MD's does; an international graduate's, 21%
An MD who signaled a neurology program was interviewed at 64% of the median program, the eighth highest of 21 specialties with interview data. For DOs, neurology ranks the eighth most DO-friendly of 16.
An international graduate who signaled (13%) still did worse than an MD who didn’t (20%).
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 internal medicine, chosen by 43%
| Also applied to, ERAS 2026 | Share of applicants |
|---|---|
| Internal Medicine (preliminary)PGY-1 year | 60% |
| Internal Medicine (categorical) | 43% |
| Transitional YearPGY-1 year | 29% |
| Internal Medicine (primary care) | 25% |
| Family Medicine | 24% |
| Pediatrics | 11% |
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.