Asking for Letters of Recommendation [Archive] - Student Doctor Network Forums

acpce1

10-09-2005, 09:43 PM

lmh14

10-10-2005, 05:49 AM

Hi,

I am quite to procrastinator, so I am just now getting around to asking for letters of recommendation. One letter I am seeking is from a clinician I had over a year ago. I haven't spoken to him since my Medicine rotation, so I was wondering if it was appropriate to just email him asking him for a letter? Or should I email him and ask to set up a time to speak with him? I know the former might be poor etiquette, but I am just looking for some advice.

Thanks!

In all of my experiences, the physician wanted to set up a time to speak with me prior to writing the letter. My writers ranged from someone I hadn't worked with for about eight months to someone I had just spent a month working with. They all wanted to talk to me - to discuss my plans and goals, what kind of program I was looking for, how my third year had gone, just to catch up, etc. And be prepared - they all asked me to bring along my CV and my personal statement. Two of them asked about my clerkship grades as well. I needed a chairman's letter, and I barely knew the chairman (had never worked with him), so he asked me to come spend some time with him, and we discussed things like my family, my hobbies, my education, etc. - he was trying to write a non-generic letter. That said, I'd send an email or call the doctor directly (or his/her secretary), tell them you'd like them to write you a letter, and ask if they'd like to set up a time to meet first. Two or three weeks later, I sent out thank you notes to kind of push them along and remind them that you're working on a timeline here. Good luck!