i'm sorry if this question has been asked before... how well did you know the attendings that you got LORs from?


i'm doing IM as my first clerkship (2.5 weeks in) and IM is something i'm seriously considering so I'm thinking i would need to get a LOR before my time in IM is up. thanks

i'm sorry if this question has been asked before... how well did you know the attendings that you got LORs from?


i'm doing IM as my first clerkship (2.5 weeks in) and IM is something i'm seriously considering so I'm thinking i would need to get a LOR before my time in IM is up. thanks

hmm. me too. i'm in FM right now. i want to ask for a LOR. but do i have to ask him at the end of the FM clerkship??? even thogh it's so early in 3rd year of med school??

Yes, and yes. Ask for the letters now, even though you'll need them for next year. They are much harder to ask for later.

Anyone you worked with for more than 2 weeks is fair game. Even a one week overlap, if intense, would be acceptable.

Worse case scenario is they say no. Unlikely to happen.

Consider asking for the letter before the rotation is over. Sometimes this will stimulate your faculty to pay closer attention to you, and hence generate a better letter.

Agreed,
also, physicians in academics always seem to be willing to help out their students. When I was going through the whole process, they were always more than willing, and excited to help me out. This was even true when I did an away rotation and asked for a letter with barely 2 wks working with the guy.
Like aprogdirector says, the worst they can do is say no. If that did happen, move on to the next one - you've lost nothing...But, like aprog said, this is not likely to happen.

ask if they will/would feel comfortable writing a strong letter of recommendation. some lors are very basic, and don't give much insight. others are really well written, giving a lot of insight into who you are as a candidate. its not necessarily a longer letter either.

as a medical student, i got 2 letters from 2 of my ward attendings. one i felt close to (she literally took me under her wing), and i asked towards the end of my rotation during my 3rd year. i stayed in touch throughout the year, and was able to do my sub-i during my 4th year with her. my other attending i asked later during my 3rd year.

if for some reason you don't ask now (don't feel comfortable, something comes up with the attending and he/she is off for a week or 2), make sure not to burn bridges. at many university campuses, you'll continue to see your former attending and residents throughout the hospital. stay at least cordial, and you may still be able to get a letter later in the year.

To be honest, I'd wait until the end of 3rd year. First you really don't know if you want to do medicine and I'd be upset if I wrote a letter and someone didn't use it.

Also, I like to provide my letter writers with plenty of "fodder" to draw from so the letter is good, I gave my LOR writers:

1. Updated CV
2. Up to date transcript w/ 3rd year grades
3. Comments made by faculty/residents throughout my clerkship, ie. my evals. Copy of the letter each clerkship wrote about me as a student.
4. List of programs I am interested in applying to.
5. Research summary
6. Personal statement for my ERAS application

If you get a letter now you won't have very much for them to draw from, and it will probably be reflected in your letters as they will be very "generic."

Also, because you chose IM as your first clerkship it doesn't sound like you were very committed to it from the start. You may be one of those students who ends up "liking everything" and their career goal changes each clerkship.

But, stay in touch with the faculty you want letters from throughout the year. Stop by their office to say hi, when you see them in the hallway say hello, et cetera. This makes sure you are fresh in their mind and it won't be like "hey, remember 1 year ago when you were my attending for 2 weeks."

agree somewhat with holding off on getting the letters now. I agree with the previous post/above post. It's not WRONG to get the letters now, but would be easier for faculty to write a "better" one later in the year. I honestly didn't get any of mine until 4th year, but that is just me.

You should TELL YOUR ATTENDINGS YOU WANT TO DO INTERNAL MEDICINE. This may get you a better grade. It shouldn't matter - it should matter only what you do - but some attendings will grade you higher if you say you want to do medicine. I worked my a-- off as a med student on peds, but then just got a plain old pass. When I asked why, the attending said they only give honors to people who say they want to do pediatrics, b/c they can only give a certain % of honors (I think it was 30% or less) so they "save" the honors grades only for students who specifically state they are going to do pediatrics. I don't know if your school is like that...

Also, because you chose IM as your first clerkship it doesn't sound like you were very committed to it from the start. You may be one of those students who ends up "liking everything" and their career goal changes each clerkship.



Actually, IM is one of my top 2 choices and I got switched to it... it seems like I need to get all this stuff together like personal statements and CV if I want to ask for a LOR before my rotation ends... the work never stops

Actually, IM is one of my top 2 choices and I got switched to it... it seems like I need to get all this stuff together like personal statements and CV if I want to ask for a LOR before my rotation ends... the work never stops

Seriously, I wouldn't stress about it. In my opinion it would be better just to kick butt and get an H in the class ... that is the biggest thing you can do to help yourself match into a good residency at this point so focus on that.

Your LOR writers can't even submit the letters yet. I'd say the VAST majority of students start asking about April/May of the 3rd year at the earliest. That will be plenty of time for them to write because they aren't due until Aug 15 at the earliest.

I also just thought about this as well ... your letter writer has to actually put your AAMC ID into the letter and say whether you signed to waive to see it or not.

You won't get an ID (you may already have one but I didn't or at least didn't know it) until June of next year. Also, you can't print off the required cover letter until June of next year either when you get your ERAS token.

The more I think just wait ... its WWWAAAYYY to early to ask for letters. Below is an example form from ERAS ... my understanding is this needs to be submitted WITH your letter they write for you to the Deans office who will scan it in. You won't have access to this until you have access to ERAS.


---------------------

Date:
Letter Writer: XXXXXX
Applicant Name: XXXXXX
AAMC ID: XXXXXXXXXXXXXx
AOA ID:

Thank you for agreeing to write a letter of recommendation in support of my residency application. This cover sheet explains the special procedures needed to prepare a letter for ERAS - the Electronic Residency Application Service.

Instructions for letter writer: Send the original letter of recommendation to my ERAS designated dean's office for transmission to ERAS using the following information:

Address the letter to "Dear Program Director"; individualized salutations are not necessary. (I would be happy to provide you a list of programs to which I am applying).
Include in your letter whether or not I have waived my right to see this recommendation, as indicated below.
Include my name and AAMC ID or AOA ID, as listed above, in the subject line or body of the letter.
Print your letter so that it may be scanned and added to my files.
Attach this sheet to your letter before sending it, to help my ERAS designated dean's office identify your letter with my file.
Some schools may accept ERAS letters of recommendation in electronic format. Feel free to contact my ERAS designated dean's office at the contact information below for accepted electronic formats (e.g. PDF).+
Send the letter to my ERAS designated dean's office at the address below.

Thank you for supporting my residency application.

______ (I waive) _____ (I do not waive) my right to see this letter.

If "waive" is checked, I waive my right to see this letter under the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)." I acknowledge that this letter is for the specific purpose of supporting my application for a residency.
Applicant Signature:

I also just thought about this as well ... your letter writer has to actually put your AAMC ID into the letter and say whether you signed to waive to see it or not.

You won't get an ID (you may already have one but I didn't or at least didn't know it) until June of next year. Also, you can't print off the required cover letter until June of next year either when you get your ERAS token.

The more I think just wait ... its WWWAAAYYY to early to ask for letters. Below is an example form from ERAS ... my understanding is this needs to be submitted WITH your letter they write for you to the Deans office who will scan it in. You won't have access to this until you have access to ERAS.


---------------------

Date:
Letter Writer: XXXXXX
Applicant Name: XXXXXX
AAMC ID: XXXXXXXXXXXXXx
AOA ID:

Thank you for agreeing to write a letter of recommendation in support of my residency application. This cover sheet explains the special procedures needed to prepare a letter for ERAS - the Electronic Residency Application Service.

Instructions for letter writer: Send the original letter of recommendation to my ERAS designated dean's office for transmission to ERAS using the following information:

Address the letter to "Dear Program Director"; individualized salutations are not necessary. (I would be happy to provide you a list of programs to which I am applying).
Include in your letter whether or not I have waived my right to see this recommendation, as indicated below.
Include my name and AAMC ID or AOA ID, as listed above, in the subject line or body of the letter.
Print your letter so that it may be scanned and added to my files.
Attach this sheet to your letter before sending it, to help my ERAS designated dean's office identify your letter with my file.
Some schools may accept ERAS letters of recommendation in electronic format. Feel free to contact my ERAS designated dean's office at the contact information below for accepted electronic formats (e.g. PDF).+
Send the letter to my ERAS designated dean's office at the address below.

Thank you for supporting my residency application.

______ (I waive) _____ (I do not waive) my right to see this letter.

If "waive" is checked, I waive my right to see this letter under the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)." I acknowledge that this letter is for the specific purpose of supporting my application for a residency.
Applicant Signature:


Most people in my class have told me that they ask for letters whenever at the end of whatever rotation they are in. They ask for a draft and to save it on a computer. Then, by the end of 3rd year, they give their attendings a updated CV, transcript, etc. to incorporate into a final letter.

The advantage of doing this is to have everything fresh in the attending's head.