LOR from X specialty used for Y specialty

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Hi all,

I'd appreciate opinions in regards to this dilemma. If one has an LOR from an attending saying great things but mentioning that you are interested in X specialty and one then changes specialty choice, can I still use the previous letter? Will it hurt me?
Thanks all!

I have seen these letters and they always get noticed in interview meetings. The applicant had better be prepared for discussing the change, especially if its between two fairly different specialties.

IMHO, it would be preferable to have your letter writer be less specific and send another letter. If its too late (ie, the LOR has already gone out) it shouldn't affect your ability to get an interview (since the LORs may be downloaded but they often aren't read in detail until interview time), but be prepared to discuss why you switched fields.

thanks for the input!