Gen Surg or Ob/Gyn Letter of Rec

[spj]

So I am still on the fence of whether I want to go into gen surgery or ob/gyn for residency but my problem is more of getting LORs. I have already rotated in both fields for 3rd year but I failed to get a LOR because I unfortunately never had a chance to interact with the attendings. I only saw them when I was going into the OR or delivery etc. and I worked mostly with the residents and the school had students get LOR from them and not attendings. Can anyone give advice on how I can get a LOR? Should I just wait till fourth year? Can I still use LOR from other rotations like FM? Any advice or help will be appreciated

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[Smurfette]

For general surgery, you need at least three LORs from surgeons. If you get a great letter from someone in a different field to give you a "bonus" LOR, feel free to use it but do so cautiously (some places will not accept it, and letters from plastic surgeons or competitive fields may indicate you are applying GS as back up for the competitive field). But programs want LORs from other people in the same field.

I suspect OB is similar, but I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone can comment on that.

Most people use letters from late in 3rd year or early 4th yr (sub-I rotations). In surgery, you generally also get a chairman's letter. When you do a sub-I, attendings generally know you are looking to get a LOR. In other words, don't worry if you have no LORs yet...it's still very early.

 

[JJMrK]

You're fine. Meet with your chairman to establish a relationship, and consider rotating on his service as a sub-i. You can easily pick up two LOR on your home sub-i this way, and get the 3rd from one of your early away rotations.

 

[Campanella]

I suspect OB is similar, but I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone can comment on that.

OB is similar from what I've been told. Most people at my school get 3 letters, one from 3rd year Ob/Gyn rotation, one from 4th year sub-I, and one from the department chairman. However, people will sometimes substitute one of non-chairman letters for a letter from another specialty, like surgery or internal medicine. In any case, it's definitely not too late to get the letters you'll need.

 

[Winged Scapula]

So I am still on the fence of whether I want to go into gen surgery or ob/gyn for residency but my problem is more of getting LORs. I have already rotated in both fields for 3rd year but I failed to get a LOR because I unfortunately never had a chance to interact with the attendings. I only saw them when I was going into the OR or delivery etc. and I worked mostly with the residents and the school had students get LOR from them and not attendings. Can anyone give advice on how I can get a LOR? Should I just wait till fourth year? Can I still use LOR from other rotations like FM? Any advice or help will be appreciated

That seems very odd to me.

I can't speak for other specialties (but expect it would be the same) but having LORs from a resident instead of an attending in surgery is a huge mistake.

I believe your program is doing its students a disservice if they are encouraging you to seek LORs from housestaff instead of attendings or somehow suggesting that they are equivalent.

 

[Doctor Bob]

That seems very odd to me.

I can't speak for other specialties (but expect it would be the same) but having LORs from a resident instead of an attending in surgery is a huge mistake.

I believe your program is doing its students a disservice if they are encouraging you to seek LORs from housestaff instead of attendings or somehow suggesting that they are equivalent.

Oh goodness....
What is true here in the GS world is true in the EM world as well. LORs from residents are considered worthless. Now, perhaps a resident writes it and the attending signs it; that would be different (because the signatory on the letter is a staff physician). That is delegating at its finest.

And if the GS world and the EM world agree on something then it's probably true across the board in other specialties