Three Letters from Same Rotation?

[hothause]

Okay guys, sorry for the eighteenth LOR question on this thread in the past several weeks.

I'm at a university with a very strong emergency medicine residency and am trying to figure out where my letters should come from. I have my EM rotation next month and am wondering if it's okay to get two SLORs from that and then another SLOR from an EM physician who I've worked with in the past at my school who I'll also be doing shifts with this coming month. Otherwise, I'm not sure where else I can get that third letter aside from a toxicology rotation or a very late critical care month (October).

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[OncoticPressure]

I think 2 is fine from one rotation, I had good results with this. 3 may be overkill. I really doubt they would have much more to say in the 3rd that isn't already said. Try to find another rotation (ICU, Sub-I, whatever) that may also work. Do you have any away rotations set up?

 

[alwaysaangel]

All my letters came from the same rotation (one I technically asked for after an elective rotation but he was the clerkship director of the original rotation).

I did it because all 4 letter writers knew me way better than any ICU or medicine attending was going to.

No one ever questioned it. In fact, on almost every interview I was told how amazing my letters were.

If you think 3 EM docs will write better letters than 2 + 1 other than just go with it - I don't think anyone will care. Certainly didn't for me.

 

[gman33]

I think a lot of us can't get the "ideal" combo, just due to the scheduling of rotations.

I was told it's nice to have a EM SLOR from somewhere besides your home institution. The logic was that your home spot was more likely to say nice things. If that is confirmed by someone without a vested interest in you, it kind of seems more "real".

I'm going to get some away letters, but not until after I already send in ERAS. I think there is some way to send it letters after the fact, but I could be totally wrong.

 

[OncoticPressure]

I think a lot of us can't get the "ideal" combo, just due to the scheduling of rotations.

I was told it's nice to have a EM SLOR from somewhere besides your home institution. The logic was that your home spot was more likely to say nice things. If that is confirmed by someone without a vested interest in you, it kind of seems more "real".

I'm going to get some away letters, but not until after I already send in ERAS. I think there is some way to send it letters after the fact, but I could be totally wrong.

You can upload them at any time in the season to a max of 4 letters. Whether they're downloaded by the program and read is a different story.

 

[MSmentor018]

I was told it's nice to have a EM SLOR from somewhere besides your home institution. The logic was that your home spot was more likely to say nice things. If that is confirmed by someone without a vested interest in you, it kind of seems more "real".

I'm going to get some away letters, but not until after I already send in ERAS. I think there is some way to send it letters after the fact, but I could be totally wrong.

yes and yes. away rotations from known program directors in the same region are always helpful. unless you didn't do very good, then it's extremely not helpful. you can upload letters at anytime on eras and choose which ones you want to go where.

 

[gutonc]

You can upload them at any time in the season to a max of 4 letters. Whether they're downloaded by the program and read is a different story.

Actually, you can upload as many letters as you can get people to write for you...and you can do it at any time. But you can only assign 4 letters to any one program.

 

[OncoticPressure]

Actually, you can upload as many letters as you can get people to write for you...and you can do it at any time. But you can only assign 4 letters to any one program.

Thanks for the clarification, I should have been more specific.

It sometimes gets mentioned that you can upload 4 letters and have them downloaded by the program and then assign another other letters in their place. So theoretically you can get 4+ letters to programs. I don't know anybody that has acutally done this though.

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for the clarification, I should have been more specific.

It sometimes gets mentioned that you can upload 4 letters and have them downloaded by the program and then assign another other letters in their place. So theoretically you can get 4+ letters to programs. I don't know anybody that has acutally done this though.

I admit I was being pedantic.

And I did that 5 letter trick...and it worked. But don't do it, it pisses PDs off.

 

[MSmentor018]

hmmm....not sure how that tricked would work since after we download and peruse your app. it's done. anyways, I did the 4 LOR's, then hand carried a bunch more and pt thank you letters then gave them to the PD at the interviews