2nd LOR

[medinah]

Some of the programs I called said a 2nd LOR from a pathologist would be beneficial. My question is, can we control what LORs we want each specialty to see on ERAS? If not, then wouldn't it look strange to a Pediatics PD who looks at my application and finds 2 LORs from pathologists?

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[deleted113029]

Some of the programs I called said a 2nd LOR from a pathologist would be beneficial. My question is, can we control what LORs we want each specialty to see on ERAS? If not, then wouldn't it look strange to a Pediatics PD who looks at my application and finds 2 LORs from pathologists?

You're confusing. Answer to 1st ? is Yes. Answer to 2nd ? is Yes. What pediatric programs told you an LOR from a pathologist is beneficial? None of my friends applying to peds had one and are receiving quite a bit of love from the top programs.

Doesn't your school inform you of anything?

 

[medinah]

haha...some of the PATHOLOGY programs I called said a 2nd LOR from a pathologist would be beneficial. But, I plan to apply to Pediatrics programs as well. So, since I plan to apply for both and if I have 2 LORs from pathologists, it would look strange to Pediatrics PDs. That's why my question was if we can control what LORs can be seen by programs of different specialties. Get it? Got it? Good

 

[Circumflex]

haha...some of the PATHOLOGY programs I called said a 2nd LOR from a pathologist would be beneficial. But, I plan to apply to Pediatrics programs as well. So, since I plan to apply for both and if I have 2 LORs from pathologists, it would look strange to Pediatrics PDs. That's why my question was if we can control what LORs can be seen by programs of different specialties. Get it? Got it? Good

In ERAS, for each program that you apply to, you designate which letters (and personal statements, if you wish) go to which programs. You could have multiple letters and send some to certain programs and some to others.

Are you a 3rd year student and still undecided on what specialty you want to pursue? If so, I would work towards making a decision prior to applying instead of applying to 2 such unrelated fields. If not, why would you apply to both Peds and Path programs?

 

[DarksideAllstar]

1) Its mid-January, 5pm, and you've got 9 patients all with bronchiolitis, 4 waiting to have d/c orders written, 2 that have developed some bilious vomiting that needs to be worked up, another 6 sitting in the ER waiting for you to come admit them, and a partridge in a pear tree. BTW, this is your "short call" --be out the door by 7pm- day.

OR

2) Its 6pm, you finished signing out some pretty cool cases with your attending, while listening to some (insert ideal music). You've ordered all of your IPOX, levels, and have written up all your reports. You go back to the bucket on a couple of cases. You decide to pull an article about some interesting diagnostic dilemma that you came across earlier during signout. You leave the hospital. You take said article to a cafe. You sit in said cafe, read the article, and socialize with some good-looking young professionals, even possibly scoring some digits. You then go get some tapas and sangria. Then you go home, watch some Sportscenter and still get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

 

[mlw03]

1) Its mid-January, 5pm, and you've got 9 patients all with bronchiolitis, 4 waiting to have d/c orders written, 2 that have developed some bilious vomiting that needs to be worked up, another 6 sitting in the ER waiting for you to come admit them, and a partridge in a pear tree. BTW, this is your "short call" --be out the door by 7pm- day.

OR

2) Its 6pm, you finished signing out some pretty cool cases with your attending, while listening to some (insert ideal music). You've ordered all of your IPOX, levels, and have written up all your reports. You go back to the bucket on a couple of cases. You decide to pull an article about some interesting diagnostic dilemma that you came across earlier during signout. You leave the hospital. You take said article to a cafe. You sit in said cafe, read the article, and socialize with some good-looking young professionals, even possibly scoring some digits. You then go get some tapas and sangria. Then you go home, watch some Sportscenter and still get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

hey now - please don't discourage my potential competition from applying to peds. it's a great field, full of hot women who speak English as their first language. normally there's about 350 US path applicants, but I'm hoping next year it's about 10 - me and 9 others, and if that means sending our friend here into the land of screaming babies and yet another 8 month old whose ears you have to look in to rule out otitis media, then so be it.

 

[yaah]

You can assign anything you want to in ERAS when it comes to personal statement and LOR. Thus, you can theoretically have different sets of LOR for every program you apply to as well as a different personal statement. At least, it was possible when I applied, I presume it is still so.

But yes, why on earth would you be planning this far ahead to be applying in both specialties? Are you dead set on staying at a specific hospital, and you don't care about what specialty it is? Because path and pedes are about as different as possible in terms of day to day life (path and psych are more similar IMHO). You might as well be applying to law school and podiatry school.

 

[minim]

I can understand the dilemma path vs. peds but if you are at school it is MUCH better to make up your mind before applying or take transitional year if you need more time. Applying to both specialties will not help you.

As for control over LORs it is pretty decent: you assign number and name to LOR ( e.g. LOR #1 written by John Pediatrician) and they are send to ERAS. ERAS scans LORs and uploads to website. You assign LOR with specific number and name to programs so they can download them. Theoretically ERAS people could mix your LORs. I don’t know if it is possible/legal but you could check if everything is OK by applying first to the program you know e.g. your school and check if they got right LORs.

 

[minim]

Actually, easier method to control LOR would be to send one letter, wait until it is uploaded and then send another. There is no way to mix letters if you send them one by one.

 

[PathOne]

But yes, why on earth would you be planning this far ahead to be applying in both specialties? Are you dead set on staying at a specific hospital, and you don't care about what specialty it is? Because path and pedes are about as different as possible in terms of day to day life (path and psych are more similar IMHO). You might as well be applying to law school and podiatry school.

Yea, I concur.
Path vs. rads = both diagnostic, limited pt contact.
Path vs. derm = both often with a scientific bend, much pt contact for Dermies, but for very short periods (per pt), both spend most of their time on dx'ing.
Path vs. psych = Weird to explain, but a lot of pathies have looked into psych
Path vs. surg = Some ppl think they're alike (think autopsies/surgeries) but really, they aren't.
Path vs. int med = Int med would probably drive most paths nuts.
Path vs. peds = wtf???

 

[sequela]

Yea, I concur.
Path vs. rads = both diagnostic, limited pt contact.
Path vs. derm = both often with a scientific bend, much pt contact for Dermies, but for very short periods (per pt), both spend most of their time on dx'ing.
Path vs. psych = Weird to explain, but a lot of pathies have looked into psych
Path vs. surg = Some ppl think they're alike (think autopsies/surgeries) but really, they aren't.
Path vs. int med = Int med would probably drive most paths nuts.
Path vs. peds = wtf???

the path vs. psych thing is a real phenomenon i think. i have met many path residents and psych residents who seriuously considered the other specialty. it is, however, difficult to explain why that is....

 

[PathOne]

the path vs. psych thing is a real phenomenon i think. i have met many path residents and psych residents who seriuously considered the other specialty. it is, however, difficult to explain why that is....

Yeah, it's weird. Pure speculation, but perhaps it's some desire to examine and understand the underlying causes of disease (somatic or psychosomatic). And as with Derms, a lot of time is spent as a psych trying to come up with a diagnosis, relative to how much time is spent doing the actual curing bit.

Just consider:
Path: Hmm, is this breast biopsy really malignant? And if so, what staging are we looking at? I wonder if it's primary or secondary.
Psych: Hmm, is she really psychotic, or are we perhaps more looking at a severe bipolar disorder? etc. etc.
Modes of examination is of course vastly different, but from an intellectual perspective, I think it can be argued that there are many similarities.