Advice on LOR

[The wise one]

Greetings,

I am applying to GS this year. How do PDs look at nonsurgical letters? I have 2 that I wanted to upload on ERAS. (one is from an internal medicine PD).

Thank You,

 

[LucidSplash]

How many letters from surgeons do you have? You need letters from surgeons, unless there is an overwhelming reason to add an extra letter like you did a lot of research with someone who is not a surgeon. Most programs ask for 3-4 letters, it isn’t going to look good if you have more letters from non-surgeons than from surgeons.

No one is going to care about an IM PD’s opinion if you are applying to surgery.

 

[The wise one]

How many letters from surgeons do you have? You need letters from surgeons, unless there is an overwhelming reason to add an extra letter like you did a lot of research with someone who is not a surgeon. Most programs ask for 3-4 letters, it isn’t going to look good if you have more letters from non-surgeons than from surgeons.

No one is going to care about an IM PD’s opinion if you are applying to surgery.

I have 3, 1 PD, 2 trauma surgeons.

 

[LucidSplash]

I have 3, 1 PD, 2 trauma surgeons.

What do you think the non-surgery letters add that the surgery letters don’t have?

Unless it is something specific like research, personally if I was reviewing your application, I would wonder why you had letters from non-surgeons.

I imagine if I were in internal medicine, I would wonder why someone going into IM had letters from surgeons.

 

[Lem0nz]

Get all surgery letters. One should really be from the chairman or surgery PD or clerkship director. One (or all) of those.

 

[deleted50541]

Agree with all of the above. Having been involved with residency applications, it definitely raises some questions if your letters aren't all from surgeons.

Remember, you're coming to the program interview as an unknown. They need all the information possible to decide if you're a good fit for their surgical residency and a letter from a non-surgeon is not going to be as helpful in that regard.

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

Agree with everyone else. As @LucidSplash points out, a non-surgical letter works if it speaks to something unique that the surgical letters will not. Most often that is going to be a research mentor, regardless of specialty. But if you did something else unique (e.g. ran free clinic) and that person was the supervising MD, that works too.

Even so, 3 surgical letters is the minimum. That other letter can be #4. It doesn't take the place of one of the other three.

Looking at your list, it would be helpful to have one from the surgery PD or chair at your own program as @Lem0nz suggests. My experience is that many schools actually arrange that as somewhat of a "requirement" for their applicants.