Anesthesia LOR guidance

[agent_purple]

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Hey gas peeps. So a lot of programs for applying to Anesthesia rotations require a LOR. Unfortunately we don't have an Anesthesia rotation at our program so I cannot get one someone "from the field". I asked our director of clinical affairs who said he would be happy to write one for me. I rotated with him (he's a pathologist) and he knows all the physicians I've been rotating with, so I'm hoping he would suffice for rotations that just simply require a LOR, although not beneficial for one that requires someone from the field.

My question would be if this would hopefully suffice? Also he's asking for some guidance on writing the letter. Obviously being anesthesia specific, any suggestions? One of the benefits is that I have had work experience working alongside anesthesiologists, so not sure if prior work history would be beneficial.

Thanks!

 

[PapaDosh]

I would speak to the 4th years who are matching to anesthesia to see what they did. Surely your school has anesthesiologists that you can rotate with on a rotation even if it is custom made. My medical school did not have required rotations in anesthesia nor any anesthesia residents, however you could take anesthesia as a 4th year elective. I ended up shadowing 1-2 anesthesiologists including the chief during my spring break during my MS-3 year so that they would know me prior to July which worked out well as it was not as onerous to get a LOR. That LOR served as the primary anesthesiology letter, although I also did get a letter from an away elective from another anesthesia department that was helpful as well.

 

[AdmiralChz]

You need to do SOMETHING to prove your interest in the field. PapaDosh had a great recommendation to ask upperclassmen about what they did. If there really is no available anesthesiology experience at all at your institution (which I doubt, unless maybe it’s a new rural DO school perhaps), then an away rotation is essentially mandatory.

What will you say to interviewers who ask you about your interest in the field? If you can’t say anything regarding exposure to the daily life of a physician in the field you’ll be Flying blind.

 

[Mman]

and here I thought this was a thread about locating the epidural space...

 

[agent_purple]

I would speak to the 4th years who are matching to anesthesia to see what they did. Surely your school has anesthesiologists that you can rotate with on a rotation even if it is custom made. My medical school did not have required rotations in anesthesia nor any anesthesia residents, however you could take anesthesia as a 4th year elective. I ended up shadowing 1-2 anesthesiologists including the chief during my spring break during my MS-3 year so that they would know me prior to July which worked out well as it was not as onerous to get a LOR. That LOR served as the primary anesthesiology letter, although I also did get a letter from an away elective from another anesthesia department that was helpful as well.

You need to do SOMETHING to prove your interest in the field. PapaDosh had a great recommendation to ask upperclassmen about what they did. If there really is no available anesthesiology experience at all at your institution (which I doubt, unless maybe it’s a new rural DO school perhaps), then an away rotation is essentially mandatory.

What will you say to interviewers who ask you about your interest in the field? If you can’t say anything regarding exposure to the daily life of a physician in the field you’ll be Flying blind.

So I have one guaranteed anesthesia rotation for my fourth year and another one that I would say is fairly certain. I’d like to have a third. My question is for VSAS, some rotations require a LOR for someone in the field. I won’t be able to get another LOR until much later from an anesthesiologist. My question is would it be beneficial to get a LOR from someone I’ve worked with that can atleast help me plan a third anesthesia rotation (not an anesthesiologist) I hope this is making sense? My school has zero affiliation with any anesthesiologists and our third year schedule is pretty much written in stone.