applying to backup specialties

[radtacular]

I know you're not really "supposed" to apply to multiple specialties, but if you're considering a super competitive specialty like plastics or neurosurgery or something and you also want to apply to something less competitive as a backup, wouldn't your school's letter about you make it blatantly obvious to the places you apply to as a backup that you're using them as a backup? Since your letter mentions all your research and stuff wouldn't it seem pretty weird if you did all your research in one field but you're applying for something else?
But like, if your odds at your dream field aren't fantastic I dunno if it makes sense to not have a backup field. What do you do though if your school's letter makes it really obvious that you wanted to do another field? I know some of the stuff that's in my letter and I'm pretty sure anybody who reads it would immediately know.
Also, if you end up unmatched, could you go do some other research then ask your dean's letter to be re-written to include that for your backup field or something?

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[radtacular]

No tips? I'm freaking out a little bit here!

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Most people don't apply to a completely different specialty, rather they might apply to neurosurgery and general surgery (or rarely neurology). Besides that though, your dean's letter is secondary in this process and I think you have a different idea about it than what it is. It's your personal statement that tells programs your reasons for selecting a specialty, and you'll get to write as many of those as you want right up front. Research is research, and plenty of people go through some flip-flopping between different specialties.

 

[Davey Havok]

I know some people really like the internet, but seriously, you have to use your real-life resources more. Don't you have a Dean of Students, or of Student Affairs, or a faculty member, or older students at your school you could ask about this? Freaking out because no anonymous internet forum user has responded to a serious question about your future career in a few weeks, and not having found the answer elsewhere...does not look good.

As a partial answer to your questions, your "Dean's Letter" doesn't need to mention what specialty you want, it's more of a summary about what and how you did in school. If you actually talk to the person who is writing it for you, and tell them your plans, they will make it so it doesn't hinder you in applying to either specialty.

Your personal statements and Letters of Recommendation can and should be individualized to the specialty to which you're applying. However, ERAS allows you to upload lots of these documents, so you can mix and match which ones go to specific programs. The programs never see anything in your file you don't send to them.

It's completely possible to have 2 different personal statements and 8 LOR, so that the two different specialties have no idea you're applying to the other. The only hint they might get is if you've loaded your schedule with rotations in the competitive specialty; that's a pretty big hint and people will pick up on it, so if you really want to be a good candidate for both schedule your fourth year wisely.