big-wig

[retinalball]

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how do you know if an opthomologist is a big-wig?

 

[FutureCTDoc]

They gave the Jackson Lecture, are department chair at a decent program, they're SDN's own Dr. Doan. I'm having an LOR written by a chair who gave the Jackson Lecture hopefully it will help me get into a decent med school.

 

[200UL]

The above examples would make for a "big-wig" letter, but they are not needed for a "big-impact" letter.

In general, the more senior the author will mean someone reading it will recognize or know the person. The author should be from an academic institution or have an academic type practice. The more the author has mentored medical students, the better. The more letters of rec written by the author, the more powerful the letter (some letter writers write on behalf of several students each year- it does not take much to figure out which of the applicants they think is best).

There are many "code phrases" make for the most powerful letters. Here are some examples: "In my 25 years of mentoring hundreds of medical students, I would place this student in the top 5 of all students I have encountered." "Our residency program is consistently considered one of the best - our program would be lucky to have this person and I will be sad to see them go elsewhere."

In summary, choose experienced letter writers who know you well. You do not need the biggest name.

Finally, a big wig in ophthalmology may have little impact in a medical school admission committee room. Do you believe the average family practice doctor knows who david parke is? - I don't think so. Again, experience letter writers who know you well will be your best approach – often times these are the “big wigs”

 

[MstaKing10]

This question comes up a lot. I always wonder what people mean when they say they got a letter from a big wig. I think it varies from one program to another. Certainly at the larger academic centers, I could see this being the case, as most faculty are big wigs. But what about the smaller institutions? I agree that big wig means a more experienced doc who has mentored many students/residents and who is well connected. Weather or not they lectured at a particular event or have been nominated for X award seems less important to me.

 

[KHE]

how do you know if an opthomologist is a big-wig?

If they advertise LASIK for $499 per eye instead of $299 per eye, they are a big-wig.

 

[KHE]

The above examples would make for a "big-wig" letter, but they are not needed for a "big-impact" letter.

In general, the more senior the author will mean someone reading it will recognize or know the person. The author should be from an academic institution or have an academic type practice. The more the author has mentored medical students, the better. The more letters of rec written by the author, the more powerful the letter (some letter writers write on behalf of several students each year- it does not take much to figure out which of the applicants they think is best).

There are many "code phrases" make for the most powerful letters. Here are some examples: "In my 25 years of mentoring hundreds of medical students, I would place this student in the top 5 of all students I have encountered." "Our residency program is consistently considered one of the best - our program would be lucky to have this person and I will be sad to see them go elsewhere."

In summary, choose experienced letter writers who know you well. You do not need the biggest name.

Finally, a big wig in ophthalmology may have little impact in a medical school admission committee room. Do you believe the average family practice doctor knows who david parke is? - I don't think so. Again, experience letter writers who know you well will be your best approach – often times these are the "big wigs"

Interestingly enough, I've worked with an ophthalmologist named David Parke and when I did a google search, it seems that there are actually two ophthalmologists named David Parke.

Are they related?


*** EDIT ***

Interestingly enough, it seems they are!

http://www.aao.org/aao/publications/eyenet/200904/feature2.cfm

And oooooooo.....scandalous family history......grandfather was an optometrist. Ewwww. lol

 

[Visionary]

This is actually a tricky situation that candidates in all specialties deal with. Seeing as the OP lists as a med stud, I suspect this is for a residency letter. The thing you need to understand is that while someone may qualify as a "big wig," because of their stature in the ophthalmology community, that may not translate into a good letter and could possibly hurt you with some institutions. There are feuds and other bitterness between individuals in the community, the etiologies of which vary. It's hard to get the inside scoop on these relationships, however, so the best you can do is go by word of mouth and location. Interestingly, the farther along you are in your training, the more you come to understand these relationships and how they, unbeknownst to you, have shaped your path. Perhaps unfair, but it's the nature of the beast.

Having a letter from your home program's chairman is usually a good thing and should be pursued. If others within your home department trained with or have good relationships with faculty at other departments, that can be beneficial. It's good to discuss with potential letter writers the programs to which you would like to apply. Through their advice, you can sometimes glean more details about these relationships and about their confidence in other programs. If so-and-so trained with thus-and-such at one of the programs you're really interested in, and they still get together outside of business, that may be good. If so-and-so seems cold on their relationship, that may be bad. Unfortunately, people sometimes do not have the best insight into how the other person in the relationship truly perceives them. No getting around that one. Just do your homework and use your best judgment.

 

[anzq]

Great post Visionary! As someone who did his fair share of years in research before residency, I am only now beginning to understand that politics is alive and well in our world of ophth. And when I started initially, everyone told me how small a world ophth. is and how everyone knows everyone. Initially I thought how can this be, with all the eye docs all over the US, but it is true, and its taken me 5 years to realize this.

Back to the original question though: my definition of a big includes the things mentioned above by others, but in addition:

Research, and number of publications
Awards from AAO and ARVO and honorary degrees
named societies or lectureships, or being invited to speak at international conferences or at other universities
journal editorship (obviously major ones)

Hope this helps!

 

[200UL]

For the applicants who do not have an opportunity to work with the big-wig as defined by many in this tread I would not worry too much.

Again, most applicants do not have 2 department chairman writting their ophthalmology letters.

Again, the key is a letter writter who knows how to write letters and who knows you well.

 

[Meibomian SxN]

how do you know if an opthomologist is a big-wig?

They have surgical equipment, surgical techniques and/or pathology named after them.

 

[DKofLV]

They have surgical equipment, surgical techniques and/or pathology named after them.

True...lucky for me my grandfather was Dr von Graefe, my uncle Dr Fuchs, and lastly my second cousin was Dr Hollenhorst...if it wasnt for their letters of rec, I would never have landed a spot

 

[Meibomian SxN]

True...lucky for me my grandfather was Dr von Graefe, my uncle Dr Fuchs, and lastly my second cousin was Dr Hollenhorst...if it wasnt for their letters of rec, I would never have landed a spot

True that! My uncle Dr Marcus Gunn RELATIVELY helped me with my career.

 

[MstaKing10]

eye humor...sad!🙁

 

[dannylee718]

yeah, lucky I got my letter from Dr. Slit Lamp...