Confessions of a Program Director: Letters of Recommendation

[Pedsmdplease]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Pretty interesting: Confessions of a Program Director: Letters of Recommendation

 

[shadowlightfox]

"The “clinical” letter writer should be someone who has actually seen you perform at the level of a resident."

Aw crap

 

[BorntobeDO?]

"The “clinical” letter writer should be someone who has actually seen you perform at the level of a resident."

Aw crap

I don't really see the problem here. Surely you don't want the letters from the attending who basically only had you shadow. How would they have any idea of my clinical acumen if I didn't do anything at all except follow them around and say 'great plan!'

I mean the real advantage of small hospitals is you getting to do a lot and participate in the care plans/complete notes/ round and report etc. My letter writers have seen me do all of those things, and I enjoy doing them. Its great when I make a suggestion and my attending actually does it, and we get a diagnosis. Totally makes up for being shot down most of the time. 🙂

 

[shadowlightfox]

I don't really see the problem here. Surely you don't want the letters from the attending who basically only had you shadow. How would they have any idea of my clinical acumen if I didn't do anything at all except follow them around and say 'great plan!'

I mean the real advantage of small hospitals is you getting to do a lot and participate in the care plans/complete notes/ round and report etc. My letter writers have seen me do all of those things, and I enjoy doing them. Its great when I make a suggestion and my attending actually does it, and we get a diagnosis. Totally makes up for being shot down most of the time. 🙂

I disagree.

The things you're describing that you think make someone be seen on the level of a resident, 3rd year students are already expected to do those things anyway at their appropriate rotations. That's how a typical day of a 3rd year looks like. These actions don't make you look like a resident. The expectations of you and residents are far different. The attending/resident already expects you to meet with a patient and write a SOAP Note, and the attending/resident also expects to quiz you on what assessment and plan you would be thinking of for the patient.

As a medical student, you can write SOAP notes and suggest what pertinent physical exam findings or test to look for all you want, but at the end you're not the one dictating the patient care. You are just seen as whether or not you were correct in whatever the attending asks/assigned you to do.

As a 3rd year student, your job is not to be a resident. That's the resident's job. Instead, you're there to learn as much as you can so that you don't end up being completely lost during your first day as an intern and be helpful in doing tasks so that the residents and attending themselves can carry on through the day.

 

[DO2015CA]

I disagree.

The things you're describing that you think make someone be seen on the level of a resident, 3rd year students are already expected to do those things anyway at their appropriate rotations. That's how a typical day of a 3rd year looks like. These actions don't make you look like a resident. The expectations of you and residents are far different. The attending/resident already expects you to meet with a patient and write a SOAP Note, and the attending/resident also expects to quiz you on what assessment and plan you would be thinking of for the patient.

As a medical student, you can write SOAP notes and suggest what pertinent physical exam findings or test to look for all you want, but at the end you're not the one dictating the patient care. You are just seen as whether or not you were correct in whatever the attending asks/assigned you to do.

As a 3rd year student, your job is not to be a resident. That's the resident's job. Instead, you're there to learn as much as you can so that you don't end up being completely lost during your first day as an intern and be helpful in doing tasks so that the residents and attending themselves can carry on through the day.

I plan on being completely lost first day of intern year regardless of my preparation

 

[bones]

"The “clinical” letter writer should be someone who has actually seen you perform at the level of a resident."

This is definitely true. We discount most LOR unless they are from someone we personally know and trust or someone we know by reputation in the field, If its someone we dont know, it still counts for something if they claim to have seen the student performing in a way that reflects their potential as a resident. Vague approval by someone I dont know means nothing, and that is 3/4 of the LOR. Not a negative, just doesn't influence our decision either way.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Let's try and keep this discussion to one forum: Confessions of a Program Director: Letters of Recommendation