Do letters of Rec from my foreign med school count?

[ayala605]

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I'm a foreign medical student in my last year and plan to take my steps this summer. Will the letters for rec. from my rotations here count at all toward getting a good residency in Pediatrics?

Some people have told me that letters from foreign medical schools don't count at all and I should only try to get letters once I get clinical experience in the US. Is this true?

Thanks in advance for your responses!

 

[Andreji]

Well in my experience, they do work. of course, if it's only those, they may not weigh in remotely as heavily as am-lors. And you also have to take into account the application is far more than just the LoRs or the scores (I believe). Plus I reckon the content in many cases carries good weight. I believe my home school LoR weighed in better than a US lor I had in stock that seemed generic, and I decided not to upload.

FWIW, my experience: I applied this year with good scores, 2 month USCE at a top hospital in NY (from which 2 LoRs from Peds) and 1 LoR from peds from my home university hospital (from an attending). Applied very selectively, got enough interviews mostly at university programs, and prematched recently in a top ranked program.

I like to believe for peds that much as in patients, a very wholesome evaluation of candidates takes place... and it appeared so in my case! 😀