EM Letter of Rec help

[Dr.TurkandJD]

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Hey guys! I haven't been on this site for a while, its nice to be back and ask you all for advice! I am passionate about EM and even before med school, I knew I wanted to do EM. Now, I am a 3rd year and I am more than ever convinced that I would like to do EM. My preceptor agreed to write me a letter, however, he told me to write my own letter and he will edit it. This guys letter would have a major impact on my application for EM residencies, and I am lucky that he likes me enough to "write" me a letter.

Can you guys please help me with writing my own LoR? I am applying to osteopathic EM programs and want to write the best letter I can. Are there any resources or recommendations on what to include/not include?

Thank you for your help!

 

[dfib slim]

Don't osteo EM programs require a SLOE?

 

[alpinism]

Wait till 4th year to get letters.

You want 2 SLOEs from EM rotations and 1 personal letter from an EM physician.

If your preceptor (EM physician?) is not even willing to spend 30min writing you a strong letter, you should look elsewhere.

 

[Petypet]

You can write the letter now and save it for when eras opens up next year. Many physicians have students write their own letters, look up "how to write a letter of rec on google".

Essentially you need a paragraph stating how the preceptor knows you, a paragraph about character reference, some examples of abilities, and contact information.

As someone else mentioned, you need a SLOE but that is through a EM program director. Your personal letter can be more of a character reference.

 

[Dr.TurkandJD]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but most programs in the DO world don't require SLOE's but are more than OK with just a letter from an EM physician that I have rotated with.

I have an EM physician who I have been working/shadowing since from before even Med School, I was hoping to use her for a personal letter. This guy who told me to write a letter is a really good EM doc who I really got along with, he is an EM Physician who I rotated with. Should I just write myself a SLOE?

I am a little confused on SLOE vs LoR? I thought most EM programs just want a letter? Not a SLOE?

 

[kenjixshadow]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but most programs in the DO world don't require SLOE's but are more than OK with just a letter from an EM physician that I have rotated with.

I have an EM physician who I have been working/shadowing since from before even Med School, I was hoping to use her for a personal letter. This guy who told me to write a letter is a really good EM doc who I really got along with, he is an EM Physician who I rotated with. Should I just write myself a SLOE?

I am a little confused on SLOE vs LoR? I thought most EM programs just want a letter? Not a SLOE?

This is false. More and more DO EM programs are heading toward of using SLOEs when evaluating an applicant. Which do you think PDs will weigh more on - an unknown community attending's words (your actually) or a SLOE from a well known program (within DO programs of course)? In fact, your sub-i heavily indicates whether you get an interview or not. There are DO programs will not interview you if you do not do an away with them.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

google EM SLOE template and you will see that you can't write your own SLOE. EM in general likes SLOEs (both ACGME and AOA). Some may still not require it, but the majority do (or are definitely heading that way) and you would be setting yourself up for failure without having one or two. These will carry far more weight than the rest of your letters and can only come from residency programs that you audition at, and you will see why when you look at the template.

 

[DrRickSanchez]

Never pass up an offer for a LOR but for EM but you want them to be SLOE format. The most valuable SLOEs are from program directors or a committee that have many students and residents to compare you to. I'm not sure what you can do with you letter though now that ERAS requires all letters be electronically submitted from the writer and you as a 3rd year don't have access to ERAS yet.