finally.. the MS-4 THREAD!

[Ceez]

So I'm pretty bummed out. I got to look at the eval I got from my first away EM rotation. It is a compilation of responses from any residents and faculty that wished to add something. It looks like 4 faculty and 2 residents wrote comments (no names are mentioned just comments). Both residents liked me. 2/4 faculty liked me. The 3rd faculty member liked me but said my "professional attitude was challenging because she neglected to sign out her patients on more than one occasion" (I had signed out one patient to the wrong person...ONCE). The 4th faculty member said I didn't see many patients but with one patient I had trouble making an organized presentation but the other time, a straight forward patient, I did fine. (I can accept the fact that I may have had a hard time but as for not seeing many patients, it was an overnight shift with not too many to see. Give me a break.)

So, even though I got the highest grade for the rotation I am pretty bummed at the comments and the fact that the last comments in the paragraph above I THINK are from the person who is supposed to write me a letter. I only worked one shift with her but she said she would get comments from others I worked with (I didn't have other options for letter writers based on our schedule). Based on her comments though, I can imagine the letter that would result. Should I bother submitting that SLOR? I will have 2 others which I am pretty sure are quite good and a FP letter that is probably glowing. But I also remember the wisdom passed on by Yoda (I mean BKN) that a missing EM rotation letter will look bad. How damaging is 1 of 4 letters if it is similar to the comments above?

Her letter isn't in yet (despite 5 1/2 weeks passing) so that is another reason for concern but also an opportunity for me to unassign that letter to programs and put something else in place. Sorry for the long post. I could use some advice though. Thanks.

i had an almost identical experience. and i do believe we're dealing with the same person

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[BKN]

So I'm pretty bummed out. I got to look at the eval I got from my first away EM rotation. It is a compilation of responses from any residents and faculty that wished to add something. It looks like 4 faculty and 2 residents wrote comments (no names are mentioned just comments). Both residents liked me. 2/4 faculty liked me. The 3rd faculty member liked me but said my "professional attitude was challenging because she neglected to sign out her patients on more than one occasion" (I had signed out one patient to the wrong person...ONCE). The 4th faculty member said I didn't see many patients but with one patient I had trouble making an organized presentation but the other time, a straight forward patient, I did fine. (I can accept the fact that I may have had a hard time but as for not seeing many patients, it was an overnight shift with not too many to see. Give me a break.)

So, even though I got the highest grade for the rotation I am pretty bummed at the comments and the fact that the last comments in the paragraph above I THINK are from the person who is supposed to write me a letter. I only worked one shift with her but she said she would get comments from others I worked with (I didn't have other options for letter writers based on our schedule). Based on her comments though, I can imagine the letter that would result. Should I bother submitting that SLOR? I will have 2 others which I am pretty sure are quite good and a FP letter that is probably glowing. But I also remember the wisdom passed on by Yoda (I mean BKN) that a missing EM rotation letter will look bad. How damaging is 1 of 4 letters if it is similar to the comments above?

Her letter isn't in yet (despite 5 1/2 weeks passing) so that is another reason for concern but also an opportunity for me to unassign that letter to programs and put something else in place. Sorry for the long post. I could use some advice though. Thanks.

If you're not sure about the writer, don't use the letter. Alternatively, remind the letter writer that she hasn't submitted it and ask her if she remembers you well enough to write a "strong" letter,

 

[BKN]

If you're not sure about the writer, don't use the letter. Alternatively, remind the letter writer that she hasn't submitted it and ask her if she remembers you well enough to write a "strong" letter,

YODA? I AM NOT SHORT NOR GREEN! I may however be a bit, . . . uh . . . round.

 

[trkd]

YODA? I AM NOT SHORT NOR GREEN! I may however be a bit, . . . uh . . . round.

I saw your pick on the program website but I thought the lighting was just masking your green tint. I will be heartbroken if, at your ACEP booth, there is not a cute little green 900-year-old. Heartbroken I tell you!

 

[trkd]

If you're not sure about the writer, don't use the letter. Alternatively, remind the letter writer that she hasn't submitted it and ask her if she remembers you well enough to write a "strong" letter,

On a serious note though, thanks for the advice. I think I will do without the letter. Too much bad juju around this letter. I really didn't even want to ask after one shift but what choice did I have. I did my best to work with someone more consistently but they weren't facilitating it much. Bad luck I guess. My other letters are from people who know me well and they should illustrate me better. Plus, none of this is worth the stress. Life is too good.

Thanks BKN and ceez.

 

[trkd]

i had an almost identical experience. and i do believe we're dealing with the same person

Very interesting! I am curious, are you a female?

 

[a_ditchdoc]

i had an almost identical experience. and i do believe we're dealing with the same person

I recently recieved a composite letter from an EM rotation. They got the letter to my program within two weeks of my EM rotation ending, and I think it was a strong letter. However, the coordinator from my program informed me that they may have made have made an error in the letter as it referred to my application to Internal Medicine ("Ditch, have you changed your mind about emergency medicine?") I wanted to cry. I am pretty certain (>100%) that I have never mentioned applying to IM, to anyone, ever. However, they contacted to letter writer on my behalf and they were nice enough to correct it really quickly for me...just a little typo. Awesome people...

Whew...

 

[RayF]

my school messes up my LOR's, scanning the wrong documents, and after a month of having my application in I receive an email saying that my transcript is only entered for M1 year..
gawwwd!

 

[Hard24Get]

Sounds like hard times for the MS-4s! Sending out love and luck totrkd, Ceez, and RayF. Trkd, I'm curious, if you got the highest grade for the rotation, doesn't the SLOR ask what percentile you're in? Can't that only look good?

 

[Ceez]

Very interesting! I am curious, are you a female?

i'm a dood. good luck with letters. i'm still waiting for mine to be scanned it. i think it's going to go down to the wire for me.

 

[allylz]

hello there... I am just adding myself to the list of people who is stressed about my SLORs... the problem is that my grade from the acting internship is not ready yet, so the letter writers cannot write their letters yet. this wouldn't really bother me normally, because I know that I should get interviews later on in the season, but my couples match partner is drowning in interviews for anesthesia, and I don't have any. He's got ten, and he's starting to bug me about whether he can purchase flight tickets for this date or that date. I just told him to go ahead and I would try to schedule along with him once I get anything to schedule. Anyone else couples matching? this is craziness.

 

[trkd]

Sounds like hard times for the MS-4s! Sending out love and luck totrkd, Ceez, and RayF. Trkd, I'm curious, if you got the highest grade for the rotation, doesn't the SLOR ask what percentile you're in? Can't that only look good?

Yeah it does say the percentile but what difference would it make if I am in the top percentage if the letter writer is like "she doesn't see many patients".

 

[RayF]

hello there... I am just adding myself to the list of people who is stressed about my SLORs... the problem is that my grade from the acting internship is not ready yet, so the letter writers cannot write their letters yet. this wouldn't really bother me normally, because I know that I should get interviews later on in the season, but my couples match partner is drowning in interviews for anesthesia, and I don't have any. He's got ten, and he's starting to bug me about whether he can purchase flight tickets for this date or that date. I just told him to go ahead and I would try to schedule along with him once I get anything to schedule. Anyone else couples matching? this is craziness.

that would be crazy x crazy.. like, to the power of 2.. I can only imagine. we sympathize and feel your pain, even if it's just a square root of it!

 

[AR1776]

Just curious, but how did you get a chance to look at your SLOR? I checked the waiver box and figured it would be rude to ask to see it anyway.

 

[RayF]

some places claim they dont even start looking at apps until Nov. when dean letters arrive, yet they have been offering interviews..