FM LOR Question

[Coltuna]

Hello all, 3rd year student here finishing up my first rotation (family medicine) in a week. With COVID, my rotation has consisted of strictly telemedicine. I literally sit next to the doctor in his office for a half day "shadowing" his telemedicine calls and participating in 2-3/day. I'm really interested in family medicine; however, with basically only 15 full days of telemedicine, I'm worried that a letter from this doctor may not be very strong. If I do decide that I want to go for FM, would an early 4th year elective be too late to secure a FM letter before applying? Alternatively, will it look bad if I don't have a letter from my 3rd year FM preceptor? Thanks in advance!

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[Internist_Sandman]

Have you been able to interject any clinical reasoning or patient interviews? Or have you just been a shadow? In my experience, it doesn't take much time for a physician to know what a student is worth, so even a few interactions with patients may be enough for a good letter if you did well.

Otherwise, I would recommend an early 4th year elective (treat like an audition) and get a letter there. It won't be too late assuming you're there in June/July/August.

You can also just talk to your preceptor, they're used to being asked for letters. So you can ask if it's best to secure the strongest letter possible if you come back. If you show a strong interest in FM they will probably be willing to work with you on a letter.

 

[Coltuna]

Have you been able to interject any clinical reasoning or patient interviews? Or have you just been a shadow? In my experience, it doesn't take much time for a physician to know what a student is worth, so even a few interactions with patients may be enough for a good letter if you did well.

Otherwise, I would recommend an early 4th year elective (treat like an audition) and get a letter there. It won't be too late assuming you're there in June/July/August.

You can also just talk to your preceptor, they're used to being asked for letters. So you can ask if it's best to secure the strongest letter possible if you come back. If you show a strong interest in FM they will probably be willing to work with you on a letter.

Thank you for the response! I've been able to demonstrate clinical knowledge on a few occasions but COVID has really thrown a wrench into what I was expecting for this rotation haha. Thanks again for the advice!