Good LOR

[realruby2000]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hey,

I'm getting along very well with my psych attending and I feel like he would be able to write me a kick ass LOR by the end of the rotation...

Question: since this isn't a letter from an EP or somthing even close to one, would this letter be useful? Would programs put any weight in it given its coming from a psychiatrist?

Another Question: Will he be required to write about why I'm a good candidate for EM or could he just write about how well rounded I am etc? I havent told him my choice of specialty yet b/c I've been playing the " I dont know what I'm going into yet" card with most of my attendings. Should I eventually tell him I want to do EM?

thanks everyone!

 

[kungfufishing]

I think letters from other fields can be good, but only if they really know you very well. Ideally, you might want something closer to EM (never mind the large percentage of ED psych visits...). And why not just play the "truth" card and tell your attendings you want to be an emergency physician?
My letters were....1. letter from our home PD
2. Private EP who knows me best 3. Toxicologist who knows me well 4. PICU attending who knows me well. Notice that while not all EM, they are all somewhat EM/CC related, and the ones that are not EPs did know me quite well (more than just a month's rotation - extra tox research time, PICU procedure greed time). Although probably unjustly, I think psych is often perceived as a little odd/flaky by many in the medical community and there is a chance it would serve as sort of a lukewarm letter. If the attending really really knows you and you are sure he would say "..since leaving nazareth, lil' jesus here has been straight offadachain and is the chosen one..." or something, use it, but otherwise Id get something else.

 

[NinerNiner999]

why not just play the "truth" card and tell your attendings you want to be an emergency physician?

I think this is excellent advice. I had made up my mind during my third year and when asked by my rotations, told them I was applying to EM. Even in my rotation evals, things like "will make an excellent emergency physician," and "did a great job finding topics pertinent to Emergency Medicine." I think when you are up front with your preceptors, they look at you as such and try to teach you more relevant things for EM. When it comes to LOR time, they already know you and have worked with you as a future EM resident...

 

[Seaglass]

I think that, no matter how good, a psych letter is worth very little. To any specialty (other than psych of course).

 

[realruby2000]

I think letters from other fields can be good, but only if they really know you very well. Ideally, you might want something closer to EM (never mind the large percentage of ED psych visits...). And why not just play the "truth" card and tell your attendings you want to be an emergency physician?
My letters were....1. letter from our home PD
2. Private EP who knows me best 3. Toxicologist who knows me well 4. PICU attending who knows me well. Notice that while not all EM, they are all somewhat EM/CC related, and the ones that are not EPs did know me quite well (more than just a month's rotation - extra tox research time, PICU procedure greed time). Although probably unjustly, I think psych is often perceived as a little odd/flaky by many in the medical community and there is a chance it would serve as sort of a lukewarm letter. If the attending really really knows you and you are sure he would say "..since leaving nazareth, lil' jesus here has been straight offadachain and is the chosen one..." or something, use it, but otherwise Id get something else.

Yea, i see what you mean...it kind of sucks cuz i know for a fact he would write me an amazing LOR. If I ask him to tailor it to EM would that make a diff?

 

[realruby2000]

anyone??? 🙁

 

[Sessamoid]

Yea, i see what you mean...it kind of sucks cuz i know for a fact he would write me an amazing LOR. If I ask him to tailor it to EM would that make a diff?

I doubt it. What a psychiatrist thinks would make a good emergency physician is worth about as much as what an EM attending would think would make a good psychiatrist. In other words, not a whole heck of a lot.

 

[dlung]

I dunno if there's a good answer. I was following the general advice I had heard (including EMRA Med Student Survival Guide) which sed that 3/4 should be specialty, and 1/4 non....... then when I told my research advisor that I was going to omit one of my four EM LORs for my Vascular Surgery Chair letter, she said (paraphrase), "Are you nuts?! What loser told you that?!"... since she's on the admissions commitee for her EM program, I basically replied, "uh, duh, um, oh, okay."

So I'm going to use that Surg LOR for my transitional/prelim apps...

 

[Seaglass]

Yeah, if you have EM letters use them UNLESS they are less than stellar. In that case use a better letter. Although your advisor knows you are omitting EM letters other programs won't - they'll just see 4 great letters.