Help! how do i get a letter!!

[basiligaw]

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Hi all, i'm new here. I have a very important question whose simple answer may be the foundation for my future as a pathologist.
How do i get a recommendation letter from a pathologist???
Due to 4th yr scheduling issues I am unable to do a pathology elective which leaves me unable to get a pathologist to write me a letter.
I already have two rec letters in my file but neither are from pathologists and i think having a letter from a pathologist would help my chances of matching.
Should I just spend some time at my local hospital's pathology lab
What does one do in this situation?
advice, please!! 😎

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Hi all, i'm new here. I have a very important question whose simple answer may be the foundation for my future as a pathologist.
How do i get a recommendation letter from a pathologist???
Due to 4th yr scheduling issues I am unable to do a pathology elective which leaves me unable to get a pathologist to write me a letter.
I already have two rec letters in my file but neither are from pathologists and i think having a letter from a pathologist would help my chances of matching.
Should I just spend some time at my local hospital's pathology lab
What does one do in this situation?
advice, please!! 😎

It is important to have a letter of recommendation from a pathology attending for application purposes. Unfortunately, many med students across the nation have to wait until 4th year to do a rotation. Hence, as in your situation, scheduling issues may arise.

One possible suggestion, and this is what two of my classmates did when they applied for pathology...you may be able to get a letter from a pathology attending who taught your pathology laboratory sessions during first or second year med school. My two friends got a letter from the guy who taught their histopathology lab sessions during their second year. They matched and they did just fine.

 

[beary]

Related question - when are folks asking people for letters? Do you usually give your writer a copy of your CV, or anything else, or just ask them?

 

[basiligaw]

It is important to have a letter of recommendation from a pathology attending for application purposes. Unfortunately, many med students across the nation have to wait until 4th year to do a rotation. Hence, as in your situation, scheduling issues may arise.

One possible suggestion, and this is what two of my classmates did when they applied for pathology...you may be able to get a letter from a pathology attending who taught your pathology laboratory sessions during first or second year med school. My two friends got a letter from the guy who taught their histopathology lab sessions during their second year. They matched and they did just fine.

well that's definitely a good idea. I can try that, though my path teacher from 2nd yr doesn't know me at all nor do my lab teachers as my classes were pretty big. Though I would assume a conversation with them about how much i want to do path would persuade them to write me a letter even if they know little about me---i mean what is there to know anyway---i like path, i work hard and i'm curious by nature; that sums me up

 

[Mr. Plow]

Related question - when are folks asking people for letters? Do you usually give your writer a copy of your CV, or anything else, or just ask them?

I gave my letter writers a copy of my CV and personal statement. That provided them adequate background information to include in their letters. As for when to ask.. I'd start asking as soon as possible if you haven't already. Depending on the writer it can take them a while to complete, and you certainly don't want them to feel rushed.

 

[Aubrey]

I gave my letter writers a copy of my CV and personal statement. That provided them adequate background information to include in their letters. As for when to ask.. I'd start asking as soon as possible if you haven't already. Depending on the writer it can take them a while to complete, and you certainly don't want them to feel rushed.

I asked my LOR writers right after my path electives.. second the motion on sending CV/biosketch/PS, all my writers seemed to find it useful.

 

[Supersheep]

I asked my LOR writers right after my path electives.. second the motion on sending CV/biosketch/PS, all my writers seemed to find it useful.

Does anyone have any suggestions then on what would be acceptable if your pathology rotation is away from your home school? Is it actually ok to ask someone that you work with while acting as a visiting student or wouldn't that put this person in an awkward position, esp if you plan on applying there? (I don't know about my path professor- a wonderful person, but out of residency for nearly 65yrs, a possibility though). Hmm... that tangled web we weave continues to get even messier 😀

 

[yaah]

I got a letter from an away rotation. Lots of people do this.

 

[JaneDough]

I got a letter from an away rotation. Lots of people do this.

Does it matter if you did your away rotation w/ a pathologist in private practice and not in a big ol' university hospital? Or does it look lame if you did it in po-dunk-nowhere?

 

[yaah]

If they can attest to your ability to perform well in residency it doesn't much matter. A letter can talk about your intelligence, hard work, curiosity, friendliness, ability to work in a team, etc.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I gave my letter writers a copy of my CV and personal statement. That provided them adequate background information to include in their letters. As for when to ask.. I'd start asking as soon as possible if you haven't already. Depending on the writer it can take them a while to complete, and you certainly don't want them to feel rushed.

I did the same. When you do a pathology rotation, an attending isn't going to get to know you all too well really when your interactions with each other are basically limited to sign out sessions.

For my first pathology letter of recommendation, I just went ahead and asked an attending whose signouts I sat in for just one week. I then mustered up the balls to just ask the week after that. Basically I emailed him saying that I really enjoyed those signout sessions, that I was dead set on applying to pathology, and that I would be willing to provide him with a CV and personal statement if he would be willing to write me one. Admittedly, he did remark that "it's soon to be asking for a letter of recommendation since you're still doing your pathology rotation." My rebuttal was that this was the earliest time that I could even undertake a pathology rotation and the application season was already under way! In any case, he basically said that it was all good and he'd be thrilled to write a letter on my behalf.

Once an agreement was made, I took it one step further by making an appointment to chat with him about my career interests, where I was applying, and what programs I would be specifically targeting with high priority. That way, the stuff he read on paper was reinforced by our conversation. He wrote a letter two days later and the rest is history.

Don't be hesitant to ask earlier than later for a letter. It's better to ask earlier while the attending's memory of you is fresher. I understand that you may feel some trepidation about this but ultimately you're gonna have to muster up the courage to just ask and see how he/she responds. And again, I highly recommend that you sit down and just talk about your application and interests with the attending so that his/her memory of you is further reinforced.

 

[yaah]

Definitely good points. I think some students actually worry that by asking for a letter they are putting out the attending, or bothering them in some way. And just the simple fact of asking for the letter seems to be overstepping their boundaries. But yeah, you need to advocate for your own letter writing. If an attending agrees half-heartedly or won't meet with you for a few minutes to talk about your career, find someone else. You don't need a crap letter.

 

[Aubrey]

If an attending agrees half-heartedly or won't meet with you for a few minutes to talk about your career, find someone else. You don't need a crap letter.

I have also been advised that you should ask up front if the person will write you a "strong" LOR.. although I would think you can probably pick up on this if the prof doesn't seem enthusiastic about the idea from the get-go. It may seem a bit forward, but these letters are pretty important to your future, so.. just do it!!

During my electives I found (unsurprisingly) that I spent lots more time with the residents than the attendings.. so when I went to the attendings for LORs, I also supplied them with a list of the residents I worked with the most and who could attest to my mad path skillz. 🙂

 

[bananaface]

If you just met the person, they aren't going to know if they can write you a strong letter. Only once you really get into the rotation can they reinforce their initial positive impressions with your consistent performance. To me "will you be able to write me a strong letter" says "I am unsure what you think of me" or "I am looking for something other than your honest opinion."

The strength of the letter is determined as much by the amount of effort you put into communicating to the writer what you want them to include in the letter as it is by your actual performance. When you put take the time to discuss your goals, share your personal statement and CV, and tell them what elements you hope will be included in the letter, you make their job easier and ensure that you will get a strong letter. If you don't get a strong letter either you misread their willingness to write a letter, your performance was lousy, or you didn't put forth the effort to shape the content of the letter. If the letter bites, it's on you.

 

[LADoc00]

If youre a hottie you dont need letters, just substitute with some digi camera footage. Read the small print on the ERAS site. Its all in there.
Mkay?

 

[nerfherder]

Actually having a pathology rotation will be a big PLUS. Is there any way to switch your rotations for a path elective next month or even Oct? Although it's unorthodox, you could hang out with the path residents even if you're not on a path rotation. During surgery last year, there was a 4th year who was very interested in ENT in a very limited location b/c of his wife. His ENT rotation wasn't until november but he hung out with the ENT residents and assisted in surgery during his low key radiology rotation. They seemed to be impressed with his dedication, he ended up matching at that hospital. Try to find the hospital path department of the rotation you are now and ask if you hang out and see stuff during some down time or your rotation

 

[bananaface]

If youre a hottie you dont need letters, just substitute with some digi camera footage. Read the small print on the ERAS site. Its all in there.
Mkay?

my eyes are bad

 

[miko2005]

I have another question. Do we need a letter from dept chairman? I have already asked 4 people for letters (2 were from my research year) and I don't know the chair of my pathology dept at all. How important is the letter from path chairman?

 

[Aubrey]

I have another question. Do we need a letter from dept chairman? I have already asked 4 people for letters (2 were from my research year) and I don't know the chair of my pathology dept at all. How important is the letter from path chairman?

None of the ~15 programs I'm planning on applying to on the east coast require a path chair letter.. perhaps it's a regional peculiarity? Many, if not all of the programs seem to want at least one of your letters to be from a path faculty member, and it would seem that having more than one couldn't hurt, with the understanding that they're good letters, etc., etc.