IM Residency

[Laddertomed]

How would it impact me to have 2 FM hospitalist letters, 1 psych letter and 1 IM department chair letter for IM residency? (No IM letter, rotated with FM hospitalists.) Would I be eligible to apply to IM programs as well or is there a requirement to have an IM letter?

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[NotAProgDirector]

I think it depends upon what types of programs you are applying to. If you're applying to community IM programs, it will likely be fine. If you're trying to get academic IM, perhaps somewhat less so.

I will add that the department chair letters written by most DO schools are absolutely useless.

 

[AlteredScale]

How would it impact me to have 2 FM hospitalist letters, 1 psych letter and 1 IM department chair letter for IM residency? (No IM letter, rotated with FM hospitalists.) Would I be eligible to apply to IM programs as well or is there a requirement to have an IM letter?

Do you not have any IM sub-Is for your fourth year lined up? As good as FM hospitalist are, it will be odd especially if planning on applying university IM.

 

[Laddertomed]

Do you not have any IM sub-Is for your fourth year lined up? As good as FM hospitalist are, it will be odd especially if planning on applying university IM.

I wasnt sure if IM sub-Is were necessary for IM, I was planning on doing an elective outpatient IM rotation and a maybe a subspecialty before application, is that a good idea?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Although IM SubI's are not completely necessary for IM, your story is different. You already have an atypical application with FM hospitalists. You should do an inpatient IM SubI early enough to get a letter if at all possible.

 

[AlteredScale]

I wasnt sure if IM sub-Is were necessary for IM, I was planning on doing an elective outpatient IM rotation and a maybe a subspecialty before application, is that a good idea?

The majority of IM training in residency is inpatient hospital wards focused, so doing OP IM isn't a good idea. The subspecialty is fine but again, that's minimal in the realm of IM training. You need IM wards exposure with IM faculty or preceptors. It shouldn't be a huge transition since you already did a lot of hospital medicine with the FM preceptors.

 

[FutureDoctor5000]

One FM preceptor letter is fine, but you would need one from an IM preceptor. As far as academic vs community, letters play almost no role in IM unfortunately... it's all about your scores(step 2 now) and research. All letters pretty much sound the same. My chair letter however was written by an affiliated IM program's PD who used the IM SEL(standardized letter that compared my IM rotations to my classmates) and I think that helped.

 

[margarine]

Totally agree you should try to do a IM sub-i or at least IM subspecialty rotation like ID, cards, ICU. Having no IM letter is a little weird (other than the department letter), but having no IM letter and no IM sub-i (or similar rotations) would be a yellow flag for me.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

How would it impact me to have 2 FM hospitalist letters, 1 psych letter and 1 IM department chair letter for IM residency? (No IM letter, rotated with FM hospitalists.) Would I be eligible to apply to IM programs as well or is there a requirement to have an IM letter?

I don't see a problem. Worst case scenario you explain that your IM rotation had FM preceptors. I wonder if they'll sign as "hospitalist," in which case don't know how the residencies will even find out