Internal residency programs wanting ONLY 3 letters

[shockwavelithotripsy]

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We should start a thread where we list any internal medicine residency programs that specifically state to not assign more than 3 letters of recommendation.

Has anyone found any of these programs?

 

[Redpancreas]

We should start a thread where we list any internal medicine residency programs that specifically state to not assign more than 3 letters of recommendation.

Has anyone found any of these programs?

No...I thought the universal policy was 3+ 1 DOM (Chair) letter.

 

[SilverCat]

I thought most programs require four letters total: Dean's letter (MSPE), Department Chair letter, and two letters from attendings.

 

[darklabel]

I thought most programs require four letters total: Dean's letter (MSPE), Department Chair letter, and two letters from attendings.

This is what I've been told at least. Getting an extra attending letter is recommended for some programs but what you listed is the minimum for most IM programs for getting an interview.

 

[Redpancreas]

I thought most programs require four letters total: Dean's letter (MSPE), Department Chair letter, and two letters from attendings.

It's not 3 attendings + 1 DOM letter?

 

[SilverCat]

It's not 3 attendings + 1 DOM letter?

Most programs = 2 LORS +1 DOM, some do want 3 LORS +1 DOM.

 

[Vans42]

I went on the website of all the places I am applying and just put what they want in an excel sheet (along with other random stuff). There are a few I applied to that do NOT want a chair letter, and then there are some that want a chair letter + ONLY 2 LORs. It didn't take too long to go through fortunately.

 

[shockwavelithotripsy]

I went on the website of all the places I am applying and just put what they want in an excel sheet (along with other random stuff). There are a few I applied to that do NOT want a chair letter, and then there are some that want a chair letter + ONLY 2 LORs. It didn't take too long to go through fortunately.

Would you mind sharing which schools only want three letters maximum, and which ones do not want a chair letter?

 

[iBS1972]

I'm from the NorthEast, and it seems like 3 LOR is the norm (some tells you in addition to chair letter; and if not otherwise specified, I'm guessing chair letter can be one of the 3). My question is if some programs will view it negatively if you just give all programs 3 LOR + chair letter, even if they specified 3 LOR (nothing saying max 3).

 

[Raryn]

I thought most programs require four letters total: Dean's letter (MSPE), Department Chair letter, and two letters from attendings.

Dean's letter is completely separate. Doesn't count one way or the other.

The typical IM program requires 2 LOR plus a chairs letter. Some require 3 LOR plus a chairs letter. Some just require 3 LOR.

There's not a single program in any specialty I'm aware of that requires a maximum of 3 LOR. Thus, if you're applying IM, you'd be perfectly fine just submitting 3 LOR plus the chairs letter universally.

 

[Raryn]

Is it ok to apply to IM w/ one IM chair letter, one research mentor letter (spent over a year working 1 on 1 with), and one from my FM clerkship (who I also worked 1 on 1 w/, said he would write a great letter)?

My school does lottery for sub-i and I didn't get mine until February, so won't have a sub-i letter. I haven't done a rotation in IM (yet) this summer since I switched over to the field late. Would this work out for me? Otherwise, stats are great, no red flags.

One of my letters was from Family Medicine and I think there's enough overlap there that you'll be okay. But I really would advise to have at least one letter from an internist that you have worked with. It can be in addition to the three above. Did you do any medicine electives? Could you get a letter from any of your third year attendings?

For future reference to people reading the thread, an early subi is ideal but not the only way to get a fourth-year letter. An ICU rotation or some other reasonably heavy duty inpatient block would work almost as well. The problem is now that we are a week from applications going in, so this really should have been addressed sooner.