Letter of rec question

[Garp]

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1st time poster, long time reader. I am currently finishing up my application which will will be heading out to many, many optho residencies. I have a question regarding letters from faculty. I currently have asked 2 ophthalmologists at my school, one the chairman and one I have done research with. I also have asked 2 more faculty: the residency director at the school I did an away rotation in ophthalmology and also my internal medicine attending who worked with me for a month. All know me fairly well and I feel confident will write me good letters. The CAS application states that they recommend one letter come from a core clerkship rotation. We can only send 3. Do you all believe that I need my internal medicine attending (who they won't know) to be included or would it be better to just give them 3 ophthalmologists' letters? Thanks for your replies.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

You need at least one letter from a core rotation. I don't recommend deviating from what is stated by the CAS.

 

[Primate]

I remember a similar question to the one I'm about to post, so this specific may have been covered (I tried to search for it, but the search function has been disabled 🙁 , and I couldn't find it by scanning).

I'm left wondering about letters if one is a CD. I'll have one from my PhD advisor (pretty safe to assume programs'll want this); one from a core clerkship (as recommended above); and only ONE from an ophthalmologist?

Is it common, or even acceptable, to have 4 or 5 letters? If so, how would one even send the extra(s)? Should I just go with the biggest/baddest/best ophthalmologist I can find (read as our dept. chair or PD) and use only that one? It seems that I'd want at least two ophtho specific letters, which'd bump me to 4.

Sort of the same question, but sort of different (apologies to non-research/non-PhD types).

Thanks,
P

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Primate,

When I applied, I had one letter from an EyeMD, one from a core clerkship, and one from my PhD advisor.

Programs do not want more than this. They don't want to read more than three letters. Pick your best three and submit them.

 

[Primate]

A thousand thanks. 🙂

OphtoMudPhud, you're just too helpful. 😀 Thanks for the info.

P

 

[Gottschalk]

The CAS application will allow you to send four letters of rec if one of them was done at an away ophthalmology rotation. I guess that this is because they usually take the longest to get and sometimes come after you have already sent your application in. I think that it would be best if you added it to your application just after you send it in though.

This subject is under the Extra Support Documents in the CAS manual.

Hope this helps.

 

[Garp]

Thanks for your help guys. I guess I'll send the IM letter and maybe send the away rotation letter later as a possible 4th. As chance would have it, it's the one I don't have yet.