Letter of recommendation from another speciality.

[Horanis]

Hi,
I'd like to apply for Internal Medicine next match, I was offered a paid (but not that much) observership in Pediatrics department, which is a different specialty.
So far, I have only one LoR from IM.
Will that Pedia observership help me to get a residency in IM?

Please any advice will be appreciated.

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[amine2086]

Hi,
I'd like to apply for Internal Medicine next match, I was offered a paid (but not that much) observership in Pediatrics department, which is a different specialty.
So far, I have only one LoR from IM.
Will that Pedia observership help me to get a residency in IM?

Please any advice will be appreciated.

If you are applying for IM, ideally all your LoRs should come from IM or subspecialty physicians. You may be able to get by with one letter from non-IM physician/research mentor but no more than that.

 

[rokshana]

Hi,
I'd like to apply for Internal Medicine next match, I was offered a paid (but not that much) observership in Pediatrics department, which is a different specialty.
So far, I have only one LoR from IM.
Will that Pedia observership help me to get a residency in IM?

Please any advice will be appreciated.

the title of your thread and the question you are actually asking are 2 different things.

so long as you have the required LoRs (usually a letter from the chair of an IM program) you can have letters from anyone who has worked with you and can comment on your abilities to be a good intern and resident…most will have at least 2of the 3 LoRs from someone in IM…but IM doesn't put as much emphasis on having the letters coming from the same discipline…having a letter from another specialty can still speak to your abilities.

however the question of doing a paid observership in another disciple is different…it may look as if your interests are really not IM and that you applying to it as a back up.