letters of rec

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TransistorRadio

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Hi All! I wanted to ask a Q about letters of rec for rad onc. I'm a third year and deeply interested in rad onc. What kind of letters are requested (in general) during the app process? Are there certain letters that programs will require? For examply, "must have one from medicine or surgery" or something like that? Also, how many are required and how many do people usually end up sending? I know that a lot of times people send more than the minimum. Is there a max number? I know some programs will differ, but if there are some general trends I would really appreciate the advice. Thanks a bunch! It's a frustrating time in third year to try to focus on so many things...doing well...letters of rec....battles with registrar's office....envious of 4th years!

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Most importantly you need excellent letters. These should preferably be from Docs that you worked with for an extended period of time. Hence it might be easier to get medicine and surgery. You should tell the person you are asking that you are applying to a competitive field and what to know whether they can write you a strong letter of support. You also need a Rad-Onc letter, so line up your rotations now and do whatever is necessary to get a great letter. Think about how you could get a letter from your Rad-Onc chair too.... don't get your nose to brwon though. Since you're a 3rd year you're smart to be getting this done now. I used letters from OB/GYN, Psych, and the chair of Rad-Onc. Perhaps not the best example, but I had not done all of my rotations before I applied. Good luck.
Joe
 
Thanks very much Joe! Very much appreciated!

Would appreciate any more insights....
 
Insights... hmmm... I have heard that some applicants ask to read the letter before it is sent , or that someone in the med school's Dean's office can read the letter and let you know if there is a problem. These opportunities were not available to me, but sound like good ways to screen letters. Also, beware of Profs who ask you to write your own letter. It's tricky. You may think you did a good job, but it's tougher to write an outstanding letter than you may think.
Joe
 
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