letters of rec

[geekgirl]

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so in thinking of letters of rec - would one/two solid surgery recs from local unknowns re: OR time, good skills, etc. be ok in conjunction with one/two surgery recs from well-known surgeons re: research time, intellect, etc.?

i guess what i'm asking is, is it ok to have diff recs cover skills vs academic strenthgs? and is it ok to have unknown local docs discuss OR skills and hotshot docs discuss academic strengths? cause i don't think i'll scrub with the hotshots necessarily, but they do know me outside the OR pretty well.
any input?
thanks.

 

[mddo2b]

so in thinking of letters of rec - would one/two solid surgery recs from local unknowns re: OR time, good skills, etc. be ok in conjunction with one/two surgery recs from well-known surgeons re: research time, intellect, etc.?

i guess what i'm asking is, is it ok to have diff recs cover skills vs academic strenthgs? and is it ok to have unknown local docs discuss OR skills and hotshot docs discuss academic strengths? cause i don't think i'll scrub with the hotshots necessarily, but they do know me outside the OR pretty well.
any input?
thanks.

Its fine....just try to have the letters as personal as possible

 

[SocialistMD]

I don't think technical skills are that important in getting a residency. I had a chance to read my letters at an interview, none of them mentioned my dexterity, and I still matched. I think what the letters from the local surgeons will offer is a more personal evaluation, and that is why you should use them.

 

[Celiac Plexus]

as a rule...

assuming you they will write strong letters for you, the more well-known the surgeon the better. a pd is not evaluating your technical skills when reviewing your app (you don't have any), he is looking to see if people he respects/knows also respect/know/like you. short of doing an audition rotation, a strong letter from a guy known to/liked by your pd is the most helpful rec you can have.

 

[klubguts]

I agree with the above posters. Also, a strong letter from your department chairman is very helpful. I waived the right to read my letters, so I don't know what attributes are typically discussed, but the other posters are probably right on about this issue....interviewers seemed more interested in my personality traits and "character" then any "skills" I may have displayed (which weren't many!). Don't sweat this too much...my advice would be to find a few faculty who you think "know you best" and can write a personal letter and ask the more senior/well known members of this group to author an LOR for you. Best of luck.

 

[geekgirl]

thanks!
you're all very helpful.
make no mistake, i know i have no skills. just a few braincells and the ability to stay out of the way when necessary and help a little when needed. and make good conversation.
but good to know what the letters usually say. 'cause i know many surgeons well, just haven't operated with 'em all yet.

 

[SteadyEddy]

To echo what others have said...most programs require a letter from the chair. The other 2 should come from surgeons that know you well and can speak more personally about you as a student/person. One thing to also consider is what type of program you are applying to. I am making the assumption that academic surgical LOR's will be especially helpful for any academic appointments that you are seeking. On the other hand, I got the impression that the community programs are less demanding regarding who writes your letters. Hope this helps.

thanks!
you're all very helpful.
make no mistake, i know i have no skills. just a few braincells and the ability to stay out of the way when necessary and help a little when needed. and make good conversation.
but good to know what the letters usually say. 'cause i know many surgeons well, just haven't operated with 'em all yet.

 

[merlin]

Would anyone ever consider a letter of rec from a chief resident? I had always thought this to be the worst thing you could do until I heard from the director of our 3rd year surgery clerkship that a great letter from a chief would mean a lot due to accurate first hand knowledge of your work. Any thoughts?

 

[klubguts]

Would anyone ever consider a letter of rec from a chief resident? I had always thought this to be the worst thing you could do until I heard from the director of our 3rd year surgery clerkship that a great letter from a chief would mean a lot due to accurate first hand knowledge of your work. Any thoughts?

I would not recommend using a letter from a chief resident, no matter how well the person knows you. It may depend on where you are applying, but I was told not to use resident letters (applied to mostly academic programs) last year. Maybe others have different insight into this...good luck.

 

[Dire Straits]

why all the hate from getting a LOR from a chief resident? in less than a year he/she will be an attending anyway. not to mention he/she has supervised you much more and knows you and how you compare to the other students they've supervised better than the attendings.

 

[SteadyEddy]

Look, it doesn't what your opinion is and how much it really does make sense, but that's just the way that it is. This quote is useless tripe and doesn't warrant conversation.

why all the hate from getting a LOR from a chief resident? in less than a year he/she will be an attending anyway. not to mention he/she has supervised you much more and knows you and how you compare to the other students they've supervised better than the attendings.