Letters of Recommendation

[butterfly0660]

I have a question about LOR's...I know that it is probably best to get letters from well-known senior faculty members in the department of surgery. However, if I have worked closely with some younger surgeons that haven't yet made senior faculty surgery status, is it okay to get a letter from them? What about non-surgery faculty? I know that some specialties really want letters from specific kinds of faculty...Is general surgery like that?

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[Winged Scapula]

I have a question about LOR's...I know that it is probably best to get letters from well-known senior faculty members in the department of surgery. However, if I have worked closely with some younger surgeons that haven't yet made senior faculty surgery status, is it okay to get a letter from them? What about non-surgery faculty? I know that some specialties really want letters from specific kinds of faculty...Is general surgery like that?

If the junior faculty know you the best, letters from them are preferable over a Chairman or more senior member who might not know you from Adam.

Non-surgical faculty are ok for 1 letter or so, especially from internal medicine, gastroenterology, or a critical care attending. These seem to carry the most weight with surgeons - but the best letter is from the peson who knows you the best, can write you a great letter and if they happen to have an impressive CV, then all the better - but its not essential.

 

[Complications]

If the junior faculty know you the best, letters from them are preferable over a Chairman or more senior member who might not know you from Adam.

Non-surgical faculty are ok for 1 letter or so, especially from internal medicine, gastroenterology, or a critical care attending. These seem to carry the most weight with surgeons - but the best letter is from the peson who knows you the best, can write you a great letter and if they happen to have an impressive CV, then all the better - but its not essential.

How about an OB attending for a 4th letter. I've worked with him a ton and I know that he'd write me a great letter. Thoughts?

 

[Jocomama]

What is the benefit of a 4th letter?
If you have 3 strong letters, then you are set.
Do you realize how much stuff is in an application?
And how many applications? So - a 4th letter is probably not in your best interest - less is more.

How about an OB attending for a 4th letter. I've worked with him a ton and I know that he'd write me a great letter. Thoughts?

 

[geekgirl]

What is the benefit of a 4th letter?
If you have 3 strong letters, then you are set.
Do you realize how much stuff is in an application?
And how many applications? So - a 4th letter is probably not in your best interest - less is more.

i agree a 4th from an OB attending is probably not valuable. a 4th from a respected surgeon would matter. i did send 4:
research advisor
chairman
2 surgery attendings
but we surgeons are snobs about surgery stuff. so OB probably won't help much.

 

[Winged Scapula]

How about an OB attending for a 4th letter. I've worked with him a ton and I know that he'd write me a great letter. Thoughts?

I agree with the others - there is no reason to have a letter in addition to those asked for. It can replace one of the 3, if you really feel it would be more special than the others, but don't inundate the faculty with more letters than they ask for.

Besides, you know what "real surgeons" say about Ob-Gyns don't you?! (ie, it ain't usually good)

 

[goooooober]

Is SICU considered a surgical field or Critical Care? If I am submitting one letter from my IM subinternship, one from general surgery and one from SICU, will the letter from SICU count as a surgery letter or will I have to get another letter in its place from subspecialty surgery? educate me. Peace out.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Is SICU considered a surgical field or Critical Care? If I am submitting one letter from my IM subinternship, one from general surgery and one from SICU, will the letter from SICU count as a surgery letter or will I have to get another letter in its place from subspecialty surgery? educate me. Peace out.

Depends --- is a surgeon writing your letter, or will it be an anesthesiologist, pulmonologist, or some other medicine/critical care type. The rotation is not what matters, but rather the letter writer's status (unless for some reason the programs you are applying to require x number of letters from a surgical rotation, in which case, I still say SICU counts).

 

[goooooober]

Depends --- is a surgeon writing your letter, or will it be an anesthesiologist, pulmonologist, or some other medicine/critical care type. The rotation is not what matters, but rather the letter writer's status (unless for some reason the programs you are applying to require x number of letters from a surgical rotation, in which case, I still say SICU counts).

Word up 'lil' Kim. Your education is much appreciated. I will try to get my letter from a surgeon. Peace out "K" money.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Word up 'lil' Kim. Your education is much appreciated. I will try to get my letter from a surgeon. Peace out "K" money.

best of luck (sorry...this cracker doesn't know the ghetto fab lingo for best of luck)

 

[footcramp]

guys, you should always strive for the best. don't leave things as important as letters of recommendation to chance. if the most senior faculty from your school doesn't know you enough to write a letter, don't just settle for a medicine letter or something, make a meeting with that senior surgery attending. introduce yourself. make yourself known. get them on your side. make them know you as much as any junior faculty does. being proactive is what leads to results. why hope for the stars to align for you when you can always take a confident, proactive approach to a very important start of your career?

 

[Complications]

guys, you should always strive for the best. don't leave things as important as letters of recommendation to chance. if the most senior faculty from your school doesn't know you enough to write a letter, don't just settle for a medicine letter or something, make a meeting with that senior surgery attending. introduce yourself. make yourself known. get them on your side. make them know you as much as any junior faculty does. being proactive is what leads to results. why hope for the stars to align for you when you can always take a confident, proactive approach to a very important start of your career?

Working hard to stop sucking ...

My situation is wierd. I know for sure I'll get a great letter from our chair ... I know him well. I'm just not sure who the heck else to get letters from. My OB attending know's me very well and thinks very highly of me. I know he would write an awesome letter for me. Is it really that crazy to get a letter from him when I know he'd put a ton of time into it ...

other than that, I'm doing 2 aways which I hope will yield letters.

Our program set-up is wierd ... and a lot of the surg faculty I've worked with don't know me all that well and work in the community.

You advice is certainly welcome ...

 

[geekgirl]

Working hard to stop sucking ...

My situation is wierd. I know for sure I'll get a great letter from our chair ... I know him well. I'm just not sure who the heck else to get letters from. My OB attending know's me very well and thinks very highly of me. I know he would write an awesome letter for me. Is it really that crazy to get a letter from him when I know he'd put a ton of time into it ...

other than that, I'm doing 2 aways which I hope will yield letters.

Our program set-up is wierd ... and a lot of the surg faculty I've worked with don't know me all that well and work in the community.

You advice is certainly welcome ...

the other thing to remember is.... get letters from everyone. you can select if you use them later. so take the OB letter but if you don't need to use it, great. but if you do, you have it.

but i agree with being proactive about it.