LOR - Department chair letter and multiple authors on a LOR?

[Ohellothere]

Hello everyone

I have a strong LOR from a US EM physician who happens to also be Department Chair. However, I am applying IM. I also want to send the EM LOR to IM programs I’m applying for. The issue is that I have listed the EM author as a ‘Department Chair’ on ERAS. As an IMG I have not been able to source a IM specific DC LOR.

What’s the proper etiquette here? Should I request the author to upload it again under a different letter ID without the Department Chair component to it? Or is an EM LOR with the DC status better than no DC status at all?

Second question - two attendings at one rotation I worked at have offered to co-write a LOR, and to put both their signatures at the bottom. Is this common? Would it actually strengthen the LOR?

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[GoSpursGo]

To your first question, I would not have chosen the DC status, but now that it’s been selected I wouldn’t go out of your way to correct it. When someone opens the letter it will become apparent immediately what happened.

It’s a little unusual to go-write a letter, but not unheard of. Do you have plenty of letters? If you have space to share it may be better to have them write separate letters. In any event, I don’t think a co-signed letter helps but it won’t hurt