LOR for GMO and out

[brucecanbeatyou]

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I'm Navy HPSP and will eventually be applying for EM. Repaying all my HPSP time as a GMO then getting out and doing a civilian EM residency is looking like it may be the best option for me and my family. What is the best plan for letters of recommendation? Obviously I need to get letters now (during MS-III) to apply for internship year. Should I also be working on getting letters now that I will use in 5+ years after GMO service is over? What letters do returning GMO's use when they apply? I would imagine if you did one tour as a GMO then applied to Navy programs it is perfectly understandable to use letters from MS-III. If you do two GMO tours and then apply to civilian programs, however, 6 years will have passed between when you apply and when you did your clerkships. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Woodside]

I'm a UMO currently applying for civilian dermatology and have had a very positive response to my LORs on the interview trail. Three are from dermatologists I rotated with during internship and stashed with before dive school. One is from my current medical supervisor. Letters from MS3 would be outdated in my opinion and you will have plenty of opportunities to make new connections during the next few years.

 

[Woodside]

Another thing I wish I had known is that your civilian application does not include your end-of-internship evaluation. I think this would have helped me prioritize.


For instance, instead of volunteering to give an IM grand rounds lecture to get a 5/5 on your rotation, you could take the 4/5 and study extra for step 3 or work on an EM publication.