LOR for prelim - FM or IM?

[Writer1985]

I'm going into neurology, and so I need some prelim letters. Debating between geriatrics (IM; a mix of inpatient and outpatient with some home visits) or palliative care (FM; mostly inpatient) rotations. I plan to do both at some point during the year, it's just a question of which to do in the summer vs. later in the winter or spring.

I'm leaning toward palliative care because I've heard great things about the rotation and the attending. My only concern is whether an FM letter would carry weight with prelim IM programs. (My second prelim letter would be from a cardiologist, and the third from the chair of medicine.)

Feel free to tell me I'm being neurotic

Thanks much.

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[Doctor Bob]

Feel free to tell me I'm being neurotic

You're being neurotic.


That was easy.

 

[CptCrunch]

I had only 1 IM letter for prelim medicine programs. The other 2 were from my advanced specialty.

 

[Derminator]

I actually asked the PD of Internal Medicine at my home program this same question, because I was considering getting a letter from an FM attending who I really worked well with. The PD told me that the FM letter wouldn't really count for much, so I just went with an IM letter. Similar to above, the rest of my letters were from attendings in Dermatology.