LOR from Chairman ?!

[lordman]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello,
I am international student doing clinical rotation at Academic institution in USA.
Since I noticed that many programs require Chairman lor &/or Director lor, how can I ask for lor from them even I did not work with them? How can I request lor from them ?

Your help please!

 

[TexasPhysician]

It may not be worth asking at all. How good could an LOR be from someone you don't know or never worked with? Find a way to work with a chairman.

 

[sam1999]

It may not be worth asking at all. How good could an LOR be from someone you don't know or never worked with? Find a way to work with a chairman.

Most people in USA medical schools also never worked with Chief of Medicine. In many organized schools (at least in USA and few outside of USA), there is student file where faculty members write your evaluations. So chiefs letter is basically composite of what you have done. Basically that's how Medicine department at your school view you.

I don't know about your school. May be you can ask one or 2 faculty members, with whom you have worked to forward their letter to chief then chief can write a letter. It can be very hard when no body ever heard of such thing or there is not such a system in place.

Similar concept is behind Dean's letter or MPSE where your whole performance in medical school is reviewed.

 

[lordman]

It may not be worth asking at all. How good could an LOR be from someone you don't know or never worked with? Find a way to work with a chairman.

But most of US students did not work with them either & get LORs!!. The next reply of Sam seconds mine.

Most people in USA medical schools also never worked with Chief of Medicine. In many organized schools (at least in USA and few outside of USA), there is student file where faculty members write your evaluations. So chiefs letter is basically composite of what you have done. Basically that's how Medicine department at your school view you.

I don't know about your school. May be you can ask one or 2 faculty members, with whom you have worked to forward their letter to chief then chief can write a letter. It can be very hard when no body ever heard of such thing or there is not such a system in place.

Similar concept is behind Dean's letter or MPSE where your whole performance in medical school is reviewed.

Thank you very much. The university consist of many hospitals, each hospital has its chief of medicine...I can see him during the ground rounds. I already received my mid monthly evaluation paper & all parts are above expected except one "meet expectation"...so is it find to go & talk with him providing my evaluation paper? or e-mail him first ? I did not finish my elective yet & the next week would be the last week.

 

[sam1999]

Thank you very much. The university consist of many hospitals, each hospital has its chief of medicine...I can see him during the ground rounds. I already received my mid monthly evaluation paper & all parts are above expected except one "meet expectation"...so is it find to go & talk with him providing my evaluation paper? or e-mail him first ? I did not finish my elective yet & the next week would be the last week.

Are you a medical student at one of Craib school? If yes may be you should ask some of your seniors how did they handled this as many of them would have rotated at similar or same hospitals. Perhaps someone here can highlight how to approach this?

 

[Smurfette]

Moving to clinical rotations....

 

[myhandsarecold]

Hello,
I am international student doing clinical rotation at Academic institution in USA.
Since I noticed that many programs require Chairman lor &/or Director lor, how can I ask for lor from them even I did not work with them? How can I request lor from them ?

Your help please!

a bunch of them offer to write you a letter, but if not, just go ask. it's their job as a chairman to deal with all that administrative job so they're used to it. at our school, the dept chair of the specialty you're applying to AUTOMATICALLY writes a letter for you (my med schools is ahead of the curve). our dept chairs require you to work with them for ATLEAST a day, in clinic or during round or by scrubbing in (be prepared for a majoring pimping session!), of course, you can always make your presence known by being around them. also, have a CV in hand, ask them casually about a possible 5-10 min 1-on-1 meeting to discuss about your interest in their program or the program where they trained at, and go from there

 

[lordman]

Are you a medical student at one of Craib school? If yes may be you should ask some of your seniors how did they handled this as many of them would have rotated at similar or same hospitals. Perhaps someone here can highlight how to approach this?

Thank you for your concern. No, I am not carib medical student...so I don't know anybody with previous experience.

a bunch of them offer to write you a letter, but if not, just go ask. it's their job as a chairman to deal with all that administrative job so they're used to it. at our school, the dept chair of the specialty you're applying to AUTOMATICALLY writes a letter for you (my med schools is ahead of the curve). our dept chairs require you to work with them for ATLEAST a day, in clinic or during round or by scrubbing in (be prepared for a majoring pimping session!), of course, you can always make your presence known by being around them. also, have a CV in hand, ask them casually about a possible 5-10 min 1-on-1 meeting to discuss about your interest in their program or the program where they trained at, and go from there

Thank you for your interest in helping me. After the next week, I will have another rotation at the main hospital where the chairman works, even the rotation specialty is the same of chairman's one.
So forget about the letter of the chief of medicine here at the hospital where I am doing my elective right now or asking him for a lor ?
Is it better to email these people first asking about letter asking also if I can meet them ? or the face to face meeting at first without previous email ?