LOR from former chief resident?

[NeedToStudy]

I'm thinking of asking for a LOR from somebody who was a chief resident when I rotated there but is now a attending in a clinic. Would it be appropriate for me to ask this physician for a LOR?

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[alicealicealice]

I guess if its your best option/ they know you really well. If given the choice I personally would go for an more established attending who also knows me well clinically. But Im an m4 as well, Maybe a PD can chime in

 

[mvenus929]

Depends on the specialty. If you've worked with them when they were also an attending, then go for it. If it's a surgical specialty (or EM), their chief residents are still residents, so it's better to get a letter from someone else. If it's peds, their chief residents tend to function as junior faculty members (serving as attending on wards, etc), so that would be reasonable. If you can, I'd still suggest getting a letter from a more senior attending--I asked an attending who had been an attending less than a year for a letter, and she said she'd be happy to write it, but I would get a stronger letter if I asked the guy who had been practicing for 20+ years already.

 

[NeuroOsler]

What do you think about the letter from the former chief resident as the 4th letter? Will it help or not?

 

[NeuroOsler]

^^ anybody? Chief is 2 years out of the program, now a practicing physician.

 

[mcl]

^^ anybody? Chief is 2 years out of the program, now a practicing physician.

OK--I'll give my .02. Even if the person is now an attending, he/she worked with you as a Chief Resident so that letter would not be given the weight that a letter from an attending would have. Use this option as a last resort, and then only send it to places that require a 4th letter in order to be reviewed.

 

[Dral]

Agree as above. Often times a LoR will express the capacity with which the individual worked with the person who asked for the letter. Thus people will know that at the time, that person was chief and not an attending.

 

[tiedyeddog]

Probably depends on the field. I would say in general it is best to get this as a last resort and get a faculty member's first. Some fields would straight up not like this letter, such as some surgical subspecialities.