LOR question for residency apps

[nancysinatra]

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Ok, so does anyone know how serious certain programs are when they say applicants must submit, say, 4 letter of recommendation, and one must be from Medicine, or, two must be from psych and 2 from non-psych faculty? In the first case, does it HAVE to be internal medicine, or would surgery suffice? In the second, would they even look at an application with 3 psych letters and one non-pscyh?

And if a program's website does not state a requirement, does that mean we should submit 3 letters? Or 4?

This is so confusing. I suppose if programs are specifying that they want a medicine letter though, they want a medicine letter, so I should just go get one.

 

[billypilgrim37]

Ok, so does anyone know how serious certain programs are when they say applicants must submit, say, 4 letter of recommendation, and one must be from Medicine, or, two must be from psych and 2 from non-psych faculty? In the first case, does it HAVE to be internal medicine, or would surgery suffice? In the second, would they even look at an application with 3 psych letters and one non-pscyh?

And if a program's website does not state a requirement, does that mean we should submit 3 letters? Or 4?

This is so confusing. I suppose if programs are specifying that they want a medicine letter though, they want a medicine letter, so I should just go get one.

There's no good rule of thumb. You'll have to email them and ask them each individually if it is not specified. Some might throw your application in the trash because they don't want residents who can't follow directions. Others may entirely be unaware that they even have requirements because the website was written three program directors ago and nobody cares. Kinda like dating.

If there's no info, three is most likely. Also check Frieda, sometime that info is there but nowhere else.