LoR Question

[Low Flow]

DO student applying anesthesia this upcoming cycle. 238 step 1/765 level 1.

Applied for a bunch of away rotations at some of my top choice programs and ended up getting offered two, four-week rotations. However, they aren't until October through mid November. This means even if I do get a LoR from the first program, it will probably be too late to get it in my ERAS application (I suppose I could send it out as an update after the fact?).

Luckily the two spots I got offered are at two of my top choices, so that's reassuring that they will be familiar with me regardless of LoRs. But I was just wondering about not having an "academic" LoR to submit in my ERAS. Coming from a DO school, I was able to do an anesthesia rotation and get a letter from the PP doc I was with, but we obviously don't have an academic anesthesia department/residency program.

Figure it will all work out, but just wanted to double check what others think. I currently have other electives scheduled at my home institution from August-September. If I absolutely need an academic LoR, I guess I could try and spam apply to other anesthesia (or other specialties) programs to try and find a sub-I in that time? That seems overkill though.

Mostly looking for reassurance I guess. Thanks in advance.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AdmiralChz]

October is too late to ask for a letter, remember it can take almost a month to get one. By the time you’d get it tonprograms it’d be so late few would even glance at it.

A lot of people are opting for October/November aways - I’d really be concerned about being able to get away for interviews while putting the time in at X program you are interested.

Just get the best letters you can, if they are non-academic so be it. Be honest with yourself about your competitiveness and where you apply.

 

[Low Flow]

October is too late to ask for a letter, remember it can take almost a month to get one. By the time you’d get it tonprograms it’d be so late few would even glance at it.

A lot of people are opting for October/November aways - I’d really be concerned about being able to get away for interviews while putting the time in at X program you are interested.

Just get the best letters you can, if they are non-academic so be it. Be honest with yourself about your competitiveness and where you apply.

Thanks for the response. I definitely would have preferred the earlier rotations, but it just so happened that I only got offered later dates. Figured October-early November would be better than doing no away rotations at all (especially since they're at my top choices). I'll do my best to schedule interviews for the later half of November/December if I can.