LOR/SLOE advice

[bkindva]

Long time lurker and I realize this has probably been addressed but I’m hoping to still get help as my school fails at advising and I'm feeling thrown to the wind.

4th year DO student applying acgme.

So far I have 1x IM LOR and 3x EM LOR (all MD including 1x EM faculty for another school whom I’ve shadowed for several years but not formally rotated with). My school doesn’t have an EM residency and my first away ends mid-September with another ending mid-October, both of whom are acgme and can provide SLOEs but I would be happy to match to either even if I don’t get a SLOE in time from one or the other.

With ERAS opening Sep 15, my first thought is to use the 3 EM letters and the first SLOE (hopefully they can upload in time).

My questions are

1) if I should wait for a second SLOE from the other away?

2) would it be worth it to ask the faculty to write a SLOE vs keeping the letter (I saw there’s a new electronic version this year and he hasn’t done many/any SLOEs)?

3) how many/which programs require two SLOEs (there are nearly 200 programs and I haven’t found a consolidated resource to look for that)?

4) is there a way to get that second away SLOE to programs after I submit (again hopefully Sep 15) if they require/prefer two SLOE?

5) should I only upload 2x LOR plus the first SLOE, submit to programs, then try to add the second SLOE after I get it?


Thank you

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[mega_colon]

Its not an ideal situation, but if you can get a SLOE from one of the guys you have shadowed that would probably be best. Ive been told that most programs want at least 1 SLOE for interviews and 2 by rank list time.

It wont go very far since it isn't a formal SLOE from a rotation, so you will have to update your app when you get your other SLOEs, but it will hopefully at least get your app looked at.

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

It wont go very far since it isn't a formal SLOE from a rotation

It would be absolutely useless.

Basically, you need those SLOEs. I'm not sure how many actually require two, but it's pretty much an unwritten rule. I would submit on Sept 15 and add the SLOEs as they come in. Keep in mind you can do up to 4 letters, so send them 1-2 of your best LORs and email the places you applied to as your SLOEs are uploaded.

 

[bkindva]

So looking around, what I think I'll do is submit the 3x EM letters and first SLOE through ERAS Sep 15 to hopefully get interviews rolling. Some have mentioned sending the second SLOE later just through email because they need two to match. My new question is how do I do that because I thought I don't get the SLOE to maintain confidentiality and if I or someone did get them, do they just get emailed to all my applied PDs? Thanks again

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

So looking around, what I think I'll do is submit the 3x EM letters and first SLOE through ERAS Sep 15 to hopefully get interviews rolling. Some have mentioned sending the second SLOE later just through email because they need two to match. My new question is how do I do that because I thought I don't get the SLOE to maintain confidentiality and if I or someone did get them, do they just get emailed to all my applied PDs? Thanks again

On ERAS you can only submit 4 letters to a program, so might want to only send 3 initially. I'm not saying email the second SLOE to programs. I'm saying upload it on ERAS and email programs to alert them you uploaded a new letter.

 

[IH8ColdWeath3r]

You need SLOEs. Your plan is okay but no program is going to actually count the letter that you recieved from the doc you shadowed as a SLOE. SLOEs have to be written by the PD/Clerkship Director who is an EM physician and they use a very objective way of grading and comparing students to their peers who rotated through the same institution (through written feedback from faculty at the end of each shift, clinical knowledge displayed during shifts, and usually an end of rotation exam).

Not to sound like an A** but that was pretty much how it was explained to me at my first away. That is why they are weighed so heavily. I am a DO student BTW and was fortunate enough to get aways in July and August but had a friend who was in the same boat as you for her aways (also a DO student) and she was able to get interviews. They don't select the first day ERAS opens, they wait to get a certain # of apps and then go through them, so quality of app is just as important as timing (explained to me by PD).

best of luck.