LOR strategy

[Apoplexy__]

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I wanted to run my LOR strategy by you all-knowing folks in the Radiology forum. I'm a current 3rd year trying to match in California.

Rads application LORs:
-Rads (from 3rd year elective, community doc)
-IM away (in California)
-IM away #2 (in California, at one of my most desired Rads residency locations)

Prelim year LORs:
-IM away
-IM away #2
-Research

Any comments/suggestions? The IM aways are to establish presence in my desired location and to ideally get big/familiar names advocating me. Will it be a negative thing for the Rads PD to potentially see that I did an IM away at their institution but not a Rads away?

 

[maxxor]

I wanted to run my LOR strategy by you all-knowing folks in the Radiology forum. I'm a current 3rd year trying to match in California.

Rads application LORs:
-Rads (from 3rd year elective, community doc)
-IM away (in California)
-IM away #2 (in California, at one of my most desired Rads residency locations)

Prelim year LORs:
-IM away
-IM away #2
-Research

Any comments/suggestions? The IM aways are to establish presence in my desired location and to ideally get big/familiar names advocating me. Will it be a negative thing for the Rads PD to potentially see that I did an IM away at their institution but not a Rads away?

No surgery letter?

I was advised to get
IM
Surg or procedural letter
Rads
4th = whatever

 

[Apoplexy__]

No surgery letter?

I was advised to get
IM
Surg or procedural letter
Rads
4th = whatever

I would rather not do a surg away (less confidence in my performance and enthusiasm). I'm not going to apply to surgical prelims. If it's an issue though, I can plan accordingly!

 

[maxxor]

I would rather not do a surg away (less confidence in my performance and enthusiasm). I'm not going to apply to surgical prelims. If it's an issue though, I can plan accordingly!

Can't get one from your third year surgery rotation? My advisor put it this way: "Radiologists interact with all specialties, but especially interact with surgeons. You need letters showing that you shine on multiple services"

 

[Apoplexy__]

Can't get one from your third year surgery rotation? My advisor put it this way: "Radiologists interact with all specialties, but especially interact with surgeons. You need letters showing that you shine on multiple services"

Sure, I guess I could. I have two surgery rotations, which will both be at small community hospitals. If the diversity of a surgery LOR is valuable enough, I should probably just do an away in surgery (at my desired location) to make the LOR stronger, and substitute it for one of the IM aways.

 

[bjb305]

why are you doing medicine aways? there's no need for that unless you wanna do a prelim year at a specific institution. I think it would be better if u wanted to get to a specific rads program to do a rads away there. Only medicine applicants should do medicine aways. Also, you can use the same letters for prelim as for radiology. they know you aren't going into medicine so it doesn't matter if your letters say "blah blah going into radiology..."
I used med/surg/rads same letters for both rads and prelim. matched number 1 for both just to let u know that it doesn't matter..

 

[Apoplexy__]

why are you doing medicine aways? there's no need for that unless you wanna do a prelim year at a specific institution. I think it would be better if u wanted to get to a specific rads program to do a rads away there. Only medicine applicants should do medicine aways. Also, you can use the same letters for prelim as for radiology. they know you aren't going into medicine so it doesn't matter if your letters say "blah blah going into radiology..."
I used med/surg/rads same letters for both rads and prelim. matched number 1 for both just to let u know that it doesn't matter..

Yeah the aways are purely for LORs -- I'm planning on getting 2 letters from the 2 aways that I use for both prelim and radiology. I could use LORs from core rotations, but they'd be from small town docs that aren't in the state I'm trying to match in. I wasn't planning on doing a rads audition because people say they're not too helpful when applying for radiology, and I already have a stellar rads LOR.

Maybe I'm overthinking this?

 

[govnah]

Yeah you are totally overthinking it. Rads/IM/Surg is the winning combo, and a 4th lever being whatever if you feel the need.. in your case research.

Send the same letters to rads and prelims. Prelims know the game, they aren't looking for the best prelim with 3x IM aways and 3x IM LORs to boot... they know you're gone after year, and they are just looking for someone smart and who will get the work done.

Source: matched rads and prelim in cali, from an eastern med school

 

[RadsonRads]

Yeah you are totally overthinking it. Rads/IM/Surg is the winning combo, and a 4th lever being whatever if you feel the need.. in your case research.

Send the same letters to rads and prelims. Prelims know the game, they aren't looking for the best prelim with 3x IM aways and 3x IM LORs to boot... they know you're gone after year, and they are just looking for someone smart and who will get the work done.

Source: matched rads and prelim in cali, from an eastern med school

Agree with this. Don't trouble yourself with doing more IM than you have to.

Rads/IM/Surg/your choice


Source: Almost PGY1 with Rads/Rads/IM/Surg LORs

 

[Apoplexy__]

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the input!