LOR v SLOR

[treadmillrunner]

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this maybe a dumb question, but what differentiates a LOR v SLOR--it is a completely subjective assessment, right? i have yet to ask for a LOR. i just finished my 5th rotation in my 3rd year, and i feel uncomfortable asking for LOR. do you ask attendings who give you an honor's pass or do they offer? anyone with LOR etiquette advice? thanks.

 

[howelljolly]

A LOR is your garden variety Letter of Rec.

A SLOR is a Standard Letter of Rec. Its basically a template which is standardized by the specialty board of the faculty who is writing the letter, and of the one you are working to be part of. It has specific information that the Program Director of your residency wants to know. E.g. If you wanted to go for Emergency Med, you'd ask your EM attending for a SLOR for your EM residency application. Some specialties have SLORs, some dont.

You have to feel comfortable asking for a LOR. Otherwise, you wont get one. Nobody will offer to write you a letter (usually). If you want one, ask.

You ask based on which rotations you think you did well in, or which faculty you think would write you a good one, or the faculty for the specialty you are applying to for residency. Getting your LORs from rotations where you got Honors or whatever isnt the way to think about it. Your grade speaks for itself. Choose your LORs based on other factors.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Sometimes people offer. Actually, all of my writers offered. It can be difficult to broach the subject, but you have to figure out who your audience is and how to ask them. Don't worry about the etiquette so much - if you've done well in a rotation and the attending has acknowledged it, they expect to write letters.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Sometimes people offer. Actually, all of my writers offered. It can be difficult to broach the subject, but you have to figure out who your audience is and how to ask them. Don't worry about the etiquette so much - if you've done well in a rotation and the attending has acknowledged it, they expect to write letters.

 

[howelljolly]

One good bit of etiquette you should follow is when you do ask for a letter, hand them a copy of your CV right there, as well as the ERAS paperwork if you have it, maybe even an envelope. Be totally ready to have the letter.

Dont make it their headache of remembering who you are, what you're applying for, how they should submit the letter. Do everything else for them, and leave only the letter to them.

 

[DCDAWG]

So I want to get a letter from an attending I had in November. Is it bad etiquette to email him about it?

 

[PathMD2010]

I ended up having to broach the subject via email with one of the LOR writers. She had offered to write a letter on the rotation, but I did not have the CV/ PS/ form/ ect. So I emailed her (with the CV, statement, and form attached) and recalled the conversation we had had. (it had been approx 9 mons prior) I asked her if she was still willing to write the letter and that my schedule was flexible if she would like to have a meeting.

I tried to catch her during office hours initially, but kept missing her, and it was getting close to September so.... not saying email is ideal, but it is not always as taboo as one would think. Actually, she told me she liked the convenience of having it on the computer where it was easier to keep it filed😎. But this was an attending who was not very formal, and who had already offered the letter.

Also, this was not the LOR from the PD or chair.

 

[mokavious]

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