LOR

[gasman654]

Hey guys,


Thanks for all your help thus far,

Sl

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted171991]

I don't see anything damning you in your letter. Your knowledge is good; not excellent but more than enough, as your scores show. I don't know how to suture like a surgeon either. Needs to work on confidence and authority = you are nicer than the average arrogant entitled generation Y-er. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

If that's the worst s/he wrote about you, and the other two letters are good, I wouldn't worry. It's out of your control anyway; it's too late in the interview season to apply to programs which have not seen that letter yet.

 

[loveumms]

I don't think that those comments are damning. Was the letter from an anesthesiologist or a surgeon? Who wrote your other letters? Possibly getting a fourth one would be beneficial if that person can attest to your character in the opposite manner.

I am on our interview committee and read hundreds of LORs each year. There are plenty of ones just like that - one letter would not make me reject a candidate ... now, if there are comments like that throughout your deans letter and some other 'red flags' then it would make me think twice. I'll have to be honest, I skim over many of the LORs and really concentrate on the anesthesia ones. When you are interviewing 12 candidates a day, it can be very time consuming to read 3-5 LOR on each candidate.

 

[ProEra]

Is there anything else that may have been a red flag? Did you apply broadly to mid-tier and less competitive programs? With an average step 1 score and an above average step 2 score, you should have way more than 3 interviews as of now.

 

[Ignatius J]

Sorry to hear.

Personally, I would find out who exactly wrote it and go let the air out of their tires.

 

[urge]

I wouldn't worry about it. Everybody knows that letters are BS. What matters most is how you behave during the interview.

Being a DO might be the reasons for few interviews.

 

[Consigliere]

Blessing in disguise. Choose a better (any other) speciality.

 

[ZzzPlz]

Blessing in disguise. Choose a better (any other) speciality.

Forgive him, he's late filling his SSRI's

 

[GaseousClay]

Blessing in disguise. Choose a better (any other) speciality.

seriously why you so grouchy Mr. Butt-fumble just had an amazing game for you on MNF

 

[Consigliere]

Choose to ignore the obvious at your own peril. On a happier note - Eagles vs. Cowgirls on Thanksgiving Day!

 

[Sonny Crocket]

Letters are BS. I remember my PD saying on interview day, "so these letters are going to tell me how great you are?"

I didn't know what to say. I just laughed and said "I hope so."

Just kind of reaffirmed that the whole thing can be nonsense at times.

 

[cocobutter]

Letters are BS. I remember my PD saying on interview day, "so these letters are going to tell me how great you are?"

I didn't know what to say. I just laughed and said "I hope so."

Just kind of reaffirmed that the whole thing can be nonsense at times.

Letters are not just statements about how great you are. More importantly, they contain specific and personal examples about your performance. A letter just stating you are, e.g., knowledgeable, team-player, motivated, can hurt you.

 

[deleted171991]

Letters are BS. I remember my PD saying on interview day, "so these letters are going to tell me how great you are?"

I didn't know what to say. I just laughed and said "I hope so."

Just kind of reaffirmed that the whole thing can be nonsense at times.

People are so used to superlative BS, that the simple lack of it can be a negative. PDs try to read between the lines. They care less about what's said, but more about how it's said, and especially what was not said.

 

[gasman654]

Thanks for all your help everyone, got another anesthesia former program director letter over the weekend and waiting for it to be uploaded..hoping it helps. Cant do much else at this point.

 

[anbuitachi]

its hard to think that 1 soso letter would hurt you enough to only get you 3 invites. how many programs did you do?? you have a great step 2 score.

Another possibly is that you applied late. did you send it out on the first couple of days?

 

[cocobutter]

its hard to think that 1 soso letter would hurt you enough to only get you 3 invites. how many programs did you do?? you have a great step 2 score.

Another possibly is that you applied late. did you send it out on the first couple of days?

Not really. PD's often look for any excuse to not offer an interview...

 

[Gern Blansten]

Hey guys,

So looks like something bad happened to me. Only got 3 invites so far with 228,249 steps and D.O. applicant. Finally figured out that one of my LORs was bad. Had comments like "“knowledge was at expected level,” “needs to work on confidence and authority” and “required guidance in suturing.” So I am pretty much screwed. Any advice? Should I withdraw my app? Try getting another LOR? I have 3 total. Would a 4th one help? Apparently my other two are strong.

Thanks for all your help thus far, I know, Im ******ed.

Sl

Another factor that must be considered is your school. If you are at one of the multitude of new DO schools that are graduating their first classes (or second or third), the school has no track record yet and are churning out students that will have a real tough time finding a residency position period...much less in the specialty of their choice. If you want to be worried about the future, take a long hard look at the number of new medical schools that have popped up in the last 5 years. Most are osteopathic and many are purely "for profit" entities. Look at how many established medical schools have greatly expanded their class sizes. Then have a look at the number of residency positions that have been added.

 

[anbuitachi]

man things are getting so tough. it used to p=md (or DO). now who knows

 

[cchoukal]

Another factor that must be considered is your school. If you are at one of the multitude of new DO schools that are graduating their first classes (or second or third), the school has no track record yet and are churning out students that will have a real tough time finding a residency position period...much less in the specialty of their choice. If you want to be worried about the future, take a long hard look at the number of new medical schools that have popped up in the last 5 years. Most are osteopathic and many are purely "for profit" entities. Look at how many established medical schools have greatly expanded their class sizes. Then have a look at the number of residency positions that have been added.

Welcome back, Gern.

 

[Gern Blansten]

Welcome back, Gern.

Thanks. I still lurk on occasions. Thanks for noticing.

 

[deleted171991]

It was the late application, dude. Don't ask me how I know, but I know.

 

[Docuronium]

I emailed the program coordinator at the program I was most interested in when I'd heard they were sending out interviews and I had yet to receive one. I ended up getting a phone call from them, being offered an interview at the end of the phone call, and I ended up matching there. This occurred a little earlier in the season, but I'd imagine as more and more people start to cancel interviews, spaces will open up. I would give it a shot.

My letter still has not been uploaded, do you think its worth emailing/calling programs and telling them I am interested blah blah and that I have another letter coming in or should I wait until my letter is accessible to them?

Thanks!

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Applying late won't do anyone favors. Things are competitive across the board in just about every specialty these days it seems.

 

[aimedicine]

I appreciate all the questions guys, let me tell you guys the whole story.
So i applied late, on 9/26. I have 3 LORs, 1 which is the one I mentioned in my OP. I also asked my school about my dean's letter and they said there was nothing negative in it. My school is P/F so I dont know how much of an issue that would be. My Steps are as I told you, my COMLEX 1 is 593. I did bad on comlex 2 with 423 but did not transmit it on ERAS so no school knows. The interviews I have been on have never mentioned anything about my scores other than that they were good. As far as I know, there might be a comment that is like "Responds well to criticism" on my dean's letter but my school said there was nothing negative and as far as I know, even if there was they would not put it on the dean's letter. Perhaps its just that I applied late/am a below average rotator(but certainly not horrible) but that is enough to bring someone down. I applied broadly to I applied to drexel/rush/NY Westchester/albany/henry ford/ohio state these kinds of schools. I got rejected from drexel and westchester. I actually got an interview at rush and it would have been 4 but then they were full. Any advice at all would be appreciated it.

My letter still has not been uploaded, do you think its worth emailing/calling programs and telling them I am interested blah blah and that I have another letter coming in or should I wait until my letter is accessible to them?

Thanks!

just out of curiosity, where did you get invites?