Military doc applying to EM - sLOR's?

[MudduckMD]

Hi, I'm an Air Force GMO (US grad - intern year completed in FP, but did not finish FP residency), who has worked as an attending in a Primary Care Clinic for the past 3 years. I am a licensed, credentialed physician; but not board certified. I left my FP residency because it wasn't for me. Nevertheless, the military kept me in the primary care clinic regardless.


I will be finishing up my HPSP commitment in the next few months, and am preparing to apply to EM programs for this coming Match.


I'm at a loss as to how to go about getting an SLOR (didn't know about anything other than LOR's until recently). I am currently deployed to Afghanistan, and will be coming home (God-willing) in the next 2 months, which is also when my Air Force commitment ends. My plan was to continue to work at my home base's clinic until next June when residency would start.

My biggest problem is that I have been out of the loop for the past few years. It's not like I have been doing rotations here and there and can now go ask a PD for an SLOR. I have excellent LOR's on the way, one from an Air Force Colonel, who is an EM doc, but not faculty anymore.

What do you guys suggest I do as a non-traditional applicant? I won't be able to go do a rotation somewhere in time to get me an SLOR for this year's match...

Any help/insight is much appreciated. Thanks!

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[Doctor Bob]

Hi, I'm an Air Force GMO (US grad - intern year completed in FP, but did not finish FP residency), who has worked as an attending in a Primary Care Clinic for the past 3 years. I am a licensed, credentialed physician; but not board certified. I left my FP residency because it wasn't for me. Nevertheless, the military kept me in the primary care clinic regardless.


I will be finishing up my HPSP commitment in the next few months, and am preparing to apply to EM programs for this coming Match.


I'm at a loss as to how to go about getting an SLOR (didn't know about anything other than LOR's until recently). I am currently deployed to Afghanistan, and will be coming home (God-willing) in the next 2 months, which is also when my Air Force commitment ends. My plan was to continue to work at my home base's clinic until next June when residency would start.

My biggest problem is that I have been out of the loop for the past few years. It's not like I have been doing rotations here and there and can now go ask a PD for an SLOR. I have excellent LOR's on the way, one from an Air Force Colonel, who is an EM doc, but not faculty anymore.

What do you guys suggest I do as a non-traditional applicant? I won't be able to go do a rotation somewhere in time to get me an SLOR for this year's match...

Any help/insight is much appreciated. Thanks!

I went from a military internship to a civilian residency in EM. I wasn't able to get a SLOR either and it didn't cause any problems for me. Getting a SLOR is a necessity for anyone who can feasibly get one (and that means any and every 4th year medical student). But there will always be exceptions and PDs should understand that sometimes, it's just not possible.

Not too many EM residency program directors in the sandbox, available to write a SLOR.

 

[MudduckMD]

I went from a military internship to a civilian residency in EM. I wasn't able to get a SLOR either and it didn't cause any problems for me. Getting a SLOR is a necessity for anyone who can feasibly get one (and that means any and every 4th year medical student). But there will always be exceptions and PDs should understand that sometimes, it's just not possible.

Not too many EM residency program directors in the sandbox, available to write a SLOR.

Thanks - was starting to worry. I'm having enough trouble finding a 2nd EM LOR as it is from over here...