MPH after M3 year, what about letters of recommendation?

[nmbutah]

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I'm taking a year off between M3 and M4 years to get a Masters of Public Health. I was wondering if anyone has done the same and what they did about Letters of Recommendation for Residency.
Did you have your letter writers write you a letter before you left and hang on to it? Have the school hang on to it? write one when you came back? Are residency programs likely to mind that a letter is 15 months old?

 

[drotoman]

I'm taking a year off between M3 and M4 years to get a Masters of Public Health. I was wondering if anyone has done the same and what they did about Letters of Recommendation for Residency.
Did you have your letter writers write you a letter before you left and hang on to it? Have the school hang on to it? write one when you came back? Are residency programs likely to mind that a letter is 15 months old?

Usually letters written within a couple months of the application submission are more desired, but most residency programs won't stop you from turning in 15 month-old letters. Are you going to be working on your MPH at your current medical school? If so, you should have no trouble staying in touch with your letter writers, and there's no need to get all your letters before the end of M3. Also you can do a little research project while doing your MPH too to let them know you're still around.