Observorship vs Elective LOR confusion

[AestheticAnesthetic]

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So basically here's my dilemma:

I am a foreign medical graduate planning to apply for this year's 2017 match. Now I have an LOR from a clinical elective in internal medicine that I did a few years ago and it's a good letter, one that I would use, but he hasnt responded to any of my e-mails recently asking him to upload it. I'm hoping he's just busy and he'll respond in a few days, but just in case I also did an observorship around the same time in Anesthesiology and the doctor I worked with knows me very well and we're still in touch and I know for a fact he would readily write me a letter if I asked him to at any time. So, in the scenario where the elective doctor doesn't reply, would it be better to upload a waived observorship letter in Anesthesia, or an unwaived elective letter in int med myself? ( I am going to apply for Anesthesiology).

Been trying to look on the forums, but I can't seem to find a good answer. Hopefully some of you guys can help me out.

Thanks

 

[Winged Scapula]

When you say " a few years ago", how long ago are we talking about?

In general, unwaived letters are not useful, nor are observership LORs, nor are letters which are not recent. Are these the only options you have?

If so, I'd go with waived and recent.

 

[bashwell]

So basically here's my dilemma:

I am a foreign medical graduate planning to apply for this year's 2017 match. Now I have an LOR from a clinical elective in internal medicine that I did a few years ago and it's a good letter, one that I would use, but he hasnt responded to any of my e-mails recently asking him to upload it. I'm hoping he's just busy and he'll respond in a few days, but just in case I also did an observorship around the same time in Anesthesiology and the doctor I worked with knows me very well and we're still in touch and I know for a fact he would readily write me a letter if I asked him to at any time. So, in the scenario where the elective doctor doesn't reply, would it be better to upload a waived observorship letter in Anesthesia, or an unwaived elective letter in int med myself? ( I am going to apply for Anesthesiology).

Been trying to look on the forums, but I can't seem to find a good answer. Hopefully some of you guys can help me out.

Thanks

I thought you aren't allowed to upload your own LORs?

 

[AestheticAnesthetic]

When you say " a few years ago", how long ago are we talking about?

In general, unwaived letters are not useful, nor are observership LORs, nor are letters which are not recent. Are these the only options you have?

If so, I'd go with waived and recent.

It'll be 3 years this August. Well unfortunately, as of now its the int medicine one, potentially the obersvorship one and another anesthesia elective that's almost 2 years old. I graduated in 2015, but I wasn't able to get my Steps out in time to apply last year so thats why there's a year gap there and there were some political issues in my country that caused my final semester to be delayed about 4 months, which is why the most recent elective is now almost 2 years old. I'm working on trying to secure either a research job or another clerkship so I can get another letter, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. So in my scenario, you would pick the waived and recent observorship one?

 

[AestheticAnesthetic]

I thought you aren't allowed to upload your own LORs?

Sorry my mistake. Unfortunately, as IMG's sometimes we end up relying on the wrong people for help, one of my seniors told me that you could upload letters yourself but they would count as unwaived. So just to be clear, whether its waived or unwaived, only a physician can upload it to my application?

 

[ProfMD]

I believe the letter writer needs to upload the letter.

Also, as @Winged Scapula said - unwaived letters are of little value. We all look for those magic words on the letter - "The applicant has waived his/her right to see this letter."

Also, letters that are several years old will not mean a whole lot.

A recent letter from an observership, which is waived, is ok. Not as good as a rotation, but better than an old letter or one that is not waived.

You may end up needing to take another year off to do some rotations and line up some good letters.

 

[AestheticAnesthetic]

Thanks everyone for your replies, really cleared some stuff up. @ProfMD, do you think having LOR's from electives 2 years ago would be considered too old? they were all in my final year of medical school if that helps.

 

[ProfMD]

Thanks everyone for your replies, really cleared some stuff up. @ProfMD, do you think having LOR's from electives 2 years ago would be considered too old? they were all in my final year of medical school if that helps.

Those are fine but I would try and get at least one that is more recent as well.

 

[AestheticAnesthetic]

Those are fine but I would try and get at least one that is more recent as well.

That's good to hear, you got me all worried. I'm about to take my step 2 CK pretty soon, should have about a month after that before september, so I'll try to line something up in that period. Thanks for your advice.

 

[AestheticAnesthetic]

I thought you aren't allowed to upload your own LORs?

I know this is an old post, but I just recently found out that you actually can upload LOR's on your own. They just count as unwaived, which from what Ive read on this thread isn't worth very much.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Yes uploading your own LORs sort of defeats the purpose of online waived submission. If you do so yourself and admit to reviewing the letter, it introduces the possibility of you having direct involvement in its content. Many of us are sent/see our actual LORs but that decision is on the writer if they want you to see it.

 

[drstatinatorva]

Is it worth doing elective at final year for lor if I am doing to apply only two years after my graduation?

 

[AestheticAnesthetic]

Is it worth doing elective at final year for lor if I am doing to apply only two years after my graduation?

yes as many as you can in the US.

 

[drstatinatorva]

Thanks. How many should I do?
Is one satisfactory?

 

[AestheticAnesthetic]

Is it worth doing elective at final year for lor if I am doing to apply only two years after my graduation?

If you're in your final year of medical school, and you're an IMG from my guess, then yes you should do electives in the US. How many? As many as you can, but try to do at least 3 since a lot of programs have 3 as their cutoff. Of course, the more the better. But yes if you can only do one, then one is better than none.

 

[drstatinatorva]

If you're in your final year of medical school, and you're an IMG from my guess, then yes you should do electives in the US. How many? As many as you can, but try to do at least 3 since a lot of programs have 3 as their cutoff. Of course, the more the better. But yes if you can only do one, then one is better than none.

Yes, I am in my final year and the problem is that I will not be able to do step 1 before graduation. And without step 1, the electives are quite expensive. Hence, the dilemma. Thanks