One more LOR question

[mack bronson]

So, I have read a few threads earlier about LORs, and Hawaiin Bruin if this has been covered already feel free to bash me, but I don't think I have seen this exact question earlier. I have heard that Surgery or Medicine are helpful letters. I will have a gas letter, but to tell you the truth I really sucked it up during my OBGyn/Surg/ rotations and at my institution I hardly got to know any of the attendings during those two rotations anyways. However, my psych attending loved me for some really odd reason and would write me a killer letter and same goes for my family med doc I rotated with. I could probably get an okay-pretty good letter from one of my medicine attendings but that was a year ago when I didn't know anything and probably looked like a dumb-ass but I was a hard-worker/team player yada yada (typical remarks from my attendings), and neither of them know me as well as my psych or fam med attendings. So, is what everyone says true, should I just go with someone who knows me really well and would write a great letter from a specialty out in left field (psych or fam med and have all of the gas interviewers laughing at me behind my back-JK) or would a letter from a medicine attending be better?

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[OB1🤙]

So, I have read a few threads earlier about LORs, and Hawaiin Bruin if this has been covered already feel free to bash me

Naw man, this is a good question. It's the people who pull the old "Oh cool, there's a 3-part FAQ in this forum, I should probably just go ahead and ignore that and ask this generic question about CRNAs or competetiveness or lifestyle or boredom anyway, I bet it's never been asked before" that really grinds my gears.

Your situation is tough. Your gas letter will hold by far the most weight. After that, you're gonna run into personal differences in who reads them. Some would probably rather see a "pretty good" letter from medicine or surgery, and some would probably prefer an excellent letter from someone who obviously knew you very well and thought highly of you regardless of specialty. It'll be a crapshoot as to who reads your letter and which camp they'll fall into.

I think what it'd come down to is just how lukewarm the medicine letter would be. No harm in asking your old attending(s), and make your decision based on the answer. If a medicine attending says "Sure, I'd write you a great letter," problem solved. If he/she says "well, I could write you a letter, but..." then you'd be better off going with excellent psych and FM letters.

No way to get another anesthesia letter in addition to the one you have?

 

[anestheticman]

most of my people said "i'd be happy to write you a letter" is that a good sign.
no one really said "i will write you a great letter"

how did everyone choose which letters to send to which programs and when did you assign them?
do i need to do that by sept 1st ideally too?

i only have one in so far.

 

[mack bronson]

I could maybe get a second letter. The problem is that like some fellow fourth years on here I don't start my first anesthesia rotation until October. Then I have another one in November, and I just thought November would be too late. I have heard people say on here that you can just send all the residencies your November letter when you get it, and reiterate your interest in each program. So, I could technically get two gas letters, but one would be pretty late. I was actually planning on doing a September rotation, but my dean told me that three gas rotations was excessive.

 

[mack bronson]

do i need to do that by sept 1st ideally too?


I don't know for sure, but if it makes you feel better I don't have any in right now. Just asked for two of them and getting ready for the rest. I heard (anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong) that if you just get your application and everything in by September 1st and then the programs will expect some applicants not to have all their letters in, and they will just accept them as writers get them in. PS, general app, and scores is what you need by Sept 1st if I am not mistaken.

 

[jennyboo]

I would skip the medicine and surgery letters in favor of letters from people who know you well and like you. I did okay with 2 gas and 1 community health letter -- no medicine, no surgery.

The only downside I can think of is that when you apply for internships, those internists really love their medicine letters. But they can live without 'em.

 

[BDylan]

I heard (anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong) that if you just get your application and everything in by September 1st and then the programs will expect some applicants not to have all their letters in, and they will just accept them as writers get them in. PS, general app, and scores is what you need by Sept 1st if I am not mistaken.

I'm hoping this is true. I'll submit my app early Sept with one letter, get another letter late Sept, and another in mid-Oct. Is this somewhat standard procedure?

 

[mack bronson]

I'm hoping this is true. I'll submit my app early Sept with one letter, get another letter late Sept, and another in mid-Oct. Is this somewhat standard procedure?

Just from talking with a lot of my classmates. None of them seem to have very many letters lined up right now either, and a lot of them are going into really competitive fields. I am in the same boat as you. I guess I am at the point now where it really does me no good to freak out about this b/c there really isn't much I can do about it. I really don't think it is that big of a deal. I was looking at old posts from long ago, and they said even November isn't too late (but obviously much better to get it earlier if you can), you just contact the programs you applied to and say I am still really interested and have another gas letter to add to my application. Let's cross our fingers.

 

[mack bronson]

I would skip the medicine and surgery letters in favor of letters from people who know you well and like you. I did okay with 2 gas and 1 community health letter -- no medicine, no surgery.

The only downside I can think of is that when you apply for internships, those internists really love their medicine letters. But they can live without 'em.

Thanks so much Jennyboo and Hawaiian Bruin That's a new smilie I have never seen before, so I thought I would just stick it in here. Not sure if it fits in with context but you get the idea. Okay maybe I need a new hobby or something

 

[badgas]

Definitely go with the outstanding letters. And turn you app in asap to get as many interviews as possible. It's easier to cancel interviews than to wish for more. The app does not have to be complete for programs to send out invites.

 

[anestheticman]

so in terms of checking off the boxes for letters to assign to a given program, do I need to choose when I first submit the application or can I wait until later?

I'm getting 5-6 total so I have no idea which ones to use yet.

 

[OB1🤙]

Just so you guys know, you are WAY behind the ball if you're not doing any anesthesia until October. It's easy to think that you'll be done by the end of the month, the letter gets instantly submitted, and you're all good to go by early November. But here's how it works for real-

End rotation in late October. Ask attending for letter, who agrees.
1 week later- check with your school, still no letter submitted, send friendly reminder to attending.
2 weeks later- check again, still no letter, find out attending is vacationing in Aruba.
3 weeks later- attending comes back, writes letter, gives it to his secretary, who puts it in a pile on her desk where it sits for a few days
4 weeks later- clerk at your school gets letter, puts it in the huge pile along with all the other LORs waiting to get scanned
5 weeks later- letter finally submitted. By now it's late November, interviews have already gone out, you're left thumb-twiddling and freaking out.

You may get lucky, and get a turnaround time from asking for the letter to it being uploaded to ERAS in record time. But you CANNOT plan on it. Have a viable backup plan in case this happens to you.

You can and should submit your app as soon as you humanly can, and transmit letters later as they get uploaded. But your letters should be UPLOADED TO ERAS by mid-September to mid-October to be considered for the first wave of interviews, and you should do everything in your power to make that happen.

 

[Coastie]

I agree with Bruin here.

Just so you guys know, you are WAY behind the ball if you're not doing any anesthesia until October. It's easy to think that you'll be done by the end of the month, the letter gets instantly submitted, and you're all good to go by early November. But here's how it works for real-

End rotation in late October. Ask attending for letter, who agrees.
1 week later- check with your school, still no letter submitted, send friendly reminder to attending.
2 weeks later- check again, still no letter, find out attending is vacationing in Aruba.
3 weeks later- attending comes back, writes letter, gives it to his secretary, who puts it in a pile on her desk where it sits for a few days
4 weeks later- clerk at your school gets letter, puts it in the huge pile along with all the other LORs waiting to get scanned
5 weeks later- letter finally submitted. By now it's late November, interviews have already gone out, you're left thumb-twiddling and freaking out.

You may get lucky, and get a turnaround time from asking for the letter to it being uploaded to ERAS in record time. But you CANNOT plan on it. Have a viable backup plan in case this happens to you.

You can and should submit your app as soon as you humanly can, and transmit letters later as they get uploaded. But your letters should be UPLOADED TO ERAS by mid-September to mid-October to be considered for the first wave of interviews, and you should do everything in your power to make that happen.

 

[mack bronson]

So, this is good. I was getting way too relaxed after just finishing Step II CS and CK. So, I was able to switch my rotation to gas for September thanks to the Gods of anesthesia smiling down on me and my dean, but moreso the Gods of anesthesia. So I will have two letters by mid-september. I needed that good swift kick in the butt there guys. Thanks for giving it to me. Everyone once in a while you are sailing along and you need a wake up call. Well just let me say that I rose to occassion and answered that call