Here's one for you, just cuz I'm nice like that
This is what Vanderbilt tells its students, but why listen to them when we have you?
https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/cim/letters-recommendation
Number of Letters
Most residency programs request three letters of reference. Sometimes they specify certain departments or rotations from which the letters should originate;
be sure to follow directions from the program brochure. Occasionally, a letter from a person not involved in the profession of medicine will be requested.
Do not send more letters than are requested unless you have one that is especially dazzling.
Some selection committees suspect "the thicker the application, the thicker the student." Some programs review only the first letters to arrive up to the number they request and subsequent letters are ignored. Therefore, it is in your best interest to follow the "N + 1 Rule," i.e., if "N" is the number of letters requested, send no less than "N," but send no more than "N + 1."
Admittedly, they still suggest that one can send one more letter than requested, however they also advise that it might not be ideal.
My opinion was based on
my experience being told not to send more than requested, I honestly can't recall to where since I went on over 20 interviews years ago.
My opinion was based on
my belief, which is echoed elsewhere, that it is best to follow instructions to the letter. You may believe that it is OK to send more letters than requested. I do not, and I have provided information that I believe supports
my view.
The rest of you have shared your opinions and disagree. That's all they are.
Application | Internal Medicine Residency
Application Process - UPDATED:
The deadline for submission of a completed application is October 7, 2017, and all of the following items are required:
- Dean's Letter
- Chair's Letter (can be Chair designee).
- At least 2 other Letters of Recommendation (you can submit up to 3 letters)
- Medical School transcript
- Personal Statement
- Curriculum Vitae in ERAS format
- USMLE Step 1 score of at least 205
- Medical school graduation date of 2015 or later
- 4 weeks of U.S. hands-on clinical experience within the past 6 months (observerships are excluded)
- Valid ECFMG Certificate, if applicable
I tend to be pretty big on following things to the letter, so I don't agree with Vanderbilt that you can go ahead and send one more than you are told to by a program. However, even Vanderbilt acknowledges that there are programs that will only ask for 3 and no more.
If you read the instructions from Penn and think you should send more than 3 letters, more power to you, I guess. Vanderbilt suggests it might not reflect well on you. I guess that's the chance each of us can take with our own apps.
Raryn, if that worked out well for you, I'm glad. As for me, I did not send more letters than requested. Things worked out well for me.
Application Information - Internal Medicine - Wayne State University
Required Documents for Application
- Letters of Recommendation -- In addition to a Dean's letter from a medical school, three letters of recommendation must be arranged to be sent through ERAS. These letters should attest to the applicant's personal qualifications and scholastic and clinical abilities.
Did Wayne State stutter? I didn't know 3 meant 4.
Applying to Residency: Information Item #7--Letters of Recommendation (LOR's) | Advising Programs for Medical Students
Dear class,
Each of you will need to acquire LOR's from at least 3 faculty members to support your residency applications (these are separate from the MSPE, which is not considered an LOR).
ERAS will allow you to send 4 letters to each program (though some programs will only accept 3; you'll need to check with each program to see if they have restrictions on the number of letters).
I mean, why should students listen to the advising from their school if they go to GW? Following instructions is overrated.
Let's say what Vanderbilt says is true, and of your 4 letters, they'll only read 3. Let's say you have 3 solid letters, and you think one of your 4 might not be as stellar as #1, despite 2-4 being pretty good. How do you know which letter is thrown away by the program, never to be read?
Application Information
- 3 letters of recommendation, including one departmental support letter (typically from the Chair of Medicine and/or Medicine Clerkship Director).
- A fourth letter of recommendation will be accepted
Wow, it's almost like programs will spell out how many letters they want, and if they will accept a 4th. I guess you don't have to assume 3 means 4.
But why listen to clearly spelled out instructions, when more than one institution specifies what they want, and it's suggested that if you send more one which you can't specify, might be thrown away, when we can just listen to people on SDN who say not to bother with actually following directions from a program's website?
There's nothing to what I'm saying, of course. Send all the letters you want. I was told not to, but we each have our own experiences, I think.
