Prelim year -- do we need LOR from Chair of IM?

[rdomingo]

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Hi everyone,

So, now that the whole application process is underway... was wondering if anyone else has run into a similar problem: I sent in my CAS stuff for Neuro and now I'm working on choosing programs for the prelim IM year. Lots of the medicine websites I'm looking at require a LOR from the Chair of Internal Medicine as part of your application. Personally, I don't have this letter... I have the Chair of Neuro, Chair of Peds, and Chair of Surgery.

Does anyone know whether programs will still consider applications for preliminary medicine without a LOR from the Chairperson?

Thanks so much

 

[scm]

do you mean IM programs that are _not_ at the places you applied to for Neuro? Many neuro programs hook you up with an IM interview etc, and once/if you match there, I think that can help get you higher up on the IM list(which isn't submitted till after Sf Match etc I'm sure you know), I don't see how those programs would require a chair letter from IM. as for chair letters, I don't have one and I'm not so worried about it.

They specifically ask for a letter from the IM chair for prelim spots? or for the IM program in general? I would think this would matter much more for/be directed at people applying for IM/3yrs etc. I dunno. if you could post a list of the programs where youve noticed this, would be helpful to us on here, maybe some of us will inquire if they are places we appyin gto, and post info etc...
take care
scm

 

[rdomingo]

Hey there --

My first instinct is that you're right and the Chair of IM requirement pertains more to the people applying for Categorical IM. But on various websites, the application requirements for Categorical vs. Preliminary aren't delineated, which comes across as meaning that the same requirements hold true for either track. Off the top of my head, some programs that advertise needing this Chairman letter are Boston University, U Mass, Dartmouth, Mt. Sinai, Syracuse, and Drexel... none of which have a guaranteed PGY-1 spot available.

Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Anyone applying for one of the above programs? What do you suggest?

Best of luck!

 

[swedcrip]

Anyone learn anything new about this?

 

[rdomingo]

From what I've gathered, it's program-specific. I wound up emailing all the prelim programs I was interested in, and they told me whether or not the letter was required... more often than not, they preferred to have it, so I wound up getting one from the Chair of IM for my school, who I had worked with during the core rotation. Not the most personal letter, but that's what they're gonna get!

Best of luck, guys 🙂

 

[swedcrip]

Anyone this year applying without an "official" chair letter? I have an Internal Medicine letter and I believe my letter writer could rework it into a "chair" letter if necessary.