Preliminary Internal Medicine Letters

[daptomycin]

I'll be applying for prelim internal med pgy-1 years. Does anyone know if programs typically want a medicine chairman letter? My letters will mostly be medicine attendings and maybe 1 or 2 from my advanced specialty. I would feel weird asking my medicine program's chairman for a letter since i've never even met them once and I'm not going into categorical medicine.

Thanks in advance.

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[hidoc]

don't mean to steal your thread, but related/already asked question which I am hoping for a more direct answer..

people have said when getting a prelim-med letter that it is beneficial if you get one from medicine at least (and use your advanced specialty letters). In regards to this 'medicine letter', is it better to

1. Use the very same letter from a IM doc who wrote you a letter for your advanced specialty (so its an advanced specialty letter just written by an IM doc)

OR

2. Get a different IM letter written addressing how you would be a great MED-intern (and not talking about your advanced specialty)-->

Just trying to figure out if it is ideal to ask people to write More letters.

Thanks in advance

cheers

 

[nothingman]

I would use the best letters you have and that best describe your skills/potential as a physician to be. It matters less if they're for advanced programs or if specifically tailored to prelims, since prelims know that you are only planning to be there for a year and that internal medicine is not your final choice of specialty.

That said, if you have an amazing internal medicine letter, do use it for a medicine prelim, even if it says "x will be a great radiologist down the line." I wouldn't bug the writer to change it, honestly. It coming from a med attending will carry a bit more weight. But I think a chairman's letter from a person who doesn't know you is less helpful than a very strong letter from a radiologist/anesthesiologist/pediatrician/etc.

Bottom line, don't sweat it. I did use a separate PS for my prelims, which I think helped at some places. Finally, apply to (and rank) more prelims than you think you might need - not too uncommon to have to scramble for these in light of a "happy" advanced spot match.