Psych LOR?

[Shishka]

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If I could get a great LOR from a Psych attending, should I? This would be in addition to at least one Anesthesia LOR and one Medicine LOR.

I realize that relating psych to anesthesia is a bit of a stretch, but I'm tempted to get it because I worked with this attending on a daily basis for 6 weeks, on a unit without any residents or fellows, and he got to know me very well and could write confidently about my character and work ethic. I'm thinking he could also focus on my grasp of pharmacology and ability to establish a good rapport with patients (which I would think is important since an anesthesiologist typically needs to gain a patient's trust within a couple of minutes).

Any thoughts about this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jeff05]

there are only 3 LOR needed. i would make at least 2 of them anesthesia.

 

[EternalMD]

if your alternative is a mediocre anesthesia letter, i would go with the great psych letter

 

[Pilot Doc]

I worked with this attending on a daily basis for 6 weeks, on a unit without any residents or fellows.

I matched to a prominent surgery program with a psych letter. Presumably if it could work there, it'll work in anesthesia.

Make sure the attending highlights how well he knows you. That's all programs really want out of a letter - to make sure you're not going to be a problem resident.

I would try to get two anesthesia letters also.

 

[Shishka]

Thanks all for the advice.

The one anesthesia letter I'm getting the writer indicated to me it would be strong. I'm also planning on asking our department's chair to write me one. So I'm counting on 2 anesthesia LORs.

 

[lazylikeapanda]

Just to second what pilot doc said, I too got an LOR from my psych attn for anesthesia. When I applied, one of my anesthesia advisers mentioned that in addition to getting an anesthesia LOR and one from either medicine or surgery, to also get one from a different field, just to demonstrate to programs that I could get along with people from different areas of medicine. Also I would think programs would be happy to know that a psychiatrist has deemed you to be a well adjusted individual w/o antisocial tendencies.

 

[Shishka]

Just to second what pilot doc said, I too got an LOR from my psych attn for anesthesia. When I applied, one of my anesthesia advisers mentioned that in addition to getting an anesthesia LOR and one from either medicine or surgery, to also get one from a different field, just to demonstrate to programs that I could get along with people from different areas of medicine. Also I would think programs would be happy to know that a psychiatrist has deemed you to be a well adjusted individual w/o antisocial tendencies.

Good to hear, thanks.