MD Recommendation letter and 4th year schedule questions Please help!

[taeyeonlover]

I am interested in one of primary care specialties (Peds, IM, or FM). Due to some remediation requirements during 3rd year, I cannot start studying for step 2 ck until July. One of the last rotations I will be doing during 3rd year will be IM/FM rotation. Our school combines IM and FM in 12 week rotation.
I have done some research and it looks like most programs require 3 letters from preceptors you worked with closely in a clinical setting. One of them can be a chair letter depending on program.

If my schedule at the end of 3rd year and beginning of 4th year was like this would I be ok?

Peds and IM/FM rotation at the end of 3rd year
July: study for Step2 CK
First half of August :2 week non clinical easy elective that requires only clicking through online modules. In this way, I can get more study time for step 2
Second half of August : 2 week clinical rotation in one of primary care specialties like endo, cardiology etc.
First half of September : another 2 week clinical rotation in one of primary care specialties like endo, cardiology etc
During October : Sub-I/AI at my home institution

Or should I do it this way instead?

Peds and IM/FM rotation at the end of 3rd year
July: study for Step2 CK
August : Sub-I/AI at my home institution
First half of September : 2 week clinical rotation in one of primary care specialties like endo, cardiology etc.

I wasn't the best academically so I thought about 1st option to maximize study time.

Also, is a rec letter from Sub-I/AI essential for applications or can I get a letter from any preceptors in the fields I am interested in?

Any advice would be appreciated!

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[srirachamayonnaise]

I am interested in one of primary care specialties (Peds, IM, or FM). Due to some remediation requirements during 3rd year, I cannot start studying for step 2 ck until July. One of the last rotations I will be doing during 3rd year will be IM/FM rotation. Our school combines IM and FM in 12 week rotation.
I have done some research and it looks like most programs require 3 letters from preceptors you worked with closely in a clinical setting. One of them can be a chair letter depending on program.

If my schedule at the end of 3rd year and beginning of 4th year was like this would I be ok?

Peds and IM/FM rotation at the end of 3rd year
July: study for Step2 CK
First half of August :2 week non clinical easy elective that requires only clicking through online modules. In this way, I can get more study time for step 2
Second half of August : 2 week clinical rotation in one of primary care specialties like endo, cardiology etc.
First half of September : another 2 week clinical rotation in one of primary care specialties like endo, cardiology etc
During October : Sub-I/AI at my home institution

Or should I do it this way instead?

Peds and IM/FM rotation at the end of 3rd year
July: study for Step2 CK
August : Sub-I/AI at my home institution
First half of September : 2 week clinical rotation in one of primary care specialties like endo, cardiology etc.

I wasn't the best academically so I thought about 1st option to maximize study time.

Also, is a rec letter from Sub-I/AI essential for applications or can I get a letter from any preceptors in the fields I am interested in?

Any advice would be appreciated!

I would say option 2 since a letter or two from subI is important.

 

[NotTheOne]

If you are studying for IM/FM shelf at the end you will be doing an enormous bulk of your step 2 studying as well. I don’t think you’d need much time to prep for step 2