Short LOR?

[brownwolf100]

I requested a confidential LOR to send in with residency applications from one of my rotations and the letter writer ended up sending me a copy. While it says excellent things, it’s only a paragraph long. I feel that I’m going to have to use it, because it’s from a speciality I wanted to include in my mix of letters, and I’ve been having a lot of trouble getting people to follow through with letters. I’ve had several people enthusiastically agree to write a letter, but they’ve been hard to reach since.

Should I be worried about submitting a short letter like this?

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[LyMed]

You’re likely fine. PDs have to comb through thousands of letters.

 

[silkysmooth]

short letter definitely isn't ideal. but if the content is superb it shouldn't be a big deal

 

[Stephanopolous]

I would still use it

 

[QueenJames]

WOW.

What a violation.

You're not supposed to see your letter?

Where do I go to report this?

I'm APPALLED.

 

[brownwolf100]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

And am I the only one struggling so much with having letter writers follow through? Is it appropriate to check in every two weeks until they submit one? At this rate, I'll be lucky to have my minimum letter requirement. I get attendings are busy, but you'd think they'd remember being in our shoes. And if it's really too much. then I wish they'd just tell me no to writing one. Ok, ending vent haha

 

[the argus]

WOW.

What a violation.

You're not supposed to see your letter?

Where do I go to report this?

I'm APPALLED.

Applicants wave their RIGHT (under FERPA) to see their LORs. There is no rule against a letter writer voluntarily showing the LOR to the applicant, before or after they send it.

I requested a confidential LOR to send in with residency applications from one of my rotations and the letter writer ended up sending me a copy. While it says excellent things, it’s only a paragraph long. I feel that I’m going to have to use it, because it’s from a speciality I wanted to include in my mix of letters, and I’ve been having a lot of trouble getting people to follow through with letters. I’ve had several people enthusiastically agree to write a letter, but they’ve been hard to reach since.

Should I be worried about submitting a short letter like this?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a short LOR. In fact, many readers prefer it. Most LORs include like half a page of the letter writer talking about THEIR OWN credentials. I had a mentor tell me the best LOR he ever read was 2 sentences long. It was written by a department chair and said something like, "The applicant is excellent. We are trying to convince her to stay here for residency."

If the letter says excellent things that is all that matters. Don't worry at all about the length.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

WOW.

What a violation.

You're not supposed to see your letter?

Where do I go to report this?

I'm APPALLED.

You think thats bad, I had an attending tell me he would write me a great letter cause I had 2 great rotations with him. After asking him about it several times and him saying he would 'bring it in', he finally just told me like 5-6 points to make and to go write him a draft.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

And am I the only one struggling so much with having letter writers follow through? Is it appropriate to check in every two weeks until they submit one? At this rate, I'll be lucky to have my minimum letter requirement. I get attendings are busy, but you'd think they'd remember being in our shoes. And if it's really too much. then I wish they'd just tell me no to writing one. Ok, ending vent haha

No your not. Took me 6 months to get the letter from the above attending. I only asked in person for the letter tho. Its a pain to write a letter.