SLOE drama

[StephBee]

Hey guys, I'm going to jump on the sloe bandwagon.
I have 1 sloe coming from my home institution. I was originally going to be getting a second SLoe from our Peds EM devision (this was agreed upon back in June) so I didn't do an away. I didn't have time and had to take time off school due to family illness/deathQ.

I was just told today that the department chair has changed their mind and I'm only allowed one SLOE from our institution. Instead, the Peds EM clerkship director is going to write me a personal letter.

So all told I'll have one SLOE, one personal EM letter and one MICU letter (still some clarification as to whether this will be a department or personal letter).

So I guess my question is how screwed am I for only have the one sloe?

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[HoosierdaddyO]

That kinda blows!!!

 

[Cinclus]

Some programs only require one actual SLOE (per program websites), while some require two. Some want at least two from EM docs with at least one being a SLOE. I'd imagine you are fine for those that only require one SLOE, but wow. Can you make it clear to them how much they could be screwing you over? Because some programs definitely want two, and they left you practically zero time to try to get another. I'm sorry this happened to you. It sounds like a nightmare.

 

[HoosierdaddyO]

Did you tell your department chair the pickle that he just put you in?

 

[DO2016EM]

Try to set up another EM rotation.

Also, I don't believe it was right for the peds EM clerkship director to have promised you a SLOE. I always thought SLOE's are supposed to only come from regular EM rotations. I'd try to set up another away right now, but since it seems like you have a home residency program, 1 SLOE shouldn't hurt.

 

[StephBee]

Try to set up another EM rotation.

Also, I don't believe it was right for the peds EM clerkship director to have promised you a SLOE. I always thought SLOE's are supposed to only come from regular EM rotations. I'd try to set up another away right now, but since it seems like you have a home residency program, 1 SLOE shouldn't hurt.

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[Chir0nex]

He only promised a SLOE after talking with the overarching EM director said yes. She is the one who changed her mind. At our hospital, our PEM division is seperate from our main ED. (it's own bay, it's own attendings, etc and it sees all the patients <21)

My understanding is that there are SLOE's written by the department committee (which holds the most weight) but you can also get personalized SLOE's (Basically a letter in SLOE format but written only by a single individual instead of a committee). It may be worth checking with the EM director to see if you can at least get a personale letter in SLOE format from the Peds attending. Otherwise this really sucks and I think you should bring it up with your school deans and see if they can intervene in some way. It's fine for the EM director to limit the number of letters, but not this late in the process without any warning.

My only other thought is to try emailing any nearby programs and see if they have last minute opening to do an away. That way you can at least update you application with another SLOE as your 4th letter.

 

[StephBee]

My understanding is that there are SLOE's written by the department committee (which holds the most weight) but you can also get personalized SLOE's (Basically a letter in SLOE format but written only by a single individual instead of a committee). It may be worth checking with the EM director to see if you can at least get a personale letter in SLOE format from the Peds attending. Otherwise this really sucks and I think you should bring it up with your school deans and see if they can intervene in some way. It's fine for the EM director to limit the number of letters, but not this late in the process without any warning.

My only other thought is to try emailing any nearby programs and see if they have last minute opening to do an away. That way you can at least update you application with another SLOE as your 4th letter.

I did ask about the personal SLOE thing and was told that CORD has said only one SLOE can come from a department. Of course, no one else's program seems to be abiding by this (there's many people with 2 from the same department, and there's someone floating around with 3 from 1 department) . The PEM attending is writing me a personal letter so I just have to hope that that is good enough. (1 sloe, 1 Clerkship director personal letter and 1 intensivist letter) I'm step 2 studying so I can't really do an away this month. I have a meeting with my dean this week and may bring it up but there's little that can be done at this point. I have 2 interviews already so I'm at least 1/5 of the way to that magic number