Strong LOR but from PhD vs. General LOR but from MD/PhD for residency application

[SftmDec]

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Hi everyone,

I am a rising M2 student and have done some research over the summer. However, I have been considering switching labs recently and could really use some advice.

I am thinking of applying to a competitive academic internal medicine program, and I would like to ask my research PI for LORs. However, my current lab (with PI1) has not gone great, and my supervisor has not been in the lab very much, and the project is going very slowly. I am concerned that I may not get much out of it after a year. And this is a big lab, my PI don't see me much or work with me much, so I am unsure if I will get a good letter from him in 2 years.

I have another lab that is also in the cardiology department (I want to become a cardiologist) that asked me to join their lab because they liked me a lot and really need people there. The lab is small, but if anything is published, I will likely be the first or second author. They publish faster than my current lab and are very proliferative. The thing is, the PI is a PhD and may not have enough connections to physicians, so when I apply, I may need to find other mentors to vouch for me. But I know that if I work there, I will be helpful to him and the lab so much that he will definitely write me a great letter.

Which one would you guys choose? Any advice is helpful. Thank you so much...

 

[Dral]

This is a tough one. I think I'd say that unless the MD/PhD you are currently working with is a big name that people would readily recognize on a letter, I'd go with the lab where you can get the most impactful research published.

 

[SftmDec]

This is a tough one. I think I'd say that unless the MD/PhD you are currently working with is a big name that people would readily recognize on a letter, I'd go with the lab where you can get the most impactful research published.

Thank you, I appreciate it. The PI from my current lab does not have a great name but is definitely a recognized professor at this institution. So I guess maybe it's a good idea to change.

 

[1 Up]

Go with the lab in the cardiology department. It's a no brainer based on your situation description. They like you, it's in field of medicine you want to go in to, you're more likely to publish, and more likely to receive a better LOR.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

Go with the lab in the cardiology department. It's a no brainer based on your situation description. They like you, it's in field of medicine you want to go in to, you're more likely to publish, and more likely to receive a better LOR.

Completely agree with this.

You want to work where you will get the most experience, have the best chance of publishing papers, and get to know the PI best. That is clearly the second lab. Even if the first lab had a “big name PI”, that doesn’t mean much if it leads to a lukewarm letter and no pubs. It’s much better to have a good letter from a smaller lab where they know you well and like you.

 

[gutonc]

Completely agree with this.

You want to work where you will get the most experience, have the best chance of publishing papers, and get to know the PI best. That is clearly the second lab. Even if the first lab had a “big name PI”, that doesn’t mean much if it leads to a lukewarm letter and no pubs. It’s much better to have a good letter from a smaller lab where they know you well and like you.

I will add that a big name might be helpful in the fellowship process but unless the lab you're working in is Dubin's, it won't mean s*** to anyone outside of that specific institution for the IM application.