Switching to Peds, advice needed!

[HeartofChambers]

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Hello lovely folks, I wanted your advice, appreciate any responses.

Background: US medical graduate and US citizen from a top med school, also got a MPH from a top school and did a year of internal medicine. After did work aboard and became inspired to go into pediatrics. Unfortunately though I never did a sub-internship during 4th year in Pediatrics and therefore have no letter of rec from a Pediatrician.

Questions:
1. Am I at a huge disadvantage given my history?
2. If I could get a letter from someone in a foreign country who is a Pediatrician who I worked with closely, would this be frowned upon or look odd? The doctor is not an American doctor or US trained but does work for a well known International organization.
3. Any additional words of wisdom would help too !

Thank you for your help !!

 

[oldbearprofessor]

Hello lovely folks, I wanted your advice, appreciate any responses.

Background: US medical graduate and US citizen from a top med school, also got a MPH from a top school and did a year of internal medicine. After did work aboard and became inspired to go into pediatrics. Unfortunately though I never did a sub-internship during 4th year in Pediatrics and therefore have no letter of rec from a Pediatrician.

Questions:
1. Am I at a huge disadvantage given my history?
2. If I could get a letter from someone in a foreign country who is a Pediatrician who I worked with closely, would this be frowned upon or look odd? The doctor is not an American doctor or US trained but does work for a well known International organization.
3. Any additional words of wisdom would help too !

Thank you for your help !!

1. No
2. Sure, why not. Pediatric program directors would probably not know that person, but, so what? A good letter is a good letter.
3. Welcome to a wonderful field! As usual, advice is to apply broadly to a range of sizes of programs if you are geographically able to do so.

 

[michigangirl]

All sounds good-- you need to be very expressive about your reasons for switching to pediatrics, including the experiences that shaped you abroad.

 

[HeartofChambers]

thank you both for your kind words. I have been looking at different websites of residency programs and many do not specify needing a letter from a Pediatrician. I am wondering do you feel that I should get this letter from the foreign doctor I worked with aboard in a pediatrics capacity or get one from my 3rd year clerkship director who knows me but only worked with a few times.

Thank you again

 

[twilightdoc]

thank you both for your kind words. I have been looking at different websites of residency programs and many do not specify needing a letter from a Pediatrician. I am wondering do you feel that I should get this letter from the foreign doctor I worked with aboard in a pediatrics capacity or get one from my 3rd year clerkship director who knows me but only worked with a few times.

You should talk with your clerkship director about a letter. If he/she worked with you directly, it could be a "combination" letter- part of it would reflect your overall clerkship performance and part of it would be the clerkship director's own impressions after working with you. There are a few Peds programs that still ask for a "Chairman's letter" or "Clerkship letter", and most of those seem to accept a letter from the clerkship director.
And most programs are asking for a total of 3 letters, but will accept 4. If you choose to get a letter from your international Peds contact, I would probably make that your 4th letter. (Some programs might wonder why you couldn't find 3 letter-writers from your US experiences who could recommend you).

 

[michigangirl]

I agree with twilightdoc, that 4th letter should be your international pediatrician, sounds like they will be able to write a very strong, personal and meaningful letter for you, which will underline why you are switching to pediatrics.

 

[HeartofChambers]

thank you all for your VERY helpful responses. I am indebted and grateful!!!

Thank you !