Trouble getting letters of rec for ERAS please help

[helpppplease121]

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[mvenus929]

Did you have a family medicine rotation? How did you do? Did you do any research? Have any attendings that worked with you both in pre-clerkship and clerkship years? What are you doing this month? Who is your peds letter from? How was your overall peds evaluation/how many attendings did you work with?

 

[helpppplease121]

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[FlowLimited]

I need some clarification. Have you actually asked other docs for letters or are you embarrassed to do so because of your Step 1 score? If you haven't even asked, then you need to gather some courage and just do it. It sounds like your interactions with pediatricians haven't been stellar. What are you doing in July and August? Can you add in a pediatric elective?

 

[helpppplease121]

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[FlowLimited]

1.) I have only asked one pediatrics attending because I felt very confident that he would write me a strong letter. The other peds hospitalist whom I worked with on the inpatient peds rotation gave me some feedback about how I could do certain things better (like making sure a patient's mom has all the home meds in order and making sure they are informed about the meds) to be an honors student. That was why I felt uncomfortable asking her for a letter. It seemed like she wasn't super impressed with me, even though I think she liked me fine enough and I did well on the rotation overall.

That sounds like constructive feedback. Unless there's more to the story, I would certainly ask this person for a letter.

2.) July I am studying for step 2. In August I am doing a peds elective clinic because my school could not fit me into an AI in August, unfortunately. We do scheduling by a lottery system and I got unlucky and my AI isn't until September. I feel like I really need that AI letter. I'm not sure if trying to get two letters from my August peds elective rotation is reasonable.

With the hospitalist and elective letter you'll at least have the minimum. You can add the AI letter to your application once you have it.

 

[mvenus929]

Thanks for your reply. My fam medicine attending was not affiliated with an academic center and my school discourages letters from non-academic clinicians. I got an HP in that rotation but it was in August 2016, doubt she remembers me now.

I did research first year of medical school but don't feel comfortable asking the person who I did research with because honestly I don't think he was that impressed with me.

This month I am finishing a 2-week neurology rotation and studying for step 2. I am also helping write an IRB for a neonatology fellow, potentially could ask for a letter from one of the NICU attendings as I'm doing my AI in the NICU, but that's not until September. I haven't had much if any face-time with the NICU attending overseeing the project. It's really all the fellow's idea and she's in charge of the IRB.

Your school can discourage you all they want, if you impressed this FM attending, it's worth asking for a letter, especially if you have few other options. If you HP or H in another rotation, ask one of those attendings for a letter... Peds isn't as particular about letters from within the specialty. You should absolutely get a letter from your attending in August, and from your AI, but you should try to get a different letter before the application deadline so you can add the stellar AI letter later.

TLDR: get three letters before Sept 1st, one from your August elective. Add your AI letter to your application once you get it.

 

[physicsnerd42]

Thanks for your reply. My fam medicine attending was not affiliated with an academic center and my school discourages letters from non-academic clinicians. I got an HP in that rotation but it was in August 2016, doubt she remembers me now.

Your school is steering you wrong. I had a letter from a family med physician not at an academic medical center and it was brought up more at interviews (in a favorable way) than any of my other letters. I also got interviews at 100% of the places I applied to. A good letter is a good letter, especially in Peds (well, as long as it's from a physician you worked closely with). Ask the family med doc for a letter




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