When is the best time to request a LOR...

[gouda]

...is better to ask during the last week or a few weeks later?

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[Dr McSteamy]

the last day

 

[waldenwoods]

What I found helpful for me (and this is not to say this is the way you should do it) is asking for mid-rotation feedback from the attending to get a sense of where I stood. As long as the feedback is positive overall, then ask for the letter about a week before the end of the rotation, and then during the final week give him/her a copy of your CV + LOR cover page--this gives you the opportunity to briefly touch on some of your positive memories of the rotation, both on the day you ask for the letter and the day you give the attending the paperwork.

That said, I don't think it's going to hurt you to ask for a letter after the rotation ends; once my advisor recommended it, but then I told her that I had a letter from a different attending during that particular rotation and then she said that would do as well. Perhaps there are others who can post about postive experiences getting a letter after the rotation had ended.

 

[gouda]

Should the LOR be in a sealed envelope? Or should I ask to have it sent to my school?

 

[radslooking]

i agree with trying to get an idea beforehand if they are going to give you a good letter. i.e. asking for a midcycle evaluation or saying you may need an LOR in passing (be careful), etc. I would ask on the last day or near the last day lest you screw something up...which will make the situation quite awkward.

 

[lankysudanese]

i usually prefer to wait and see if they offer to write a LOR. if they don't by the end of the rotation, then i don't usually ask b/c that means that asking will just get me another generic letter. this is the only way to guarantee stellar letters (mainly b/c we never get to read the letters).

but then, i could see how the mid-rotation feedback style would work too.

 

[gouda]

i usually prefer to wait and see if they offer to write a LOR. if they don't by the end of the rotation, then i don't usually ask b/c that means that asking will just get me another generic letter. this is the only way to guarantee stellar letters (mainly b/c we never get to read the letters).

but then, i could see how the mid-rotation feedback style would work too.

Sounds like a good idea. Coincidentally my attending brought up the LOR on her own so I was worry for nothing.

 

[obiwan]

I'm going to be starting medicine as my first rotation next week and medicine is something that i may be interested in doing. should I get a LOR as a precaution if that is what I end up choosing?

also, how close do you need to be with an attending to get a decent LOR. i've heard that the only times that you see your attending is during rounds so i'm worried that an attending might not really remember who I am.

thanks

 

[Law2Doc]

i usually prefer to wait and see if they offer to write a LOR.

The culture at your school sounds very different. At some places, this would never ever happen. You don't ask, you don't get. Nobody seeks out additional work for themselves.

 

[medsRus]

If I won't be in the match season this year, but I will do a summer rotation in the states, should I ask for a recommendation now? Or wait until I am in the match to have them send it to ECFMG?

Also, is there a latest date for LORs for the match?

 

[lankysudanese]

The culture at your school sounds very different. At some places, this would never ever happen. You don't ask, you don't get. Nobody seeks out additional work for themselves.

I disagree. I think that attendings are actually eager to help students that they impress them. My impression is that they "agree" to write a LOR for solid students, and go out of their way to "offer" to write a LOR for stellar students.

 

[Ypo.]

I'm going to be starting medicine as my first rotation next week and medicine is something that i may be interested in doing. should I get a LOR as a precaution if that is what I end up choosing?

No. Don't waste an attendings time unless you are sure. A LOR saying how great you'll be in IM won't help much if you decide to do something else in the end.




My two cents; I didn't start asking until a month ago. But I worked on building several strong relationships with attendings throughout the year.

 

[jdh71]

It's also helpful to let them know you are willing to write an outline of the letter - attending see many, many students. They may have a very positive impression of you overall and think you will make a wonderful physician and want to recommend you highly but have forgotten certain specifics of your time together. Offer to write them a draft, from there they will edit as they see fit.

Also . . . make sure you are clear when you talk to them that they will be able to write you a GREAT letter. The upper levels of academics in the country tends to hyperbolize these letters a little, and if you cannot find at least three people to do this for you . . . what does that say . . .

Last point, you can submit 4 letters (at least per ERAS) if you did any significant research in Med School get a letter from whomever you worked with. The higher up the food chain the program you are applying to with respect to reputation nationally the more important these research letters will be.

 

[Law2Doc]

I disagree. I think that attendings are actually eager to help students that they impress them. My impression is that they "agree" to write a LOR for solid students, and go out of their way to "offer" to write a LOR for stellar students.

I don't know man, I know quite a few stellar students -- including folks who matched into good derm and optho programs-- and they still all had to bust a move and ask for LORs. Nothing fell into their laps. I'd say that at most schools if you wait for such an offer, you will be waiting forever.