Who writes the internal medicine department chair letter?

[Kalogada]

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Title. My school does not have a teaching hospital or in house residency program. Is this something I ask my school about?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Yes.

The answer is probably your clerkship director.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Every school has a department chair even if it's just one preceptor that took on the role so they can put it on their CV

 

[NotAProgDirector]

The "Department Chair Letter" is a misnomer. At US allopathic schools, it is never written by the dept chair. It is written by either the clerkship director or by a committee. It's a standardized letter, much like the MSPE but focusing only on IM rotations and experiences. It is essentially useless at DO schools or for IMG's, as usually they get a letter from a "chair" who knows nothing about them.

The classic example is SGU. Their "chair" letter is exactly word-for-word the same for every applicant.

IM programs should change their requirements to "a department summary letter if your school offers such"