Here is my situation: I have LOR’s from people at my home institution and I am hoping to grab some LORs from my away rotations. Do I need to include, for instance, my program chairman’s letter in my application to my home program, or should I only include his LOR in other programs? Basically, should I use an away LOR in place of a LOR from someone in my home program when applying to said program? The same goes for applying to my sub-i programs. Should I include LORs from the sub-i that I received a letter from, or substitute them for my home program’s letters?

bovie - 07 July 2010 06:56 PM

Here is my situation: I have LOR’s from people at my home institution and I am hoping to grab some LORs from my away rotations. Do I need to include, for instance, my program chairman’s letter in my application to my home program, or should I only include his LOR in other programs? Basically, should I use an away LOR in place of a LOR from someone in my home program when applying to said program? The same goes for applying to my sub-i programs. Should I include LORs from the sub-i that I received a letter from, or substitute them for my home program’s letters?

Your home chair’s LOR must be present in EVERY application you send out.  Not having a letter from your home chair raises red flags and will prompt questions during interviews.  Letters from people who know you well (usually your home institution) are generally of higher quality than letters from people who don’t know you well.

Ok, so my home chair’s letter needs to be in my home application...sounds good. Thank you!

Question re: timing of LOR.  My school starts 4th year a month later than most, so I’ll be doing my home AI in September.  I know my chairman fairly well, but feel a letter could be made stronger with additional face time during my AI.  My question is, should a letter from the Chairman go out with my ERAS submission, assuming Sept 1, or is it acceptable to have the letter added later on but prior to interviews?  Is the chairman’s letter crucial to getting interview offers?  As of now, I’m planning to ask for a LOR during my AI. 

Thanks!

Most places will screen applicants and offer interviews based on your scores, grades, med school, and research experience.  Hardly anyone will read a letter to decide who to interview, and you’d be much better off getting a strong letter from your chairman, even if it means having to wait an extra month or so.

Don’t forget that, according to threads from last year, many interview offers didn’t go out until MSPEs were released Nov 1. You probably will have your letter submitted to ERAS by then, so many programs will see it prior to an offer, even if they don’t read it.

Many programs offer interviews well before MSPEs are released, once a minimum number of LORs are in. You don’t need to have every letter submitted early, but I would highly recommend that you have at least 2 submitted ASAP.

My advice is push for min 3 LOR to be in EARLY, otherwise youll be put on the back burner while other applicants fill up the limited interview slots.

NervousSystem and DoItLive, are you both saying that interviews aren’t offered until 2-3 letters are submitted?  I have 3 LORs, but only 1 from a neurosurgeon.  The others are from a well-known general surgeon and a family doc (of little use I realize).  Could these two be used to fill the # of LOR requirements until additional neurosurgeon letters can be added/substituted?  Or will programs wait for 2-3 letters from neurosurgeons?  I realize neurosurgeons only really care about letters from neurosurgeons, but I wondered how much a role LOR play in the interview offering stage.  Re: letter from the chairman.  I have worked his clinic and been in his cases, and based on his feedback did well.  Additionally, we have had sit down talks and a fair amount of face time, but I figured more face time = a more positive, personal letter.  However, from most of the posts, it seems like it would be better to ask now and have an additional neurosurgeon letter rather than wait for the additional face time. 

Thanks for the help.

I think it depends on the program.  I’ve been interview offers go out based on other aspects of the application, even if all the letters aren’t there or are not all from neurosurgeons.  While I wouldn’t depend on this, I do think it’s advantageous to get your application in early.  It’s not a big deal to send in additional letters later.

Where not enough letters from neurosurgeons may hurt you is during the interview process when your application is scrutinized immediately prior to your interview.

Good luck.