asking for LOR's, how?

[Mirror Form]

Is it considered bad form for a medical student to ask doctors for LOR's via email? Should I do it in person even if they're hard to track down? Also, what information do they need other then my CV and personal statement?

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[spacetygrss]

Ooooh. Good question.

I'd like to add on another. How do you go about asking for LOR's from attendings in fields that you aren't pursuing? For instance, I'm applying for anesthesiology and was told that in addition to anesthesia letters, I should ask for at least one letter from an attending in an unrelated specialty (the Dean said that this shows that you are an all-around hard worker). It just seems strange to me to walk up to someone and say "Hello Dr. X. I'm not going into your speciality, but will you write me a good LOR?"

Thanks in advance.

 

[GeneGoddess]

I'm not sure about the email (I need to get someone to write me a letter, but she's NEVER in her office...but she's written me letters before, so email may be ok). I made an appointment with the dean of my dept to ask for a letter from him (required for some programs). I also emailed my core rotation attending to ask for a letter, but I'd met with him a few weeks prior to get his advice, so it wasn't COMPLETELY cold. Why don't you email them to ask for an appt to pick their brain?

With regards to the non-speciality LOR: I asked for a letter from my psych attending for a pedi residency. But he's also a CHILD psychiatrist. I think that you should meet with them the same way...

 

[axm397]

Really depends on your relationship with the attending and if there's a good reason why you can't meet him/her in person. I emailed one attending to ask him for a LOR - but that was because he was in Cleveland and I was in PA. Other than that, I met with all my other letter writers in person. I gave them my CV and PS, and told them why I wanted to go into my field. I am going into PM&R but I asked an IM doc, a Med/Peds doc (and PD), and 3 PM&R docs for LORs. They didn't really care that I was not going into their field - they already tried to convince me to go into their field during the rotation - but mostly wanted to help me.

If you know for sure that you can get GOOD letters out of them, then perhaps email is fine. BUT if there's any degree of uncertainty, it may be good to meet with them in person to get a "feel" of their feelings toward you. Definitely send thank you cards at some point - whether it be when they agree to write you a letter, when they finish writing it, or when you match.

 

[Samir Desai]

I have had conversations about this with other attendings. Most feel that it is better for students to ask for a letter of recommendation in person. Of course, sometimes, circumstances are such that you cannot ask in person. As axm397 mentioned, if you are in a different city, it may not be possible. But if you are in the same city, it's always better to schedule an appointment. Then when you are face to face, you can ask the attending for a strong letter of recommendation. By doing it in person, you can ascertain the attending's feelings, as axm397 mentioned. If you notice any hesitation or feel that the attending is not going to be fully supportive of your application, you can choose someone else. These are things that are hard to note when you communicate by email.

It's perfectly fine to ask an attending outside of the specialty you are applying to for a letter. Attendings receive such requests all the time. Don't be afraid to approach them.

Samir Desai, MD