Letters of Rec

[CCKS]

So i know this will stir some controversy, but i think it's a valid question to ask. If you are applying to academic programs in orthopaedics does it impact the utility of your letter if the attending writing your rec is an MD vs a DO. I already have a few well known spine surgeons supporting my application and my third letter would be from a medicine chairman that knows me pretty well, only catch is he is a DO. Think i am better served finding a 3rd ortho to write for me? This is should not turn into a DO vs MD discussion, but i'd just like some advice

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[moquito_17]

So i know this will stir some controversy, but i think it's a valid question to ask. If you are applying to academic programs in orthopaedics does it impact the utility of your letter if the attending writing your rec is an MD vs a DO. I already have a few well known spine surgeons supporting my application and my third letter would be from a medicine chairman that knows me pretty well, only catch is he is a DO. Think i am better served finding a 3rd ortho to write for me? This is should not turn into a DO vs MD discussion, but i'd just like some advice

In general, you are better off with a letter from an orthopaedic surgeon than a non-orthopaedic surgeon. Good letters have a personal connection between the letter-writer and the letter-reader. You are unlikley to have that if they are in different fields. (IM vs ortho).

Hope this helps,

 

[sscooterguy]

So i know this will stir some controversy, but i think it's a valid question to ask. If you are applying to academic programs in orthopaedics does it impact the utility of your letter if the attending writing your rec is an MD vs a DO. I already have a few well known spine surgeons supporting my application and my third letter would be from a medicine chairman that knows me pretty well, only catch is he is a DO. Think i am better served finding a 3rd ortho to write for me? This is should not turn into a DO vs MD discussion, but i'd just like some advice

I agree with moquito, DO or MD isn't whats important, its Ortho or not. My chair told me he regards Ortho letter higher than any other specialty. I told him I could get a letter from the IM chair and he said that would be ok, but he'd rather see ortho, even if its just a regular attending...but he also said that's just him...then again he has also been the residency director at 3 other academic programs.

In short, get your IM letter (DO or MD doesn't matter) if that's gonna be your last letter any way. If you can get a surgery letter that would be better (I'm only assuming), and ortho would probably be best. From the programs I've checked out, many of them require 4 letters, so get as many as you can right now if you know they will be good and you can sort it out later.

sscooterguy