Letters of rec ... ?

[Paws]

I am just begining third year and already I am wondering, what if I have a hard time finding good people to write me a LOR? I know, I know, don't project but I can't help it. My first rotation has been really hard (surgery) and I felt like I was left high and dry by my intern, who basically ignored me.

I have fears that this whole year will be a similar nightmare. My upperclass friends tell me that third year gets better, but it is definitely a nightmare. Should I just have faith that it will get better and that somewhere along the line a few good people will respond well to me and be willing to write me nice LORs? What do people do in order to line up a few people who might be willing to say good things about you? When I did my postbacc, I was surprised at how many people were really happy to write me letters, all my professors wrote really nice things for my committee letter and it was terrific to know that I had been so well-liked and respected by them. But this medicine thing is very different and the players don't seem as friendly or supportive ...

Paws is feeling mighty discouraged and it's only the begining ...

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[Winged Scapula]

I am just begining third year and already I am wondering, what if I have a hard time finding good people to write me a LOR? I know, I know, don't project but I can't help it. My first rotation has been really hard (surgery) and I felt like I was left high and dry by my intern, who basically ignored me.

I have fears that this whole year will be a similar nightmare. My upperclass friends tell me that third year gets better, but it is definitely a nightmare. Should I just have faith that it will get better and that somewhere along the line a few good people will respond well to me and be willing to write me nice LORs? What do people do in order to line up a few people who might be willing to say good things about you? When I did my postbacc, I was surprised at how many people were really happy to write me letters, all my professors wrote really nice things for my committee letter and it was terrific to know that I had been so well-liked and respected by them. But this medicine thing is very different and the players don't seem as friendly or supportive ...

Paws is feeling mighty discouraged and it's only the begining ...

Paws the start of your clinical years is quite a shock to the system...its different hours, different people, a different environment and the expectations are different. It is not even unusual for some starry-eyed MS3s to contemplate leaving medicine at this time because of the added stress.

We'll assume you are at least an average student with a pleasant personality. It is unlikely that your surgical intern was being unpleasant and unsupportive because of a problem with YOU, but rather everything you're feeling about being lost and discouraged, he's feeling 100 times over. Being a surgical intern is one of the worst types of misery (from someone who knows). Besides, he/she has nothing to do with your getting LORs. Most faculty will ask residents about a student if they are approached for a recommendation or evaluation, but they generally defer to senior residents unless the interns have something wildly different to say (ie, I've had med students kiss my &^* but found out that they were rude to the interns, refused to do work, etc. That DOES make a difference when the interns tell me that.)

At any rate, when you have decided what direction you want your career to take, you need to max your performance and exposure to the attendings in that field. Half-way through the rotation, ask them for a bit of a chat about how you're doing, ask the Chief or senior residents as well. Just don't ask when they seem really stressed or its really busy; they'll be less likely to take the time with you. When you are done with the rotation, approach the attending of choice, with your CV/resume and ask them if they would mind writing you an LOR. All faculty attendings assume this as part of their position and they will expect to be asked. If they won't or can't write you a good letter, then you want to know why (were you an idiot, rough with patients, etc.) because it won't help to slink away.

In the end, everyone goes through this, even the superstars, but most of us get good LORs (matter of fact, they are mind-numbingly repetitive, for the most part). And so will you.