lor

[hammersmith]

Hi friends,

I have a question for you. I am IMG, applying to Internal medicine. I have a LOR from my Head of department (chairman of Internal medicine). But the letter is not very impressive. I have 3 other LORS from USA. Good ones but from different specialty not Internal Medicine. My problem is, when I apply to programs in California, I can choose 3 LORS and one California status letter. I don't know if I have to use the LOR from my Internal Medicine Chairman or is it better to use the other 3 US LORS. There are programs which specifically ask for LOR from chairman of Internal Medicine. I am confused. Please help.

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[andwhat]

Hi friends,

I have a question for you. I am IMG, applying to Internal medicine. I have a LOR from my Head of department (chairman of Internal medicine). But the letter is not very impressive. I have 3 other LORS from USA. Good ones but from different specialty not Internal Medicine. My problem is, when I apply to programs in California, I can choose 3 LORS and one California status letter. I don't know if I have to use the LOR from my Internal Medicine Chairman or is it better to use the other 3 US LORS. There are programs which specifically ask for LOR from chairman of Internal Medicine. I am confused. Please help.

the head of dept usually does not write great letters, unless there is some connection going on ... like another attending gives the head a clue about you... and to spiffy it up.... its a tedious process.. but overall, its the dept head that has the most authority... then again a great letter from another attending would be good.. .which brings me to the final question..... which one weighs more.. a mediocre letter from a department head, or a great letter from an attending.... man decisions decisions decisions...

 

[Kilgorian]

I wouldn't send a letter if it's not strongly in your support. It can be the nail in your coffin.

If they require a chair letter, then you have to send it. Otherwise, I would send the strongest letters.

Try to get a strong letter from someone in IM if you can, then you could send that instead of your chair's.

Come to think of it, how do you know anyways? I didn't get to read any of mine.

 

[hammersmith]

the head of dept usually does not write great letters, unless there is some connection going on ... like another attending gives the head a clue about you... and to spiffy it up.... its a tedious process.. but overall, its the dept head that has the most authority... then again a great letter from another attending would be good.. .which brings me to the final question..... which one weighs more.. a mediocre letter from a department head, or a great letter from an attending.... man decisions decisions decisions...

I wouldn't have problems to choose between mediocre LOR from my head of dept and the attendings. My problem is the attendings are from well reputed schools in USA, not from my country. But, they belong to Neurology not Internal Medicine.

 

[hammersmith]

I wouldn't send a letter if it's not strongly in your support. It can be the nail in your coffin.

If they require a chair letter, then you have to send it. Otherwise, I would send the strongest letters.

Try to get a strong letter from someone in IM if you can, then you could send that instead of your chair's.

Come to think of it, how do you know anyways? I didn't get to read any of mine.

Thanks for your reply. Being a FMG in USA makes it difficult for me to go back to my country to get LORs anymore. To get good LOR from someone in IM dept in USA needs at least 6 months. Since the application process for Residency has already started, I am helpless.

I didn't read the LORs from USA. But, I know that the letters are good because I have worked sincerely for one year to get them. I didn't waive my rights to see the LOR I got from Head of Dept., from my country. So, I was able to read it.

 

[BellKicker]

Hammersmith, if you don't mind....

I was always wondering which of my letters might pass for being written by a chair.

I have two letters, both from the biggest babboon of internal medicine in two different university Hospitals. One called himself Chief of Staff and one called himself Head of Department. Do you think they neccesarily pass for letters from a chair?

Is it always top guy=chair or what?

 

[hammersmith]

Hammersmith, if you don't mind....

I was always wondering which of my letters might pass for being written by a chair.

I have two letters, both from the biggest babboon of internal medicine in two different university Hospitals. One called himself Chief of Staff and one called himself Head of Department. Do you think they neccesarily pass for letters from a chair?

Is it always top guy=chair or what?

In India, Head of the Dept., is the superior most post in each speciality. We don't have chairman there. So, I thought HOD= chair. Sorry, I am not familiar with heirarchy of the medical system in USA.

 

[Blade28]

Hammersmith, if you don't mind....

I was always wondering which of my letters might pass for being written by a chair.

I have two letters, both from the biggest babboon of internal medicine in two different university Hospitals. One called himself Chief of Staff and one called himself Head of Department. Do you think they neccesarily pass for letters from a chair?

Is it always top guy=chair or what?

Usually, there's a Chief of Staff for each individual hospital. For the hospitals that are affiliated with a specific university program, there would also be a "Department Head." Then, for that residency (e.g. IM), there would be a "Program Director" and "Chairman" (these two positions may be held by the same person, though).

 

[BellKicker]

Ah.

In that case both letter writers are actually chairs.

Not that it makes any difference, really.

 

[Blade28]

Ah.

In that case both letter writers are actually chairs.

Not that it makes any difference, really.

Huh?

Thought I made it clear there was only one Chairman per department?

Now I'm confused...

 

[BellKicker]

No, they are at different hospitals and different residency programs.