Lor

[tharkuhn]

Is a chair letter an absolute requirement?

thanks.

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[chirurgino]

Is a chair letter an absolute requirement?

thanks.

I don't know that a letter from your chairman is an absolute requirement, but I certainly got positive comments from faculty on the interview trail about the letter my chairman wrote for me, especially since he apparently has a reputation for not writing many strong letters. I'm not saying this is true for all institutions, but my chairman wrote a letter primarily based on my CV and my performance on the sub-I (and evals from other faculty and residents), NOT based on any personal knowledge of me. My sense is that a lot of chairmen are used to writing letters of support for students that they may not know very well...? But maybe people have other opinions.

 

[resxn]

Is a chair letter an absolute requirement?

thanks.

Maybe not your chairman, but I would say that a letter from a chairman is pretty much a must-do. There are plenty of applicants who do not have a department of otolaryngology at their school. Creighton is an example.

As a prior member of admissions committees, I'd say an average chairman's letter raises less questions than no chairman's letter at all. The reason: just about every chair knows every other chair. They know them by reputation, by previous letters, by department quality, by personality, and often as friends or former colleagues in residency or in the same department.

For example, purely hypothetically, if you interview at my program and you're from UTSW and you don't have a letter from Dr. Roland, I'm going to wonder why. Because, as a chairman, I know him. I know what he likes and doesn't like in residents. I talk to him at meetings. I know his department is very respectable. I know he usually supports his med students and why he's not supporting you would raise questions.

The question to really ask is which chairman will write you the best letter. Is it from the biggest name? The one who knows you best? The one that you know writes awesome letters? That really unfortunately boils down to a crap shoot. Personally, I'd take one from the chair who I think will write the best letter about me beyond just the cookie-cutter stuff whether that was from a home department or an outside one.

Chairman letters can really set you apart if written well. They are rarely negative and harmful, but if they are cookie-cutter, they are usually see-through and don't help much more than your current CV does.

 

[Sonnet]

I didn't have a letter from our chairman (or from any chairman), and still matched my top choice. I've heard conflicting opinions on your question, and for what it's worth, I was told by one interviewer that I would have had plenty more interviews if I'd had a chairman's letter. I couldn't stand the idea of getting an LOR from someone who hardly knew me, though.