Prelim Medicine Letters

[Futuredoc1364]

Hi, I am an MS4 and already submitted my applications to a ton of radiology programs and about 25 or so prelim medicine and 10 TY's. I am not the most competitive of all applicants for radiology but based on my research and asking people on this forum and my advisors I am still viable because I have applied broadly.

So anyways, here is my challenge. Of all core rotations, I passed medicine with pretty much most others HP or H. So I did not get a medicine letter because I was mostly worried about radiology program letters and for those a medicine letter is not absolutely required.

To my prelim programs so far I have submitted a family med and a radiology letter. I received one (and my first) medicine prelim invite yesterday and it was from a program I added to my list on Sunday. Also all my letters were uploaded to ERAS last week so I was only able to designate them to the prelim programs over the weekend (From what I have heard, most programs don't look at my applications until I have at least one letter in, which means that most of them began looking at my application this week even though I submitted Sept. 2.

At this point, I already have one surgery and one letter from my research mentor (in addition to my family med and radiology letter) uploaded to ERAS but I have not designated them to prelim programs yet. I am kind of worried to designate a surgery letter to medicine prelim haha. Here is the thing though. I am doing my medicine sub-I right now and I am doing really well. I have been working with the same attending for the past 2.5 weeks and I think I will work with him for my next 1.5 weeks. I was wondering, do you think I should even bother asking him a medicine letter? I mean, I know this is pretty late in the season, but I figured even if he could submit it by mid-October, it can still be sent to prelim programs.

I know I should have probably tried to have my med sub-I early in 4th year, but I wanted to take step 2 early in July and I also had a radiology rotation in August. So anyways, do you think I should ask for a medicine letter? Oh I should also mention that I am waiting on a peds letter that I asked from a peds ICU attending but I am beginning to think it will not come in anytime soon (I asked for that in June).

I just don't know how to go about asking for the medicine letter. I guess I could explain my situation and the attending will be helpful. I am quite certain this letter will be a strong one because the attending has mentioned a few times in front of the residents that "this student is good!"

I have already asked some people in the radiology forum and they said it probably doesn't matter but I figured I could ask people here as well.
Good luck to those applying this year!

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[ablumoon]

Mention to him that you would like to get a letter from him now; just say that I am applying and have learned a lot from you, and I am applying to residencies at the moment...and was hoping to ask you for a letter of recommendation at the end of the rotation. Feel him and his response out. If he seems that this is something he would feel okay with doing, then reiterate that you are thankful but that you understand and apologize in advance for the time crunch since you are already "well into the application process."

You have nothing to lose and having an extra letter from this person will not hurt you. Good luck

 

[Green Chimneys]

Just put in letters, any letters. If you're competitive enough to apply to radiology then getting a prelim medicine spot will be a walk in the park. I forgot to apply to prelim medicine programs until Halloween (oops!), only applied to 10, it appears I had similar to slightly worse grades than you, had no medicine LOR, I had not taken taken step 2, and I almost guarantee you that my step 1 score was more marginal than yours. Despite that I got 6/10 interview offers, went on 3 of them, and matched my top prelim choice. These spots are space fillers for programs, and unless your LORs are a total sabotage, you'll get a spot. A letter from medicine certainly wouldn't hurt you, but you aren't shooting yourself in the foot by not having one either.

 

[Futuredoc1364]

Thanks for the replies guys. In fact I talked to my medicine attending on Friday and gave him all the necessary documents today (I was taking weekend call). He said he will hopefully send the letter to my Dean's office by the middle of this coming week.

I also got another prelim invite last Thursday. Funny thing my Pediatric ICU letter also came in last week as well. So I am thinking I will assign both my peds and medicine letters to my prelim programs. My applications will be complete except MSPE letter. No radiology invites yet though