Page 1 of 5: Tips: For letters of recommendation (LOR) in USMLE

dsha · Credits: 3173 My Scrapbook

hi everyone,

what ground should an ideal letter of reco cover?

i've browsed sites and senior's lors and find:

it should be addressed to the program director/ to whomsoever it may concern

duration for which the recommender has known recommendee/ in what capacity
in the first para

training and special skills in para 2

para 3 about character

para 4 about awards, publications/extra-curriculars

is there any other point(s) to be added? how can we make on'e's lor stand out from the crowd?

i know we have to get at least 3 original copies of the lor (? because we have to hand in the original at time of interview and it may not be returned?) and that it should include contact details of the recommender.

other queries:

i know its a must/better to get an lor from medicine dept whatever specialty i apply to. obviously surgery for aspiring obg/surgery residents. any other useful/musts on the list which varies according to the specialty chosen?

please add on/ correct any other info that might come in useful for preparing lor's/ statement of purpose.

thanks friends!

AshB · Credits: 41913 My Scrapbook My Reading List 6 Books

Hey dsha thanks for d useful info!!!

dsha · Credits: 3173 My Scrapbook

ash b!

most welcome.

dsha · Credits: 3173 My Scrapbook

wanted to add:

1) if possible request the recommender to use your first name in refering to you in the letter, rather than he/ she.

2) if the recommender has himself/ herself contributed significantly to the field ask for a gist of the persons accomplishments to be placed in the intro.

this adds weight to an img's foreign lor, otherwise the value of the recommendermaynt be known.

3) make sure it is dated, some programs dont accept undated ones.

4) lor should preferrably be as recent as possible

5) it may be useful to have a well prepared concise cv to help recommender include the salient features
you might even fwd a template for an lor

6) provide sufficient time for a recommender to prepare an lor. its rude/ impractical to expect immediate responce to your request

7) follow up your lor with a letter of thanks. makes a good impression. remember the recommender may be approached to confirm details and he/ she is more likely to remember a professional and courteous student

8) occasionally one might run into a recommender who says i'll sign whatever you prepare. dream come true! be prepared to make full use of the opportunity

9) little hint that most take for granted. grammatical/ spelling errors can be lethal. if possible, check a draft of the letter before its finalized.

10) another little hint. please use AMERICAN spellings. friend of mine's first 3 exciting interview questions " why does your lor spell programme director with -mme. it should be program director"

the rest of the interview was history

they do say the most valued lor's are from US doctors, so try if you can get some of those

good luck!

KalaKauaa · Credits: 483 My Scrapbook

how can a FMG obtain LoRs from US doctors? do the LoRs from Indian doctors hold good?

sneha_usmle · Credits: 1527 My Scrapbook

hellow dsha,

u stated that 3 originals should be taken to submit them for interviews!

what does originals means?r they! colour xerox of statements of lors?if s! all r

saying that 1 is enuf ?what do u say abt this ?n i got from medicine,surgery,obg,

casuality!

dated means is it enuf if they mention the date along with their(professors) sign?

gudluck!

dsha · Credits: 3173 My Scrapbook

hi

lors from indian doctors are good.

from what i hear the impotance is

US lor USCE> US observership> Us research assistant Indian LOr

amongst indian lor's how well known your recommender is makes a difference

how to get a US lor?

try for an externship/ observer/ research asst post

some say non-desi US lor is better (but lets not split hairs here). I'm very pro-desi

dsha · Credits: 3173 My Scrapbook

sneha,

i meant 3 separate originals, not photocopies. its not mandatory. just to be on the safe side.

you can get your lor's from whichever specialty you need
always good to have 1 from medicine

and dated means exactly what you said.

hope it helps

bye

rajju077 · Credits: 35423 My Scrapbook My Reading List 1 Books

dsha · Credits: 3173 My Scrapbook

hi,

of course you can get lor's from specialist consultants. it carries weight if they know you in your capacity as student/ employee.

to quote what i'd already written on the subject

duration for which the recommender has known recommendee/ in what capacity
in the first para

if you are going to be with these specialists for a short duration you may want to ask them to retain a copy of the lor for future reference i.e. for when crosschecking of your details by program directors

hope that helps!

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