Worried about letters

[dragoncat]

I just finished an elective in pediatrics and it did not go as well as I wanted. I knew from the get go that the preceptor and I didnt vibe and she also didn't answer any of my questions about what her expectations were of me for the elective. Naturally, at the end she politely declined from writing me a letter and basically said I wasn't performing at the level that a 3rd yr clerk should be at. 

I was confused by this as another peds elective I did resulted in 2 preceptors offering to write strong letters and was also able to secure a letter from my core peds rotation. 

I guess my question is, should I just treat this as a one off and focus on getting letters in 4th yr electives? The fact that peds is becoming more and more competitive is what's making me overthink the whole situation. 

[IMislove]

Yeah some people you just won’t vibe with, it happens. I would definitely wait for 4th year to get even stronger letters, ideally from the same people you’ve said would write you one, kinda hard to write a letter from impressions you had a year ago. Plus you’ll be a stronger clerk.

[bearded frog]

Much better to not get a letter from that rotation than begging for a letter that is not positive... would be a huge poison pill on your app.

[shikimate]

That'll happen no matter how hard you try. There are just some people whom you'll never get along with so just move on. You have plenty of time in 4th year electives for more letters. There's lots of politics, emotions and personal grudges in medicine and people will make vague subjective claims of other's abilities based on their own biases and their perception or select skewed cases to make an argument (eg so and so screwed up this case, therefore they aren't competent in anything etc). 

In real life this will happen too and you just don't take it personally. For example if you refer someone, some will think you did a great workup, some will think you didn't do enough workup, some will think the answer was obvious and didn't need a consult, some will think the case warrants consult etc. You might get 2 different answers to the same question depending on which person you ask etc. We used to joke that if you have an equivocal thyroid FNA and want a diagnosis of PTC you refer to expertX and if you want a benign diagnosis you refer to expertY lol.

Honestly in the end if you can pass your royal college and get to work then that's all it matters. 

[HoopDreams]

On 4/8/2022 at 9:54 AM, dragoncat said:

I just finished an elective in pediatrics and it did not go as well as I wanted. I knew from the get go that the preceptor and I didnt vibe and she also didn't answer any of my questions about what her expectations were of me for the elective. Naturally, at the end she politely declined from writing me a letter and basically said I wasn't performing at the level that a 3rd yr clerk should be at. 

I was confused by this as another peds elective I did resulted in 2 preceptors offering to write strong letters and was also able to secure a letter from my core peds rotation. 

I guess my question is, should I just treat this as a one off and focus on getting letters in 4th yr electives? The fact that peds is becoming more and more competitive is what's making me overthink the whole situation. 

You are better off without this letter. Imagine if she had agreed to write it and would have written what she told you? Don't take it personally, try to improve and come back stronger in your next electives.

[Findanus]

You can't please everyone, and some people aren't worth pleasing at all. 

 

Move on and don't look back at this one. She's a write off.