LOR Choice for Carms

[Guest tongtongcuty]

Greetings. For most programs in Canada, 3 is required number of LOR. If you have 2 letters from your own institution, and two from US schools, how will you assign them for the Carms? Ideally, you will use all 2 from your own institution when you apply there. But when you apply other institution in Canada whereas you have no electives done there, will it look bad if you use 2 home-school institution letters and one US letter? Or should it be just one home institution and two US letters?

 

Thanks

[Lactic Folly]

1) Strongest letter

2) Letter writer known to committee

[Dany]

1) Strongest letter

2) Letter writer known to committee

 

+1

cant agree more

[Guest tongtongcuty]

I don't think you understand. Being a US grad only allows two months rotations in Canada, in which both are used in the institution I want to apply.

As a return, two letters were generated. Using those letters for this institution is a must, but as for other institutions in Canada, will they consider negatively by the fact you did not rotate there and using two letters from the other school?

 

Thanks

[A-Stark]

You mean, will other schools be offended that you didn't do an elective at their centres and - consequently - had no choice but to use letters from other places? It doesn't really matter.

[Guest tongtongcuty]

Thanks for the quick reply. So which way is a better tactic: use two from the only canadian institution that you had done elective to apply other canadian institutions or just one with another two US letters?

 

Thanks

[failingtothrive]

you're thinking way too much about this. which three letters are the best? that's the only question you need to answer.

[Guest tongtongcuty]

Given the fact that you don't what's being written in the letter and they all promised a supporting letter. How do you proceed from there?

 

Thanks

[failingtothrive]

pick whichever one you think is best...who did you work with most? who is the nicest? if this doesn't give you an answer, then eenie meenie miney mo.

[A-Stark]

If you can submit all four of them, do that. If you know one of them less or expect that it won't be as strong a letter, get rid of that one if you can only use three.

[Dany]

I really don't think there's a difference between an US or a CAN referee, they must be both considered reliable here, as compared to an IMG (I mean, *real* IMG from outside of North America) getting a letter from a third-world country. (no offense to those countries though)

[wildcard]

I really don't think there's a difference between an US or a CAN referee, they must be both considered reliable here, as compared to an IMG (I mean, *real* IMG from outside of North America) getting a letter from a third-world country. (no offense to those countries though)

 

Right, because North Americans are so much more articulate than those damn referees from 'third-world' countries. Wow.

[wildcard]

I've seen great foreign docs, and foreign docs that I think will eventually kill someone due to their combined incompetence and hubris. I've seen the same with domestic docs, but the worst case I've seen is a doc that trained in one of those countries for which stigma exist. Guy is still a resident but man, one of these days someone is going to die.

 

I get what you mean...

 

Drifting away from original post now...

 

Yet, somehow this guy managed to land a residency in Canada, whereas other CSAs who did not train in third-world countries are snubbed. I've heard stories in the Maritimes too, of such docs. But in the cases I've heard, the residents/docs are usually fully trained from their native country which is why they were given priority over a freshly graduated CSA who is essentially Cdn.

 

Pfft....I don't even know if my post makes sense, I'm at work and exhausted!

[Dany]

I get what you mean...

 

Drifting away from original post now...

 

Yet, somehow this guy managed to land a residency in Canada, whereas other CSAs who did not train in third-world countries are snubbed. I've heard stories in the Maritimes too, of such docs. But in the cases I've heard, the residents/docs are usually fully trained from their native country which is why they were given priority over a freshly graduated CSA who is essentially Cdn.

 

Pfft....I don't even know if my post makes sense, I'm at work and exhausted!

 

Hi wildcard

I am not here to make any judgement or whatsoever.

I NEVER said CMG is more competent that IMG or vice versa, needless to mention all my pleasant experiences with IMGs

 

I am here just to tell the fact, that selection committee often tend to give less credit to LoR from outside of North America

this fact, while maybe not politically correct, is NOT necessarily MY point of view

 

I might have thought too much, but I did smell sarcasm from your replies.

 

Peace

[wildcard]

Hi wildcard

I am not here to make any judgement or whatsoever.

I NEVER said CMG is more competent that IMG or vice versa, needless to mention all my pleasant experiences with IMGs

 

I agree, you didn't. I didn't say you did, or did I imply that.

 

I am here just to tell the fact, that selection committee often tend to give less credit to LoR from outside of North America

this fact, while maybe not politically correct, is NOT necessarily MY point of view

 

I get your point...and I agree that selection committees most likely tend to favor a North American referee. But 'outside of North America' doesn't automatically = 'third-world countries' where in fact, most people have better English language skills that many North Americans whose first (and only) language is English - this is not my point of view, its a fact.

 

Furthermore, some IMGs are actually Cdn born and have LoRs from non-third world countries like the UK, but those letters are still not looked upon favorably b/c they are not Cdn - this IS my point of view.

 

I might have thought too much, but I did smell sarcasm from your replies.

 

You have an accurate sense of smell.

 

In any case, I think the OP has got a decent response to his query so I think we can let it rest.