carazadie Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 I recently started a two-week elective at an academic teaching center. The elective is in my field of interest, and I was hoping to get a strong letter of reference. When I received my schedule on the first day, I realized that I will be working with a different staff every day. I work with 4-5 different attendings, but none for more than one day at a time (the rest is with residents). My official supervisor will barely be working with me directly. I'm not sure if this is normal or not. I am disappointed, because I feel like I am getting along well with everyone on the unit, and they have all been welcoming, but I won't be working closely enough with any single attending that it would be reasonable to ask for a letter of reference. I have considered talking to the administrator who drew up the schedule to see if she can make any changes, but I'm not sure how well this would be received. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is it still worthwhile to ask for a reference from someone who I have only worked with for a couple of half-days? Advice appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
move.along Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 This set up will not generate an LOR and even if a preceptor does offer to write a letter for working with you for one day then it will not be a strong letter. This elective is set up so u can show your face to many staff + residents, which is a great thing. However, you also need to have some electives that are with ONE person for TWO weeks, and the person should be at the institution and should be reputable. That is where you get the letters from. The downfall to this set up is you dont work with residents and other staff so you are less known. This is why you should balance your electives to have '1 - person elective" and other electives where you work with everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hemogoblin Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 This set up will not generate an LOR and even if a preceptor does offer to write a letter for working with you for one day then it will not be a strong letter. This elective is set up so u can show your face to many staff + residents, which is a great thing. However, you also need to have some electives that are with ONE person for TWO weeks, and the person should be at the institution and should be reputable. That is where you get the letters from. The downfall to this set up is you dont work with residents and other staff so you are less known. This is why you should balance your electives to have '1 - person elective" and other electives where you work with everyone That whole strategy doesn't apply to EM... also doesn't apply for some anesthesiology electives which just rotate you through different preceptors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Having a different staff everyday usually only happens in EM and anesthesiology. (I suppose possibly radiology) But as you referred to "the unit" I'm not sure if you are applying to any of these 2. Also, for both of these it would be unusual to not have a staff around even if you were paired with a resident. So not sure if this will help. But applicants to EM and anesthesia are often in this same situation and the staff are aware of it. If you are strong on all your shifts and you have a handful of good shifts with 1 preceptor (1 really isn't enough even for EM or anesthesia) that preceptor may feel comfortable writing a letter, since he/she will just talk to the others that worked with you. I would try for at least 3 shifts and let them know up front you are going to ask for a letter. There is no harm in asking admin to change your schedule, although they may not be able to accommodate. And also if you are applying to EM, there is often alot of shift changing that goes on between staff. So try as you might, you may end up working with someone different at the end of the day. I don't know about other specialties where it is more unusual to work with different staff every shift. They might not be as accommodating if they aren't used to this scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigars53 Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 If the chemistry is there and the preceptor likes you from the start, sometimes only one shift if enough for a reference letter. One preceptor offered me to write a letter after only a few hours of working with him. If you are unsure and want your preceptor to know you a little bit more, there is nothing stopping you from asking if you could work with him during one of his on-call days where you are off. You can do this even if you are in another clerkship after your elective ends. The preceptor will appreciate the attention and you'll shine as a very motivated student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carazadie Posted February 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Thanks for your responses. I know this kind of thing is normal in shift-based specialties like EM, but not so much where I am. I've accepted that I probably won't get a letter from this rotation. I'll have other chances to ask for letters in the same field in the future, so I'm not too worried about it. If I really hit it off with someone, I might chance an ask, but I won't be torn up if it doesn't happen. It's been a great elective so far, and I've enjoyed getting to know everyone and working with different people. I'm learning a lot and getting good exposure to the field, which is probably more important than a LOR, in the long run (big picture thinking). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigars53 Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I'm learning a lot and getting good exposure to the field, which is probably more important than a LOR, in the long run (big picture thinking). No, you should still try to get a LOR. It will look suspicious on your file if you apply to this speciality, but don't have a LOR from a preceptor in this discipline. It is even sometimes a requirement. Unless you have another rotation in that field, don't miss your chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazyboy Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 No, you should still try to get a LOR. It will look suspicious on your file if you apply to this speciality, but don't have a LOR from a preceptor in this discipline. It is even sometimes a requirement.Unless you have another rotation in that field, don't miss your chance. +1. It is up to them to judge whether it is a good LOR, it is better to have it than not; hopefully, it is a good reference as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carazadie Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Yes, I will definitely have other chances from electives in the same discipline that I've already lined up. That's why I'm not as worried about not getting a letter on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I can guess what kind of unit you're working in. My advice would be to be really nice to everybody (staff docs, residents, nurses, social workers, security, unit clerks etc) all the time, and be enthusiastic. You want to cultivate a reputation as being that friendly and keen med student. They're all assessing and talking about you anyway (because that's what they do for a living and they can't help themselves) so you might as well use that to your advantage. If you hit it off with one of the on-service residents that you're assigned to, I'd suggest asking him/her for some advice about which specific staff you should approach for a letter. They've been there, know the territory and can likely guide you a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KobeoverLebron Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 This set up will not generate an LOR and even if a preceptor does offer to write a letter for working with you for one day then it will not be a strong letter. Respectfully disagree. I applied to Rads in this past cycle. Most people during their radiology electives are at the same disadvantage of not being able to work with preceptors for more than a half day. During one of my electives, I worked with a PD at one of the schools for one day and he agreed to write me a LOR. He did not ask me a single knowledge-based question, but we just got along really well. While his LOR might not have been the strongest letter I got, not only it got me an interview at that school but during the interview he even remembered me from my elective. So I would agree with some of the other writers on this thread that: 1. Ask for a LOR regardless: if they are hesitant, then you have your answer (don't use it) 2. Better off having more letters than not. 3. Try using at least one letter from a local preceptor while applying to that program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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