Here's what i wrote to the different doctors... Of course, add your own flavor to this. Don't forget to add the name of the doctor, his position, etc, date and of course your name
Dear Doctor;
Thank you for being willing to write me a letter of recommendation in support of my residency application in the United States. I am applying for residency training in the United States and would consider it as a great honor to have a recommendation from a doctor who had a large influence on my medical education and training, as well as on my decision to pursue internal medicine.
May I ask you to comment on the following aspects which program directors look for in a prospective applicant:
· Positive points in medical school, honors received
· Hospital work ethic
· Clinical skills and performance during medical rotations
· Fund of medical knowledge
· Dependability
· Level of responsibility
· Efficiency and time management
· Communication and interpersonal skills
I appreciate you taking the time out to write this letter of recommendation. Your support really means a lot to me.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
1. If you are applying for Internal Medicine, get three LORs from IM doctors, plus one LOR from the chair of the department of IM. ANd if you are from UST, that means, yes, Dr. Go is the chair.
2. When you submit your request to the consultant of your choice, be sure to attach the following:
a. letter for request (ECFMG provides a form for this called cover letter for LOR)
b. tell the letter writer the following-
- it must be in an official letterhead
- must be signed in blue ink
c. include your resume (with picture para matandaan ka)
d. class ranking (request this at dean's office - warning UST peeps - red tape! red tape!)
e. transcript of record
3. The best time to do this would be after your step 1 exam. Kasi it took me about 1 month na pabalik balik sa UST just to complete this.
Some people ask me whether they should write their own LOR and have the consultant sign it for you. Well uhmmmm sticky question. If the consultant is comfortable with that, then go ahead, they usually edit it and you usually end up with a different LOR from what you wrote.
Here's a good website for guidelines onLORs:
http://residency101.com/content/view/24/48/
Sample PErsonal Statement
Here's something I saw over the net...
Here's a physician's sample personal statement
Tips on writing a good PS (this of course presupposes that I wrote a good PS)
1. Find time to write it. My mind works best at 2 am so i prepared my PS over a couple of days at around 2 am. It's not a good idea to rush your personal statement.
2. Think of 5 to 6 things you want to emphasize on.. Are you hard working? ARe you ambitious. Don't go off writing "I am hardworking... I am ambitious" Rather think of situations in your life when these qualities were demonstrated.
3. Be honest but not melodramatic.
4. Do not plagiarize.
5. Write with your heart, edit with your head.
6. Keep it short and simple. About a short bond paper worth is enough. No novels please.
7. Again, do not plagiarize. You've gone through all those years of schooling... hey if you knew that fumarate and succinyl Co A could be found in the Kreb's cycle, personal statements should be a breeze...
8. Spell Check. Grammar check. There's this button in microsoft word that does that...
Link: http://home.att.net/~ppmd/cv-ps/ps/IM01.HTM
Again, this is not my personal statement but i saw this one good example of a personal statement over the internet.
Like most of my friends growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, I had dreams of someday fighting towering infernos or frantically pursuing bank robbers. Everything changed, however, when at age ten I realized that my grandfather was seriously ill. For the next nine months I observed his courageous but unsuccessful battle against myelofibrosis. I also noticed his new doctor. Dr. Brown quickly became my most important role model. In retrospect, I realize that it was his bedside acumen, his many-comforting telephone calls, and his unrelenting, scientific approach to his patients' problems which influenced me so greatly.
In an effort to emulate Dr. Brown, I strove to develop varied abilities at school. Serving as captain of the swimming team and cross-country team, student body president, and class Valedictorian, I incorporated a balance of academics, athletics, and leadership into my high school experience. During this time, my interest in medicine was further bolstered by my encounters as a volunteer in the stroke unit of the Casa Colina Rehabilitation Hospital. Although I could not treat the patients medically, I was able to provide companionship and emotional support, which aided them in their recovery and afforded me a great sense of fulfillment.
At Princeton University, my interest in science and research prompted me to major in chemistry. In the course of my studies, I completed a senior thesis, spent a summer of research at the National Institutes of Health, was named Outstanding Chemistry Student by the New Jersey Institute of Chemists, and graduated magna cum laude. Firmly committed to a career in medicine, I entered the UCLA School of Medicine the following Fall.
My first two years at UCLA were highly successful. I excelled in the basic science courses, and in 1990, was awarded a NIH summer research fellowship. My work focused on the genetic etiology of the syndrome of generalized thyroid hormone resistance, and in 1991, I coauthored a paper based in its results.
I have found my clinical training at UCLA to be even more enjoyable than the basic science years. In particular, my favorite experiences has been the core internal medicine rotation. During this clerkship, I discovered many of the challenging tasks of internal medicine: the establishment of a possibly extended relationship with a patient, a skillful history and physical examination, a carefully formulated differential diagnosis and logical course of action, the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, and the pursuit to understand the underlying pathophysiologic processes of diseases. My strong performance and enthusiasm on the wards, coupled with my background in research, demonstrates my exceptional ability to face these tasks.
I believe that I am well qualified to enter an outstanding training program in internal medicine. I am interested in an academically oriented residency which will allow me to develop as both clinician and scientist. My ultimate goal is to become a complete physician: someone, like Dr. Brown, who practices medicine with a blend of compassion, wisdom, and scholarship in order to optimally treat each patient
Here's a physician's sample personal statement
Tips on writing a good PS (this of course presupposes that I wrote a good PS)
1. Find time to write it. My mind works best at 2 am so i prepared my PS over a couple of days at around 2 am. It's not a good idea to rush your personal statement.
2. Think of 5 to 6 things you want to emphasize on.. Are you hard working? ARe you ambitious. Don't go off writing "I am hardworking... I am ambitious" Rather think of situations in your life when these qualities were demonstrated.
3. Be honest but not melodramatic.
4. Do not plagiarize.
5. Write with your heart, edit with your head.
6. Keep it short and simple. About a short bond paper worth is enough. No novels please.
7. Again, do not plagiarize. You've gone through all those years of schooling... hey if you knew that fumarate and succinyl Co A could be found in the Kreb's cycle, personal statements should be a breeze...
8. Spell Check. Grammar check. There's this button in microsoft word that does that...
Link: http://home.att.net/~ppmd/cv-ps/ps/IM01.HTM
Again, this is not my personal statement but i saw this one good example of a personal statement over the internet.
Personal Statement for Internal Medicine
Like most of my friends growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, I had dreams of someday fighting towering infernos or frantically pursuing bank robbers. Everything changed, however, when at age ten I realized that my grandfather was seriously ill. For the next nine months I observed his courageous but unsuccessful battle against myelofibrosis. I also noticed his new doctor. Dr. Brown quickly became my most important role model. In retrospect, I realize that it was his bedside acumen, his many-comforting telephone calls, and his unrelenting, scientific approach to his patients' problems which influenced me so greatly.
In an effort to emulate Dr. Brown, I strove to develop varied abilities at school. Serving as captain of the swimming team and cross-country team, student body president, and class Valedictorian, I incorporated a balance of academics, athletics, and leadership into my high school experience. During this time, my interest in medicine was further bolstered by my encounters as a volunteer in the stroke unit of the Casa Colina Rehabilitation Hospital. Although I could not treat the patients medically, I was able to provide companionship and emotional support, which aided them in their recovery and afforded me a great sense of fulfillment.
At Princeton University, my interest in science and research prompted me to major in chemistry. In the course of my studies, I completed a senior thesis, spent a summer of research at the National Institutes of Health, was named Outstanding Chemistry Student by the New Jersey Institute of Chemists, and graduated magna cum laude. Firmly committed to a career in medicine, I entered the UCLA School of Medicine the following Fall.
My first two years at UCLA were highly successful. I excelled in the basic science courses, and in 1990, was awarded a NIH summer research fellowship. My work focused on the genetic etiology of the syndrome of generalized thyroid hormone resistance, and in 1991, I coauthored a paper based in its results.
I have found my clinical training at UCLA to be even more enjoyable than the basic science years. In particular, my favorite experiences has been the core internal medicine rotation. During this clerkship, I discovered many of the challenging tasks of internal medicine: the establishment of a possibly extended relationship with a patient, a skillful history and physical examination, a carefully formulated differential diagnosis and logical course of action, the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, and the pursuit to understand the underlying pathophysiologic processes of diseases. My strong performance and enthusiasm on the wards, coupled with my background in research, demonstrates my exceptional ability to face these tasks.
I believe that I am well qualified to enter an outstanding training program in internal medicine. I am interested in an academically oriented residency which will allow me to develop as both clinician and scientist. My ultimate goal is to become a complete physician: someone, like Dr. Brown, who practices medicine with a blend of compassion, wisdom, and scholarship in order to optimally treat each patient
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