coolmavs
Forum Elite
Topics: 21
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I posted this some time back on the forum, and to date I havent got a satisfactory reply to this question. So I am hoping that you would be able to offer your perspective, the perspective of the PD and the interveiwer on this question. I am sure this is a question that a lot of International Students would be having, and your opinion on this can guide a lot of future applicants' course to residency, so here it goes again,
"Guys, I just wanted to know that there are so many agencies/hospitals that take money to get you some observership and on the basis of that may get a US LOR. So do these LOR's carry any weightage, or these LOR's are as good as no US LOR's.
What has been your experience? How was the experience of those people who have applied this year?"
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| bbb
IM Program Coordinator
Topics: 32
Posts: 4,655
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Well, I haven't answered that because:
- My program doesn't require USCE
- I don't know if I would know that the LOR was from a paid source or agency. I don't think that would be mentioned in the LOR that the observership was found through "Bob's observership agency".
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bbb - trying to combine common sense and humour into realistic answers, but not going to guess on anyone's chances of getting into a position....
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| DrVirgo
Forum Hero
Topics: 1042
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coolmavs,
Thats dependent on the program... When you are applying to a program check out their criteria for applicants which is usually found on their website.
Some programs will go through a whole list and mention scores, attempts, graduation year cut off, and somewhere within that list they may also mention USCE and say something like "USCE required (no observerships)" If they don't mention anything about USCE or just say something like "USCE preferred" then you can call the program and say you did an observership at hospital X and have Y number of LORS, and ask if you meet their requirements for an interview.
Every program is different so the best person to be able to answer that question is the PC him/herself from the program you are applying to.
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| coolmavs
Forum Elite
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Thanks bbb and Dr.Virgo, appreciate your inputs on this topic. What I was getting towards was the fact that the 1st pageof our forum itself has innumerable post where it has been mentioned that "IT IS NOT THE SCORES ONLY THAT MAKE A DIFF., BUT THE OVERALL APPLICATION".
Since there are a few institutions.....which everyone is aware of..so I dont need to mention the names, offer paid observerships, so if a PD sees a LOR from such an institution, how much credence is carried by such a LOR, because there are innummerable (again....) instances, where people are paying through their noses for these paid experiences to strengthen their application, especially if one's scores are not the best around. So what I was ultimately getting to was the fact that "How much credence is carried by LOR's from such institutions?"
So do such LORs carry any credence, when it comes form from places where the physician/institute is giving LORs based on who could pay more money to get into that paid position.
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| rock
Forum Elite
Topics: 23
Posts: 305
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coolmavs,
I was also thinking about the same thing and was wondering if that kind of paid observership will be really useful.
I have cleared my steps and have applied for this year's match(I applied 2 weeks ago, I know I am late for this year but I am looking at the post match). The reason I talked about this is that during my process of application I came across lots of schools which do not require USCE, some that require USCE and did not specify which kind, and some which specified that they will not consider paid observerships as USCE. Each institution has their own criteria.
So what you can do is call the programs that do not specify what kind of USCE they require and if they will consider a paid observership as USCE.
hope this helped. Good luck.
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| prueba
Forum Guru
Topics: 56
Posts: 695
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For me it somewhat like this:
LORS: Chairman > Full professor> Program Director >Associate Professor> Assistant Professor >Instructor > Private Practice w/o Academic Affiliation... > NO-US LORS....
I believe There are about 5000 or more hospitals in the country....about 380 have Academic programs in Internal Medicine, ....try to go to a place involved in academic medicine.... you would get a US lor from Dr...bla bla ...assistant...associate...etc.
Apply to all those places that offer rotations, use all your contacts....if there's nothing else...then I would probably go to the places you mentioned....
Other way could be research....get research experience and contacts...then the rotation through them at the academic institution...
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| cuadrado_g
Forum Senior
Topics: 16
Posts: 153
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hi coolmavs
its hard to say and prueba classification makes sense. Just think that there are lots of applycants each year, some of them is their 2nd time applying. Something is better than nothing, and programs who dont requiere USCE will still call u and rank you higher than someone who dont has US LoR at all. So if I had the money and the time I would go for that paid observerships!!
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| prueba
Forum Guru
Topics: 56
Posts: 695
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check this link: http://www.usmletomd.com/imgdigest/2007/11/fmgame...
I would go for a paid observership just at a HOSPITAL..... no agencies....
Edited by prueba on 12/24/07 - 08:30 AM
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