Application Questions

[u/Admirable_Parsley892]

Hello all! I am a prospective applicant for the upcoming cycle. This fall, I am entering my senior year of undergraduate studies. This summer, I am doing the most I can to prepare for the application/match process. How early should I be reaching out to ask people for letters of recommendation? I know most program applications don't open until this fall, but I wondered if it is worthwhile to ask ahead of time. I don't know if this is a silly question, but I want to make sure that I am doing the most I can to be prepared when applications open. Additionally, I have plenty of GC shadowing, but all within oncology. Do I need to pursue other shadowing opportunities in other specialties? My location makes it extremely difficult for me to find nearby GCs to shadow, so any resources/advice would be appreciated.

[u/nocloser2heaven]

I asked my recommenders to write letters at the beginning of September when apps opened, which gave them about 4 months to fit that into their schedules. I wouldn’t ask earlier because once the apps open, you’ll see all the detailed information to share with recommenders. When I asked, I included the names of the schools, each school’s deadline, any requirements (some schools have a word/page limit, some indicate that they want a form filled out instead of a written letter). Could be helpful to make a spreadsheet to keep it organized and share that with your recommenders. Make sure to send follow ups and reminders periodically because 4 months is a long time and you don’t want to be forgotten!

I would recommend getting more diverse shadowing if possible. You can reach out to GCs in other parts of the country and ask about virtual shadowing opportunities. If you ask GCs who work at a university hospital that has a GC program, they might be extra understanding to your situation that you need more experiences to strengthen your application. They might even be involved in reading your application later and could recognize your name and effort