Doctor recommendation

Published

Hello all and congrats to the newly accepted SRNAs! Now it's my turn to ask for help on my app.

I think I have done most of the things I need to do to have a competitive app. and I plan to apply starting in June. My biggest problem is approaching a doc for a letter of recommendation. Many of the nurses on my unit are friendly with the docs but I am not. I guess I'm more introverted. Can anyone share with me an experience? Are most docs receptive to this or do I need to build a relationship with someone first? I guess I feel like they are all busy and why should they take the time to write one for me? I should say I work with mostly CV surgeons who aren't that approachable anyway.Any suggestions on how to approach this? Thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hello all and congrats to the newly accepted SRNAs! Now it's my turn to ask for help on my app.

I think I have done most of the things I need to do to have a competitive app. and I plan to apply starting in June. My biggest problem is approaching a doc for a letter of recommendation. Many of the nurses on my unit are friendly with the docs but I am not. I guess I'm more introverted. Can anyone share with me an experience? Are most docs receptive to this or do I need to build a relationship with someone first? I guess I feel like they are all busy and why should they take the time to write one for me? I should say I work with mostly CV surgeons who aren't that approachable anyway.Any suggestions on how to approach this? Thanks

Many times, relationships are very difficult, but I would ask some to the best approached colleages how do they get one recomendation or I would ask them help to introduce you to some managers. Did you try this?, What happened?

But you are a lucky man in this item, there are some vacancies that it is not due a recomendation to work . I would apply for that, even in other countries, your skill (anaestesia) is very requested, are you thought to work in reasearch areas?, what possibilities do you have?

Best regards

alanpe.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well, first of all i would say work on that introverted thing! Not a great quality when you want to go into a profession with so much autonomy. You really need to be able to speak up. Not to be offensive, but they do look at personality a lot when interviewing. Some interviews are not clinically based (though not many).

I would suggest start working on relationships now. I know how CV surgeons can be. Maybe get a pulmonologist or someone else who you work with a lot. My suggestion is work on talking with these folks when you are putting in lines,etc. I know they are busy, but remember they are just people and there's nothing wrong with small talk.

You have plenty of time! Best of Luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hello all and congrats to the newly accepted SRNAs! Now it's my turn to ask for help on my app.

I think I have done most of the things I need to do to have a competitive app. and I plan to apply starting in June. My biggest problem is approaching a doc for a letter of recommendation. Many of the nurses on my unit are friendly with the docs but I am not. I guess I'm more introverted. Can anyone share with me an experience? Are most docs receptive to this or do I need to build a relationship with someone first? I guess I feel like they are all busy and why should they take the time to write one for me? I should say I work with mostly CV surgeons who aren't that approachable anyway.Any suggestions on how to approach this? Thanks

There is a doc who is medical dieactor of your unit. He or she will be used to writing a variety of letters for a variety of things. Just approach when neither one of you is busy and ask. Just ask! As pointed out already, if you can't manage that, you will have trouble with anesthesia school. The application process while not designed to be easy is apiece of cake compared to actually getting through school

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Badger- If your that reluctant to approach a physician then maybe you dont need a recommendation from a physician. I, along with all my friends, were accepted to a CRNA program without a physician recommendation. Most of us used a CRNA. It may be different in your area, I dont know.... Anyway, as far as being an introvert, you need to get over that berfore your interview. I say this because during your interview there will be a doc or two, along with the rest of the interview panel firing questions at you about your experience and this is were you need to be on your toes and basically sell yourself....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Badger- If your that reluctant to approach a physician then maybe you dont need a recommendation from a physician. I, along with all my friends, were accepted to a CRNA program without a physician recommendation. Most of us used a CRNA. It may be different in your area, I dont know.... Anyway, as far as being an introvert, you need to get over that berfore your interview. I say this because during your interview there will be a doc or two, along with the rest of the interview panel firing questions at you about your experience and this is were you need to be on your toes and basically sell yourself....
I agree you need to work on that introverted thing. When you get into school you will be working with surgeons and other physicians on a daily basis and your job will be to communicate with these people.
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Who you should get to write your letters of recommendation is certainly a subjective topic. I was recently accepted with letters from a CRNA, an ER physician, and a former nursing school professor. I picked these individuals because each could attest to me as a professional on different levels. I had a buddy who decided to use 3 physicians for his application.... I can't say that this was wrong as it was his choice. From my research, it seems that CRNA schools want well-rounded individuals who are both team players and who can function independently. I've also heard that some schools don't weigh the letters that heavily, so take it all with a grain of salt.

Hello all and congrats to the newly accepted SRNAs! Now it's my turn to ask for help on my app.

I think I have done most of the things I need to do to have a competitive app. and I plan to apply starting in June. My biggest problem is approaching a doc for a letter of recommendation. Many of the nurses on my unit are friendly with the docs but I am not. I guess I'm more introverted. Can anyone share with me an experience? Are most docs receptive to this or do I need to build a relationship with someone first? I guess I feel like they are all busy and why should they take the time to write one for me? I should say I work with mostly CV surgeons who aren't that approachable anyway.Any suggestions on how to approach this? Thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks everyone for all the responses. I guess I'm having trouble in this area because our hospital system decided to not employ CRNAs a couple of years ago. Since then, I have heard that there is not exactly a positive, encouraging culture to those who pursue this career for reasons that are covered in other threads. I have no problem approaching docs when it comes to my patients, I just don't socialize with them as much as other nurses. I am required to have an MD write a letter of rec so there is no way around it. I guess, like some have pointed out, I'll have to Just ask and hope I'm not asking a doc with a negative disposition towards my career choice. This is more than just my being introverted. Thanks again, I'll work on it!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I also did not have a physician recommendation letter at my time of application since I was doing fairly short locum assignments at the time and didn't really know any physicians that personally.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hopefully, the school has provided a form to fill out with a section for additional comments. That makes things somewhat more simple.

When someone approaches me to write a recommendation, I ask them for information...certifications, grades in school, how long have they been nursing, what other areas have they worked in, whatever may be applicable for the situation. If there is a preprinted form, I specifically ask for information in those areas.

When you ask the person to write a recommendation, offer to provide this information plus a resume. This makes writing a recommendation MUCH easier! All I do is take the information provided, put it into my own words using situations/events between myself and the ratee, and in a few minutes, it's done!

Good Luck!

An Yogi

Up Vote Up Vote ×

operator error, duplicate post

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I didn't have any dr. recommendations in any of mine, and I got into CRNA school just fine. My packets didn't require a dr. recommendation however. I had two nurse managers, and a nursing professor write me recommendations. I think it depends a lot on who you work with the most, and what kind of relationship you have. I work with CV surgeons mostly too, and I would not pay either one of them to write a rec. for me, simply because of who they are and how they treat some of the nursing personnel, among many other things.

It can also be a good idea to view the rec. being written before it was sent. On most pre-written recommendations, they give you the option of viewing or waiving your viewing rights. I viewed all of mine because 1) it kept all my recommendations together, and allowed me to send my application in COMPLETE, without errors, late recs, or missing pieces. This way, I didn't have to chase people down to send the damn applications. 2) this also allowed me to view the application, and see if there was anything I should correct or improve upon, or in some people's cases if you wanted to send the application at all. So, if you make the mistake of picking a doctor you think knows you well, and he writes a bad or non glowing rec, you always have the option of asking somebody else.

Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion