Joel M. Topf, MD FACP Profile picture
Sep 18, 2020 7 tweets 1 min read Read on X
How not to write a letter of recommendation for nephrology fellowship Image
How to write a letter of recommendation for nephrology fellowship:

1. know your audience. Offer to write letters to programs where you know key people. When I read letters from people I know it moves the needle. Otherwise not so much.
2. Be honest. Don't lie and exaggerate the skills of an applicant. We received a letter with glowing praise for a fellow who turned out to be less than stellar. I no longer trust that program's LOR. In this game it is one strike and you are out.
2b. Feel free to say no. If you can't write a superior letter of rec, tell the applicant to look elsewhere for a letter.
3. Don't regurgitate the applicants CV. I have the CV. I know about her posters and his presentations. Tell me what can't get reported on a CV.
4. Do not put the cryptic, "Call me if you have any questions." It sounds friendly, but it says to me, "I have concerns that I'm not comfortable putting down on paper." I have never called, but it is a red flag.
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Apr 13
When we published our study <> of ODS and hyponatremia we were pummeled for including people at low risk of ODS because we included Na levels between 120 and 130. They said it is well known "that ODS is incredibly rare/non-existent at those levels." 1/4evidence.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/EV…
Of course one of the reasons it was thought to be incredibly rare was that no one looked for CPM in patients with Na from 120-130. We found a fair number (≤5 of 12). 2/4 Image
Our findings are replicated in a study from Australia. The authors took a different approach to investigating ODS. Instead of starting w/ hyponatremia and working forward to ODS, they started with a dx of ODS and worked backwards
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I just recently recommended the Renal Physiology book by Bruce Koeppen and Bruce Stanton. I thought it was a good medical student level text book: pbfluids.com/2023/08/ouwb-s…
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Lab guy from Yale up next Joe El Khoury He is on YouTube. Episode 1 was on pseudohyponatemia
209 subscribers. Clinical Chemistry with Joe El-Khoury Image
Here is the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@ClinChemJoe

https://t.co/LWupt0HWN1 #NKFClinicals
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Starting with pseudohyponatremia
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Implies Artifactual decrease in sodium
Her triglycerides were >6000 #NKFClinicals Image
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