* * 2012-2013 Letter of Recommendation Thread!! * *

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Most accept Interfolio, but as Ravizzle pointed out, MSU is one that does not.The best place to look for this info is the CIB: http://www.aacom.org/resources/books...s/default.aspx

I've noticed that most DO schools only want about 3 LOR's. Does anyone have experience with sending more than what's necessary? If so, what did you find to be the best way to apply?

I sent my committee letter, 2 science, 3 personal, and one DO. I know that's a lot however I figured I would let them decide what they want to read. Good luck!


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I emailed ATSU about it and they told me no more than 6. I'm going to submit LORs on a school by school basis.

2 questions:

1. I submitted all of my LORs to all the schools I applied to as soon as I submitted my AACOMAS. I see now I could/should have waited to get secondaries but do you think it will hurt?

2. I'm a non-trad who hasn't been in a class in years. I did manage to get my undergrad research advisor to write one and he is a chem professor but not at a school I attended. My others are from a DO I work with now, an MD I worked with previously, and an MD who volunteered as an EMT with me in college. Do you think these will work??

Thanks

I had two DO letters so I submitted them both. Other than that, just submitted the necessary ones.

Is it ok to send an MD letter and a DO letter?

I want to send the MD letter because it is probably the strongest as I assisted him with research he was doing and flew to a conference to present it to other physicians.

The DO letter is likely just gonna be someone I shadowed briefly and asked to write one simply to have a DO letter.

So im not sure if i should send both. Dont think any school asked for two letter from physicians. and i dont want them to just ignore the MD one and just read to DO one.


send both or just MD?

delete double post

Originally Posted by VBGLL

Is it ok to send an MD letter and a DO letter?

I want to send the MD letter because it is probably the strongest as I assisted him with research he was doing and flew to a conference to present it to other physicians.

The DO letter is likely just gonna be someone I shadowed briefly and asked to write one simply to have a DO letter.

So im not sure if i should send both. Dont think any school asked for two letter from physicians. and i dont want them to just ignore the MD one and just read to DO one.


send both or just MD?

This thread might be helpful: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=928272

Originally Posted by tide11189

I sent my committee letter, 2 science, 3 personal, and one DO. I know that's a lot however I figured I would let them decide what they want to read. Good luck!


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Do you think this helped or hindered your chances?

I have 7 letters that I can pick and choose from, but frankly, I don't want to anticipate which is a better letter than the other, so I was planning on sending anywhere between 4-6 to some schools.

Originally Posted by psychkub

Do you think this helped or hindered your chances?

I have 7 letters that I can pick and choose from, but frankly, I don't want to anticipate which is a better letter than the other, so I was planning on sending anywhere between 4-6 to some schools.

I really don't see why it would hurt... They can choose to read what they want. If they are on the edge about your application it gives them another resource to get to know you a little better.

I have somewhere around 9 letters. When I asked the LECOM-B rep, he told me "send them all!" Unless a school has a limit, there's no harm on sending multiple letters.

Originally Posted by TriagePreMed

I have somewhere around 9 letters. When I asked the LECOM-B rep, he told me "send them all!" Unless a school has a limit, there's no harm on sending multiple letters.

+1 why you should contact each school individually.

I was going to knock out sending my LOR from Interfolio to all schools I applied to (18 D.O. schools LOL), but the program I am in now requires we shadow a DO and obtain a LOR, which I won't receive until mid-late August. Should I send my original LORs now and send the final D.O. one the second I get it?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Furballer

I was going to knock out sending my LOR from Interfolio to all schools I applied to (18 D.O. schools LOL), but the program I am in now requires we shadow a DO and obtain a LOR, which I won't receive until mid-late August. Should I send my original LORs now and send the final D.O. one the second I get it?

Thanks!

Yes. Send in your LORs you have now with your secondaries. I assume you either have a committee letter OR two science, one physician letter already. Send in your D.O LOR when you receive it.

I didn't go through my school's pre-health committee thing, because they would only help us if we decided to go either MD or DO, not both. So I have two science (prof & PI), and one non (faculty mentor)...really I am kind of worried about the disadvantage I have without the HPAC committee packet :/. But thanks for the help.

So my understanding is Interfolio will send up to 4 documents to each institution for a total of $6. If we send 4 now, then 2 later, will they charge $6 again? How much will they charge for 6 documents?

I'm considering sending out my LORs now, but I'm still waiting on one (probably my best science teacher one) to be submitted.

Originally Posted by MedPR

So my understanding is Interfolio will send up to 4 documents to each institution for a total of $6. If we send 4 now, then 2 later, will they charge $6 again? How much will they charge for 6 documents?

I'm considering sending out my LORs now, but I'm still waiting on one (probably my best science teacher one) to be submitted.

not sure...my schools takes care of this for us. But Ill give this thread a *bump and see if anyone else knows.

Im pretty sure it would be best to send them together, unless that one is going to be too much longer...

Originally Posted by MedPR

So my understanding is Interfolio will send up to 4 documents to each institution for a total of $6. If we send 4 now, then 2 later, will they charge $6 again? How much will they charge for 6 documents?

I'm considering sending out my LORs now, but I'm still waiting on one (probably my best science teacher one) to be submitted.

im in the same boat. im waiting for a committtee letter and ill have 5 letters to send per school...

Its $6 per delivery upto 20 pages. Then its $1 per extra 20 pages.

Each time u send its counted as a delivery so its cheaper to send all at once.

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Originally Posted by Ravizzle

Its $6 per delivery upto 20 pages. Then its $1 per extra 20 pages.

Each time u send its counted as a delivery so its cheaper to send all at once.

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Oh, so it's not per document? Cool! I'll just wait on that 6th letter then. Should be up soon.

Originally Posted by MedPR

Oh, so it's not per document? Cool! I'll just wait on that 6th letter then. Should be up soon.

Nope its just 20 pages regardless of how many documents.

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Originally Posted by Ravizzle

Nope its just 20 pages regardless of how many documents.

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100% Awesome. Thank you.

I need a letter of recommendation from a DO, but I don't know any. Any suggestions?

http://cf.osteopathic.org/iLearn/home.cfm

i used this to find the DO that I shadowed. It gives you a list of DOs in your area that are typically willing to help

Originally Posted by ColeSmalls

http://cf.osteopathic.org/iLearn/home.cfm

i used this to find the DO that I shadowed. It gives you a list of DOs in your area that are typically willing to help

I used that same system. If that doesn't work go to the AOA website and cold call the doctors in your area.

I tried that system and it didn't work for me. Contact every DO in your immediate area (google).

Originally Posted by MedPR

I tried that system and it didn't work for me. Contact every DO in your immediate area (google).

I've posted this in another thread. You can use AOA to find DO's in your area with their specialty/address/phone number. Just enter your zipcode and search.

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopath...s/default.aspx

had to call up 20+ DO's. glad i found one last november and got my letter.

Originally Posted by rzoo14

I've posted this in another thread. You can use AOA to find DO's in your area with their specialty/address/phone number. Just enter your zipcode and search.

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopath...s/default.aspx

That didn't work for me either. I was fine just emailing and calling DO offices.

Amazing, thank you.

well i just used that system to find DOs in my area that were willing, then I basically contacted one and she was cool with it

If you volunteer at a hospital try to find out any DO's that are there, perhaps

This certainly helped me!

One quick QUICK question though. I am submitting some secondaries today and tomorrow. Is it to submit my application and then submit my letters, or is it okay to go ahead and submit my letters first and then submit my application? It'd only be at most a day in the time difference, does it really make a huge difference at all?

Originally Posted by NeuroLAX

In a nutshell: Unless you have a committee packet, you will need to have each letter uploaded to Interfolio separately. That being said, you can create your own "packet" when you enter the school you want to send your letters to. Technically you are sending them as individual letters, but since they are part of the same "delivery order" they will all be sent together, as they would in a single packet.

This topic comes up every year, so I suggest you do a search of the forum, particularly in this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=915502, which is the Official LOR Thread. In fact, this thread will likely be moved by the mods to that thread. Below are instructions for sending letters as a "packet" within the same delivery order. You may already know how to do this, but at least by listing it here it will clear up any questions others might have.

Instructions:
1. When you log into Interfolio, go to the Home screen.
2. Click on "Start Delivery" tab. You will be directed to the "Add Delivery" page
3. On the Add Delivery page, begin entering the school to which you would like the letters sent.
4. Find your school and click on it.
5. Once you have selected the school, click on the "Add Documents" tab.
6. Once you have clicked on the "Add Documents" tab, you will be directed to the "Select and Order Documents" page.
7. Select which letters you would like to place in this order from the "Documents available for delivery" list. They will appear to the right of the list of your uploaded letters under "Documents in this delivery" Note: This "order" can be 1 letter or all of your letters.
8. Once you have all the letters you would like to send to a particular school/campus, you will need to click on the "Customize Delivery" tab below the "Documents available for delivery" list.
9. At the "Customize Delivery" page, make sure your AACOMAS ID is visible and selected (the correct number, of course- if you used Interfolio has a middle-man for AAMC, make sure your AAMC ID is NOT the one selected). If your AACOMAS ID is not visible, click on the "Add ID numbers" and add your AACOMAS ID.
10. Once the ID is selected, click on "Choose Shipping Method" which will allow you to review your order (make sure all the documents you wish to send are listed under "Documents" to the right.
11. Choose shipping method and click "Check Out"
12. Proceed to Check Out and finish.

Do most DO schools require a letter of recommendation from a DO?

Originally Posted by Capltd29

This certainly helped me!

One quick QUICK question though. I am submitting some secondaries today and tomorrow. Is it to submit my application and then submit my letters, or is it okay to go ahead and submit my letters first and then submit my application? It'd only be at most a day in the time difference, does it really make a huge difference at all?

I sent my secondary in first then my letters. Not sure about sending letters first as they might toss them if they don't have a secondary on file. Not 100% on that, though. Perhaps someone could provide their own experience with this. All I know is what I did, which I guess would be the safer method.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by BrianK0220

Do most DO schools require a letter of recommendation from a DO?

Yes

Just need a few things clarified if you all don't mind.

1. The address Interfolio has for the DO schools is the one we have them send it to, right? Don't have to make any special edits or give any special instructions?

2. Besides adding our AACOMAS ID #, is there anything else we need to do?

3. Should we send transcripts even though they were sent with the AACOMAS?

I wouldn't send a transcript unless specifically requested.

Just got an email from a DO in town saying I could rotate with him. I don't know any physicians so this helped a lot. Thanks again guys.

First question: If I submit before taking my MCAT, from my understanding I will not receive secondaries until they have my MCAT score. Is this true? And true for each DO school?

Second: We do not send any LORs until schools specifically request them with our secondaries? So in essence LORs have nothing to do with primaries?

Just clarifying, as always thanks

Originally Posted by dedicated2be

First question: If I submit before taking my MCAT, from my understanding I will not receive secondaries until they have my MCAT score. Is this true? And true for each DO school?

Second: We do not send any LORs until schools specifically request them with our secondaries? So in essence LORs have nothing to do with primaries?

Just clarifying, as always thanks

Some schools will send you secondaries, some won't. Not all pre-screen for completeness/competitiveness. Download the CIB for 2013 (google it, free to download) and it has a supplemental section for each school, plus a lot of other info for each school.

And its up to you for LOR's...schools will ask for them when you send in your secondaries, but you can send them in earlier. If they are ready, theres no reason not to send them right away.

Good luck

Originally Posted by MedPR

Just need a few things clarified if you all don't mind.

1. The address Interfolio has for the DO schools is the one we have them send it to, right? Don't have to make any special edits or give any special instructions?

2. Besides adding our AACOMAS ID #, is there anything else we need to do?

3. Should we send transcripts even though they were sent with the AACOMAS?

Not sure if you found your answer yet, but:

1. Yes, mail your LOR to the address Interfolio has. No special edits required.

2. Nope, just put your AACOMAS ID.

3. Nope, no need.

Originally Posted by Iliketoytles

Not sure if you found your answer yet, but:

1. Yes, mail your LOR to the Interfolio address. No special edits required.

2. Nope, just put your AACOMAS ID. Don't forget your cover letter (which has the Interfolio and aacomas ID on it) in your envelope! That would be tragic...

3. Nope, no need. I sent my transcript to Interfolio anyway, just for the heck of it. But there's no need to do it. I was bored, I guess.

cover letter? what?
I just started a delivery, added my accomas id, and sent them away, is that not right?

Originally Posted by docmayer

cover letter? what?
I just started a delivery, added my accomas id, and sent them away, is that not right?

Oh sorry, you don't need a cover letter when sending them to schools. I was thinking when you're sending them to interfolio, you needed that cover letter so they can scan it into your account. NEVERMIND!

I edited my previous post with this correction. Thanks docmayer.

Originally Posted by Iliketoytles

Oh sorry, you don't need a cover letter when sending them to schools. I was thinking when you're sending them to interfolio, you needed that cover letter so they can scan it into your account. NEVERMIND!

I edited my previous post with this correction. Thanks docmayer.

Oh GODDD you scared the sh*t outta me.

Originally Posted by docmayer

Oh GODDD you scared the sh*t outta me.

All part of my plan.

This is probably very simple and dumb, but my letter writer asked who the letter should be addressed to. Just "To whom it may concern"?

Originally Posted by GHETTOFLOW21

This is probably very simple and dumb, but my letter writer asked who the letter should be addressed to. Just "To whom it may concern"?

I think that would be fine.