Few questions

[i_dont_understand]

Hi all,

I've been reading through a bunch of these threads and doing some googling, and I can't quite find information on the following points:

1) How binding is the checkbox for PhD program on AMCAS. Can I select multiple? My interests span immunology and neuroscience. Researching schools, I see faculty research topics affiliated with both programs that I would be interested in pursuing.

2)How do letters of recommendation actually work? I have a committee letter, and this committee letter will include 4 individual letters of recommendation. Two of THOSE letters are of my research PIs. Do I still have to request that those PIs write separate letters? If so, what should I tell them? i.e. how different should they be from their other letter? Can they be 90% the same, only emphasizing my research competencies. How do I actually designate these letters to MD/PhD programs only and not just the school in general?

3) On the topic of LOR, I have a brief clinical research experience doing patient interviews. Do I need a LOR from this PI? Or, can I just submit LOR from my basic science PIs?

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[billowthehusky]

1) Not sure. It can't hurt to call schools anonymously and see what their individual policies are.
2) You do not need to get additional letters from the PI's whose letters were included in the committee letter.
3) My guess is that you would not need a LOR from that PI, but I am not entirely sure.

 

[Neuronix]

1) How binding is the checkbox for PhD program on AMCAS. Can I select multiple? My interests span immunology and neuroscience. Researching schools, I see faculty research topics affiliated with both programs that I would be interested in pursuing.

It's not binding. They want to gauge your interests to pair you with the right faculty members and/or interview dates. Choose what interests you. It's not a concern.

2)How do letters of recommendation actually work? I have a committee letter, and this committee letter will include 4 individual letters of recommendation. Two of THOSE letters are of my research PIs. Do I still have to request that those PIs write separate letters? If so, what should I tell them? i.e. how different should they be from their other letter? Can they be 90% the same, only emphasizing my research competencies. How do I actually designate these letters to MD/PhD programs only and not just the school in general?

The committee packet should include your PI LORs. They should attest to your research skills. If so, you don't need to send separate letters. You just send them all to the med school and let them sort it out. Sometimes the secondaries will help you sort it out or otherwise ask you to designate or send more letters.

3) On the topic of LOR, I have a brief clinical research experience doing patient interviews. Do I need a LOR from this PI? Or, can I just submit LOR from my basic science PIs?

You don't need one in this case if it was a short clinical research experience that's not a centerpiece of your application.

 

[i_dont_understand]

It's not binding. They want to gauge your interests to pair you with the right faculty members and/or interview dates. Choose what interests you. It's not a concern.

First, thanks for the quick reply. Just to follow up, do you know if this is a pretty uniform philosophy across programs?

 

[Neuronix]

It's impossible to speak for all programs, but this is generally the case.