LoR dilemma

[Doe22]

Applying next cycle with LoRs from 2021 and I just realized I may have a problem. One of my recommenders asked why I wanted to go to medical school. My response was a personal negative experience that deeply impacted my life. The experience involved a misdiagnosis that ended in death. This was a pivotal event in my life, but now I see why I should not have made this the "reason" I want to pursue medicine. My recommender thought it would be a good idea to include this in the letter! I am thinking about asking the prof to edit this part out. However, if I can't get in contact with them for whatever reason, would it still be a good idea to use this letter? All my letters are saved in Interfolio ( 2 science, 1 PI and one volunteering supervisor). Adding 1-2 LoRs.

PS: not a re-applicant

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[pablo213]

Applying next cycle with LoRs from 2021 and I just realized I may have a problem. One of my recommenders asked why I wanted to go to medical school. My response was a personal negative experience that deeply impacted my life. The experience involved a misdiagnosis that ended in death. This was a pivotal event in my life, but now I see why I should not have made this the "reason" I want to pursue medicine. My recommender thought it would be a good idea to include this in the letter! I am thinking about asking the prof to edit this part out. However, if I can't get in contact with them for whatever reason, would it still be a good idea to use this letter? All my letters are saved in Interfolio ( 2 science, 1 PI and one volunteering supervisor). Adding 1-2 LoRs.

PS: not a re-applicant

Hmm I think it's usually safer to err on the side of caution in terms of bad mouthing medicine or physician in any way(though this situation is understandable) by excluding said things. Regardless I think you need to have updated letters from 2024. They'll probably be stronger since they'll have everything you've been working on since.

 

[LizzyM]

Get updated letters. Someone who wrote 3 years ago that they'd known you for 1 year can now write that they've known you for 4. You might want to skip asking the person who knows this background you shared from writing a new letter.

And, I would add, it is not so much about bad mouthing medicine but perhaps having an unrealistic expectation that you can spare other families the anguish your family experienced due to this misdiagnosis that led to death of a loved one. You will not spare others because you'll be better than that doctor that broke your heart. You choose medicine because you recognize that there are shades of gray, and uncertainty, and sometimes accompanying patients at the end of life when nothing more can be done to save their life.

 

[Doe22]

Get updated letters. Someone who wrote 3 years ago that they'd known you for 1 year can now write that they've known you for 4. You might want to skip asking the person who knows this background you shared from writing a new letter.

And, I would add, it is not so much about bad mouthing medicine but perhaps having an unrealistic expectation that you can spare other families the anguish your family experienced due to this misdiagnosis that led to death of a loved one. You will not spare others because you'll be better than that doctor that broke your heart. You choose medicine because you recognize that there are shades of gray, and uncertainty, and sometimes accompanying patients at the end of life when nothing more can be done to save their life.

Appreciate the advice! At that time I thought it was a good idea to highlight an experience where negligence and inadequate training lead to devastating outcomes. I can totally see why this could come off as a negative thing. I'd like to know why you think asking the writer to rewrite the letter is a bad idea? If I skip this letter, I will have only one science letter! The new letters I'm adding are from two physicians I worked for.

 

[LizzyM]

You have no control over what someone writes and you will, in all likelihood, waiver your right to read the letter. So, you are gambling when you ask the writer to write again on your behalf, perhas sharing a different personal statement that leaves out the negative stuff.

If you don't have an alternate science professor, you need to go with that, I guess.

Doctors you've worked for tend not to be the best judges of student's readiness for medical school but you can submit them anyway.