LOR from MD

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BLACKMD

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I've searched for this topic but didn't find anything really. Is it tacky or unprofessional to ask for a letter of recommendation from a doctor you've shadowed only twice? (total of 10 hours).

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I've searched for this topic but didn't find anything really. Is it tacky or unprofessional to ask for a letter of recommendation from a doctor you've shadowed only twice? (total of 10 hours).
What could the doctor possibly say on such short acquaintance that will be meaningful? (She stood quietly in the corner while observing. She dressed appropriately. She asked lots of questions. She came on time.)? It is a rare MD program, BTW, that requests a physician LOR.
 
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I've searched for this topic but didn't find anything really. Is it tacky or unprofessional to ask for a letter of recommendation from a doctor you've shadowed only twice? (total of 10 hours).

If your application crossed my desk with that letter, I would put you into the pile of red-flags. There is something wrong if after 4+ years of undergrad you can't find someone that can speak highly of you that has known you more than 10 hours. It would imply one of two things. a) You thought that it would somehow be a decent letter or b) You had nobody else to ask for a letter. Those are equally troubling for a future medical student prospect.
 
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No not at all. Most schools on my list right now just say "clinical" letter, which I have from a PA. I worked in the PAs clinic and volunteered there for a few years. My pre med advisor is pushing for this MD letter so I was starting to get concerned.
 
If your application crossed my desk with that letter, I would put you into the pile of red-flags. There is something wrong if after 4+ years of undergrad you can't find someone that can speak highly of you that has known you more than 10 hours. It would imply one of two things. a) You thought that it would somehow be a decent letter or b) You had nobody else to ask for a letter. Those are equally troubling for a future medical student prospect.

Thanks. I have 4 other strong letters. My advisor was pushing for a letter from a doctor and I just wanted to see if that was appropriate. It didn't feel right. So this confirms my initial thoughts.
 
Thanks. I have 4 other strong letters. My advisor was pushing for a letter from a doctor and I just wanted to see if that was appropriate. It didn't feel right. So this confirms my initial thoughts.

You highlight a major issue with pre-med advising. If it doesn't smell right, question it. Almost everything in the admissions process is done for a reason and it actually a pretty logical, albeit somewhat subjective process. If someone tells you something like, "it is random" or "do this, even though it doesn't make sense." you should be wary.
 
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No not at all. Most schools on my list right now just say "clinical" letter, which I have from a PA. I worked in the PAs clinic and volunteered there for a few years. My pre med advisor is pushing for this MD letter so I was starting to get concerned.
Most advisors are *******es, no lie
 
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Did we have the same premed adviser? Because that sounds disturbingly familiar. . .
 
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Did we have the same premed adviser? Because that sounds disturbingly familiar. . .
Uh, more like it's evidence how uninformed these people are overall.
 
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Uh, more like it's evidence how uninformed these people are overall.

True, I feel like there should be a support group for all of the pre-meds who were actively and vociferously encouraged to apply Caribbean. Thank goodness for SDN or I would be hopelessly confused.
 
Many of my schools required a clinical letter or a letter from a physician that you shadowed. One of my clinical letters was similarly from a physician that I barely knew. It obviously worked out just fine. It was probably my weakest endorsement out of the five, however.
 
My letter from a physician also wasn't the strongest, but I still ended up getting accepted to my top school. I also had letters from a scrub-tech that was much stronger, so it likely balanced things out. Having the PA letter should help balance out the physician letter. At least you'll have one from a physician.
 
My letter from a physician also wasn't the strongest, but I still ended up getting accepted to my top school. I also had letters from a scrub-tech that was much stronger, so it likely balanced things out. Having the PA letter should help balance out the physician letter. At least you'll have one from a physician.
Alert: unproven speculations
 
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Not quite unproven. I already have been accepted to medical school, so obviously my LOR's were good enough to get in.
You don't know which parts of your application helped or did not. All you know is that your overall package was looked upon favorably. So yes, it's unproven speculation that one of your less great LORs "balanced out" your better LORs. You could be right, but it remains unproven, and I am saying that your statement adds little value for OP and SDN at large.
 
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You don't know which parts of your application helped or did not. All you know is that your overall package was looked upon favorably. So yes, it's unproven speculation that one of your less great LORs "balanced out" your better LORs. You could be right, but it remains unproven, and I am saying that your statement adds little value for OP and SDN at large.

Seriously, at the very least it didn't detract from the overall package. I didn't say it was a bad letter, just not one of my strongest. My point is that having a strong medical letter from someone in healthcare will help the OP out, even if his letter from a physician isn't the strongest. The letter from a physician is a necessity; the letter from the PA will give more insight into the OP for the admissions committee.
 
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Seriously, at the very least it didn't detract from the overall package. I didn't say it was a bad letter, just not one of my strongest. My point is that having a strong medical letter from someone in healthcare will help the OP out, even if his letter from a physician isn't the strongest. The letter from a physician is a necessity; the letter from the PA will give more insight into the OP for the admissions committee.

Please excuse me, but who are you to say that my replies are worthless for SDN?
lol ok good for you. Enjoy Loma Linda.

P.S. "adds little value" ≠ worthless. Check my post history; I'm blunt. If I meant worthless, I would've damn well made sure I said worthless. I didn't. I meant "adds little value" to OP's discussion here. Incidentally, our argument is now taking a similar course.
 
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Seriously, at the very least it didn't detract from the overall package. I didn't say it was a bad letter, just not one of my strongest. My point is that having a strong medical letter from someone in healthcare will help the OP out, even if his letter from a physician isn't the strongest. The letter from a physician is a necessity; the letter from the PA will give more insight into the OP for the admissions committee.

Please excuse me, but who are you to say that my replies are worthless for SDN?

What? No.
 
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My letter from a physician also wasn't the strongest, but I still ended up getting accepted to my top school. I also had letters from a scrub-tech that was much stronger, so it likely balanced things out. Having the PA letter should help balance out the physician letter. At least you'll have one from a physician.

I know plenty of scrub techs... I don't know what any of them can tell an Adcomm that will make them care about my application any more.

"RTC was a swell guy and was nice to us when he came and hung out in the OR's! He stayed out of the way and never contaminated anything."
 
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I guess some DO schools do want a DO letter right?
 
Most require DO shadowing. I don't think all DO letters would add much value.

All DO schools require a physician's letter, however.
Many pre-professional committees require it as well to go in your letter packet.
 
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All DO schools require a physician's letter, however.
Many pre-professional committees require it as well to go in your letter packet.
I see. But most committees don't know an adcom from a rat's ass, so...
 
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