Obtaining Letters of Recommendation

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Hopeful_DVM

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
109
Reaction score
45
I will hopefully be applying to vet school next application cycle. I have been working at the clinic I am at now since June, and plan on still being there when application time rolls around. I like working with the vet who owns the clinic, but she sends mixed signals to her employees(me included) at times. One day she is talking about how good of a job you are doing, then the next she is criticizing everything you do. It is difficult to tolerate at times, because in reality if she does not view me as a good employee then it is a waste of her time as well as mine, since I don't plan on making a career out of being a tech. I would like for her to write a letter of recommendation for me when I apply, as I feel that we know each other pretty well, and I feel like I do a good job working for her. She has already said she would write a letter of recommendation for me, but I want to be sure that it is a good one. Like I said one day she is singing your praises and the next she is very critical. I feel like the mood she is in on the day she writes my letter will affect the quality of the letter. I have thought about taking her out to lunch before she writes the letter and asking her to give her opinion on me as a future veterinarian. What do you all think? Advice? Suggestions?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Your boss isn't always going to love you - that's life. Just because someone criticizes you one day does not mean that they do not think highly of you. If you put in the time and are a hard worker there's no reason to worry about your letter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
When the time comes all you can do is ask. If she's already made statements about writing you one, I would think you're in the clear. I've never had someone offer to write me a recommendation, unsolicited, and then fail to do so or write me a bad one (though sometimes you still get boring, cookie-cutter recommendations).

If you plan to work there until next application cycle, you can always request a performance review before asking for the recommendation. That would hopefully set you at ease.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Honestly, I wouldn't risk it with someone like that. I'd find another vet now to volunteer or work with who you feel will 100% write you a good recommendation. OR when you ask for the recommendation letter from your current boss, I'd ask her if she feels comfortable writing you a good recommendation and be really upfront with her and ask her that directly.
If you have any qualms about her, just don't use her and find someone else to write the recommendation.

I had a similar situation and similar concerns but went ahead and used the vet and then later found out that she'd written a tepid-at-best recommendation letter, bordering on not recommending me at all. I'm pretty sure that was the main reason why I didn't get an instate offer this year (I was an alternate). I went in for an application review and was told everything looked great and I was a competitive applicant and there were no suggestions on how to improve my applications for this year. The reviewer couldn't really say why they hadn't accepted me. She couldn't talk about my recommendations since I'd waived the right to see them (I'd found out about the bad recommendation on accident prior to the application review). Taking in what I know and was told makes me think that the one bad recommendation really probably sunk me this last cycle & was the deciding factor to me not being chosen. I spent all that heartfelt effort, time and money on last year's application, only to have it be sabotaged by one recommender who runs hot and cold and was apparently in a cold mood when she wrote my recommendation. It just isn't worth the gamble. You can surely find a better person who will be fair and consistent when they write your recommendation letter. I am fortunate that I found out about the bad recommendation and was able to switch to another vet who was excited to recommend me. If I am rejected again this year, I will feel that at least it was fair and not due to a recommender's caprice.
 
Last edited:
Thank you all for your advice. I actually work at 2 clinics. The other clinic I work for has 6 vets, so I am sure I will be able to get recommendations from some of them. There is also another vet I worked for in the past that is going to write one for me. I have decided I am going to talk to her, and see what she has to say. I called another veterinarian to ask his advice about this situation, he told me that is what he would do.
 
I agree that you can have rough days at work and still have your boss like you and write you a good letter. But if she's always so drastically hot and cold, and if you have other vets that you think would be more even-keeled, I would absolutely go with them over this particular person. Just for your own sake.
 
I will hopefully be applying to vet school next application cycle. I have been working at the clinic I am at now since June, and plan on still being there when application time rolls around. I like working with the vet who owns the clinic, but she sends mixed signals to her employees(me included) at times. One day she is talking about how good of a job you are doing, then the next she is criticizing everything you do. It is difficult to tolerate at times, because in reality if she does not view me as a good employee then it is a waste of her time as well as mine, since I don't plan on making a career out of being a tech. I would like for her to write a letter of recommendation for me when I apply, as I feel that we know each other pretty well, and I feel like I do a good job working for her. She has already said she would write a letter of recommendation for me, but I want to be sure that it is a good one. Like I said one day she is singing your praises and the next she is very critical. I feel like the mood she is in on the day she writes my letter will affect the quality of the letter. I have thought about taking her out to lunch before she writes the letter and asking her to give her opinion on me as a future veterinarian. What do you all think? Advice? Suggestions?
For me, I think the advice one of my vets gave me is pretty awesome. Instead of asking "Can I have a letter of recommendation?" The question should be, "Would you be able to write me a good letter of recommendation?" My vet complained to me when she got a letter of recommendation request from a previous co-worker of mine that I am good friends with, saying that she only worked there for 6 months, was not the best worker, and thus she would not be able to write a good letter (just a mediocre letter). But the way she asked just made it seem like she needed some sort of letter of recommendation, so she wrote it anyway for her. I personally think there is nothing wrong with phrasing it that way, and that is the way I phrased it to all 4 of the people writing my recommendations, and usually the response back was a joke of some sort saying, "No, I won't write you a good letter of recommendation, I will write you an excellent letter of recommendation."

It may not be the best approach for every person, but that would be my personal advice....
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
For me, I think the advice one of my vets gave me is pretty awesome. Instead of asking "Can I have a letter of recommendation?" The question should be, "Would you be able to write me a good letter of recommendation?" My vet complained to me when she got a letter of recommendation request from a previous co-worker of mine that I am good friends with, saying that she only worked there for 6 months, was not the best worker, and thus she would not be able to write a good letter (just a mediocre letter). But the way she asked just made it seem like she needed some sort of letter of recommendation, so she wrote it anyway for her. I personally think there is nothing wrong with phrasing it that way, and that is the way I phrased it to all 4 of the people writing my recommendations, and usually the response back was a joke of some sort saying, "No, I won't write you a good letter of recommendation, I will write you an excellent letter of recommendation."

It may not be the best approach for every person, but that would be my personal advice....
I second this, I got the exact same advice from one of the vets I worked with. You want to make sure they're not just writing a generic letter without any enthusiasm because that won't really help your application.

Also, if you're looking to choose between the various vets you worked with, I would go with the ones that know you better and you have built a closer relationship with, even if those aren't the ones you've worked with for the most hours.
 
Top