Will shadowing a DO be a problem for MD schools?

[ILOVEMED123]

I'd like to hear from someone that applied to both MD and DO schools and used a DO recommendation letter for both. And received an MD acceptance.

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[DrOMG]

I'd like to hear from someone that applied to both MD and DO schools and used a DO recommendation letter for both. And received an MD acceptance.

No. I had 8 hours DO shadowing and 15 hrs MD shadowing total and not a problem for me.

Edit: I should add that I am basing this off my interviews so far... no acceptance (fingers crossed though)

 

[ILOVEMED123]

I'm talking about the letter. Did you have the DO write you a letter for the MD schools u applied to?

 

[DrOMG]

I used a DO I scribe for, not the DO I shadowed.

 

[mimelim]

Why would you get a letter from someone you shadowed. That seems like far poorer judgment than basing things off the two letters following someone's name.

 

[NickNaylor]

Don't get letters from people that you've only shadowed. They aren't helpful or informative and will not strengthen your application.

 

[optimistic3]

Why would you get a letter from someone you shadowed. That seems like far poorer judgment than basing things off the two letters following someone's name.

Is this a general consensus? I always thought it looked good to get one from a physician you've shadowed.

What about for DO schools that require a DO letter? How else would I get one if I don't work with any?

 

[Ruby109]

Don't get letters from people that you've only shadowed. They aren't helpful or informative and will not strengthen your application.

Maybe I'm a newbie, but since when is this a bad idea? I shadowed a doctor for 3 weeks and felt that he wrote me a pretty good letter..
To avoid derailing this thread, perhaps we should start another to address this?

 

[mimelim]

Is this a general consensus? I always thought it looked good to get one from a physician you've shadowed.

What about for DO schools that require a DO letter? How else would I get one if I don't work with any?

Maybe I'm a newbie, but since when is this a bad idea? I shadowed a doctor for 3 weeks and felt that he wrote me a pretty good letter..
To avoid derailing this thread, perhaps we should start another to address this?

DOs are a different story. I know next to nothing about DO applications, so you need to see what others say about their DO letters.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/letters-of-recommendation.985472/

"pretty good" is not strong. Nobody writes a 'bad' letters. Read that thread. If still confused why they aren't strong, I'll try to explain further.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Is this a general consensus? I always thought it looked good to get one from a physician you've shadowed.

What about for DO schools that require a DO letter? How else would I get one if I don't work with any?

Nicknaylor and Mimelim are talking specifically from the MD side of why not to get a letter for a shadowing. I had an MD letter from someone I shadowed, but I also volunteered at the same place she worked. Two faculty members I asked at my state school did see having a physician letter as favorable, and thus I choose this one, because it was the only letter that was not solely from shadowing alone. It may not be a wise move from Nicknaylor's or Mimelim's stand point, but if my state school says I should do it, I gotta listen to them.

On the DO side, I would say shadowing is the best way to obtain a LOR from a DO. I think this is the exception to what they were stating. You can try working at a hospital, but you can't be sure how many DOs work at that hospital or when they work. This is why in this situation it is best to do the direct approach and shadow a DO.

 

[allantois]

My school requires us to have a letter from a professional (MD/DO) on file with them or the committee packet is considered to be incomplete and won't be sent. I'm not saying they are right but I hope that doesn't show MY poor judgement

 

[optimistic3]

DOs are a different story. I know next to nothing about DO applications, so you need to see what others say about their DO letters.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/letters-of-recommendation.985472/

"pretty good" is not strong. Nobody writes a 'bad' letters. Read that thread. If still confused why they aren't strong, I'll try to explain further.

Thanks so much for that informative post! Unfortunately I did not plant seeds early in undergrad like you said and I'm always upset at myself for it. I don't think I'll have strong letters but I guess there's not much I can do about it at this point. I'm trying my best to work with what I've got now.

Nicknaylor and Mimelim are talking specifically from the MD side of why not to get a letter for a shadowing. I had an MD letter from someone I shadowed, but I also volunteered at the same place she worked. Two facility member I asked at my state school did see having a physician letter as favorable, and thus I choose this one, because it was the only letter that was not solely from shadowing alone. It may not be a wise move from Nicknaylor's or Mimelim's stand point, but if my state school says I should do it, I gotta listen to them.

On the DO side, I would say shadowing is the best way to obtain a LOR from a DO. I think this is the exception to what they were stating. You can try working at a hospital, but you can't be sure how many DOs work at that hospital or when they work. This is why in this situation it is best to do the direct approach and shadow a DO.

Thanks! Yeah I'm going to start volunteering at a hospital soon (I just moved) so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll find a DO (and MD) that I can shadow there.

 

[NickNaylor]

Is this a general consensus? I always thought it looked good to get one from a physician you've shadowed.

What about for DO schools that require a DO letter? How else would I get one if I don't work with any?

Hopefully the posts above cleared it up. I don't know much about DO admissions but my understanding is that many DO programs require a letter from a DO with your application. That's obviously a different situation.

Letters from physicians who know you ONLY from shadowing aren't helpful because they don't really tell the admissions committee anything that they care about. Shadowing is neither difficult nor impressive, thus a letter testifying to your ability to sit in a room and not be a dolt is useless. However, if you get a letter from someone you shadowed AND worked with in another capacity - be it volunteering, research, etc. - then that's different because that person can likely to speak about traits that schools care about.

Many people seem to think LORs that talk about how nice of a guy/gal you are are helpful. They are not. That's not the kind of thing schools are looking for. Schools are looking for people that can testify to your academic prowess, your dedication to your interests and passions, and your ability to be a compassionate, caring, and intelligent physician, with that last bit usually being in addition to the previous two rather than in isolation.

 

[optimistic3]

Hopefully the posts above cleared it up. I don't know much about DO admissions but my understanding is that many DO programs require a letter from a DO with your application. That's obviously a different situation.

Letters from physicians who know you ONLY from shadowing aren't helpful because they don't really tell the admissions committee anything that they care about. Shadowing is neither difficult nor impressive, thus a letter testifying to your ability to sit in a room and not be a dolt is useless. However, if you get a letter from someone you shadowed AND worked with in another capacity - be it volunteering, research, etc. - then that's different because that person can likely to speak about traits that schools care about.

Many people seem to think LORs that talk about how nice of a guy/gal you are are helpful. They are not. That's not the kind of thing schools are looking for. Schools are looking for people that can testify to your academic prowess, your dedication to your interests and passions, and your ability to be a compassionate, caring, and intelligent physician, with that last bit usually being in addition to the previous two rather than in isolation.

Thank you. That makes complete sense!

 

[el_duderino]

I had 3 times as many DO shadowing hours as MD, and a DO wrote one of my LORs. Doesn't seem to have been a problem, and I can't imagine why it would be. No one here really seems to care one whit about MD vs DO.