2007-2008 Letter of Recommendation Thread

[Kappy1]

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don't have many options for science LORs. Do I need two science LORs? I've barely taken the pre-reqs so i don't have a lot of science courses. Several were taken abroad a year ago and several were taken in summer school at a different college a year ago so they are not going to remember me now. I already graduated and intend to apply during the 2008 application cycle. But I need to get a job and start earning some money towards med school if by some miracle i get accepted.

My limited choices are listed below, please pick two if I need two.

1. the orgo 1 class I'm taking in summer school but it's not like the prof knows me well. I have talked to him a bit but nothing substantial and right now i have an A in the class.

2. the orgo 2 class I'm taking next semester with a different professor (the same one doesn't teach the courses during the summer) and try to get to know him well but i don't have much confidence in my ability to do well in the class.

3. the prof I had for cell bio and genetics. I had a 98 average going into each final. I ended up with an A in one and a B+ in the other. I have no clue how I could have blown the final so much; I had to have gotten around a 60 on it to get a B+. I wrote to her twice asking what I had gotten and have not received a response. meanwhile I had already asked for a LOR but don't know what happened with that. But now I'm afraid it won't be so great if i really blew the final in one of the courses.

4. take another science class next semester primarily to get a LOR, although based on another thread it seems maybe my genetics or something won't count as my bio 2 course.

5. beg schools to substitute psychology or something else for a science LOR


HELP ME PLEASE!!

First of all stay calm there still is time to send in LOR's. Does your school have a pre-med office or pre-health advisory committee? If it does, most D.O. schools will accept a letter from that committee instead of LOR's from science instructors. That is what I did. If that is the case just have professor who knows you send in LOR's, regardless of what they teach and let the committee write the letter. The committee may require that as well and if they do you'll need to get another letter. If you don't have such a committee; you mentioned taking some of your courses in another college. You can see if that college has a committee and they may write you a committee letter. If that doesn't work you will need to get another science letter. That letter doesn't need to be sent in right away you can update the school with that letter at the end of the next semester. If all other parts of your application are in order you should still be able to get interviews and even get an acceptance contigent on you getting the second letter. I hope you are accepted to the school of your choice. Good Luck!!!!

 

[Sarikate]

If I were you, I'd ask the orgo 1 professor...but like I said on your other post, make sure you sit down and have a chat with this person if you don't know him well. Then ask if he'll write you a letter. Just go in there during office hours, or call him. E-mail is okay but it's better if you actually talk to the person!

I had letters from an English professor, my neuroscience prof, a psychology prof, and three physicians. Even though some of the schools asked for two science letters, they accepted these with no problem.

 

[jonb12997]

let me also say that I had a letter from a philosophy professor for my pre-med committee...

 

[Jack Gaynor]

You should be able to use Interfolio to send letters of recommendation through the mail to any medical school in the country. We do not currently know about any schools that do not accept materials from us.

In addition, over half of the country's allopathic schools also accept letters electronically from Interfolio users.

If you happen to run into any problems with schools accepting Interfolio documents, please let our customer service people know by calling us at (877) 77-FOLIO or via email at [email protected]. We can then contact those institutions directly.

Jack
www.interfolio.com

 

[woodhorse22]

WHich DO schools require a DO letter?

 

[Dr. Josh]

If I were you, I'd ask the orgo 1 professor...but like I said on your other post, make sure you sit down and have a chat with this person if you don't know him well. Then ask if he'll write you a letter. Just go in there during office hours, or call him. E-mail is okay but it's better if you actually talk to the person!

I had letters from an English professor, my neuroscience prof, a psychology prof, and three physicians. Even though some of the schools asked for two science letters, they accepted these with no problem.

thanks, I'll try but feel like I'm running out of time; one more day until the final and I'm sure everyone is going to stand around with last minute questions. 'm also scared that I'm going to bomb the final; I've been known to do that before when I go into it with a high A. 🙁

 

[spicedmanna]

WHich DO schools require a DO letter?

You may find this information from the AACOM Guidebook on Osteopathic Medical Schools.

 

[seemstress]

almost every one.

 

[Dr. Josh]

First of all stay calm there still is time to send in LOR's. Does your school have a pre-med office or pre-health advisory committee? If it does, most D.O. schools will accept a letter from that committee instead of LOR's from science instructors. That is what I did. If that is the case just have professor who knows you send in LOR's, regardless of what they teach and let the committee write the letter. The committee may require that as well and if they do you'll need to get another letter. If you don't have such a committee; you mentioned taking some of your courses in another college. You can see if that college has a committee and they may write you a committee letter. If that doesn't work you will need to get another science letter. That letter doesn't need to be sent in right away you can update the school with that letter at the end of the next semester. If all other parts of your application are in order you should still be able to get interviews and even get an acceptance contigent on you getting the second letter. I hope you are accepted to the school of your choice. Good Luck!!!!

I graduated and therefore can't really still use facilities at my school, but no pre-med committee and the supposed advisor never responded to my e-mails from last year. I have plenty of time to get things together as I'm not applying until next year but I have to get the letters when I take the classes or the profs won't remember me.

 

[spicedmanna]

almost every one.

Actually, to my knowledge, this is not true. My recollection is that only a few schools specifically require a DO LOR. Most schools require a LOR from a physician and prefer that LOR to come from a DO, but will accept a LOR from an MD. Again, please refer to the AACOM Guidebook on Osteopathic Medical Schools for individual school policy on LORs.

 

[Kappy1]

I graduated and therefore can't really still use facilities at my school, but no pre-med committee and the supposed advisor never responded to my e-mails from last year. I have plenty of time to get things together as I'm not applying until next year but I have to get the letters when I take the classes or the profs won't remember me.

That is what I did for many of my courses during college. If I had discussions with the instructor or if he/she liked me as a student I would ask for a letter and keep it on file with the pre-med office at my school. I would always ask for it the semester after I had them as an instructor so they remembered me. For one I kept up with the instructor for three years until he finally wrote the letter. I am suprised that your school will not help out an Alumni. Hope it all goes well for you.

 

[mekol07]

When they ask for a science professor, what are they looking for? Since AACOMAS includes "Other Science" in your science GPA, can you use a professor of an "Other Science" course? However, math is not included in your science GPA so, can you use a Math professor? Some people say it is limited to your BCPM, but I think that might be so for AMCAS but not for AACOMAS. If it was limited to Bio/Chem/Physics, then why include these other courses in your science GPA.

I called the schools and asked but the lady seemed to not understand my question, and I repeated it like twice and gave up. I will probably try again later, but meanwhile does anyone know?

Thanks!

 

[spicedmanna]

When they ask for a science professor, what are they looking for? Since AACOMAS includes "Other Science" in your science GPA, can you use a professor of an "Other Science" course? However, math is not included in your science GPA so, can you use a Math professor? Some people say it is limited to your BCPM, but I think that might be so for AMCAS but not for AACOMAS. If it was limited to Bio/Chem/Physics, then why include these other courses in your science GPA.

I called the schools and asked but the lady seemed to not understand my question, and I repeated it like twice and gave up. I will probably try again later, but meanwhile does anyone know?

Thanks!

Let me start by saying that I don't know the answer to your question; ask the schools about their individual requirements for LORs--be specific and use examples when asking. For example, you might say something like:

"I noticed that one of your requirements is a LOR from a science faculty member. What does that include specifically? Could I, for example, invite a professor who teaches something other than biology, chemistry, and physics, to write my letter to satisfy this requirement? More specifically, I would like to invite the professor who taught [name of course] to write me a letter. Would a letter from this professor satisfy your science LOR requirement?"

I've seen the verbiage, "science faculty member," used. This means to me any science faculty member who instructed me and can write a strong letter in support of my candidacy. I don't see it being limited to the basic sciences, per se. In my mind, as long as you satisify the "science faculty member" part, the most important thing is that they can write you a strong letter, not what science subject they instruct. However, I am NOT an adcom member, so I can't really say what will satisfy an individual school's requirements. I'm afraid I will need to direct you to the individual school's admissions department. That's pretty much the only way to get a definitive answer.

 

[woodhorse22]

Hello,
If I can get both MD and DO letters, can I send them both to DO schools via interfolio.com or do DO schools have a limit? I will have one committee letter and one MD letter for sure. I might also get one DO letter. THANKS

 

[Kappy1]

Hello,
If I can get both MD and DO letters, can I send them both to DO schools via interfolio.com or do DO schools have a limit? I will have one committee letter and one MD letter for sure. I might also get one DO letter. THANKS

I would try to get the DO letter if it is possible. Try to get it from a DO that is an Alumni of the school you want to go to. ADCOM's value their Alumni's opinion. It may help you get to the interview stage in the process from that alone.

I am not sure if it can go via interfolio because I didn't use it. I know DO schools accept MD letters as well, some schools even accept it instead of a DO letter. Check with the school to see which they require. I submitted both an MD and a DO letter. I hope you are accepted to the school of your choice. Good Luck!!!

 

[scdocusc]

will it hurt their perception of you if you add an MD letter in with the DO letter? I will have both MD and DO but I dont want ADCOMS to think that DO is just my backup.

 

[Amy B]

I had 2 MD letters and 1 DO letter. Some schools require a DO letter, some do not. Having one is a plus though IMO. Good luck.

 

[Amy B]

When I applied, VCOM and LECO, and WVSOM required one. I am sure there were others also, but I only applied to those.

Personally I think it is a plus for you. In my area I was not able to find a DO that would allow me to shadow, but one did agree to meet with me and after talking to me for 2 hours and going over my personal statement, did write a wonderful letter for me.

 

[Jpc984]

recommended = required in my book

 

[spicedmanna]

recommended = required in my book

I think I understand what you are saying. I agree that it is beneficial to have a strong DO letter of recommendation, especially given that most schools prefer it, but disagree that "preferred" is the de facto equivalent of "required." If a DO letter were required at schools where it is currently preferred, then there would be little to no room for discussion. An example of a requirement would be Organic Chemistry; this is a fairly rigid premedical prerequisite requirement for matriculation. My thought is if schools wanted a DO letter to be required, they would require it, and some do. As it stands, I believe it is more accurate to say that many schools require a LOR from a physician, prefer it to come from a DO, but will accept one from an MD. Some schools will explicitly require a DO LOR. I didn't apply to any of those schools, so I can't speak to that. However, it seems to me that some schools will more strongly "prefer" a DO LOR than others, while others don't care that much. Some research may be required, if you plan on not using a DO LOR, but an MD one instead.

That said, if it is possible to get a strong LOR from a DO, I would certainly recommend getting one. It isn't that hard, I believe. I think one of the reasons that schools prefer, and some require, a LOR from a DO is that it provides the adcom members with another way to evaluate your interest and potential in, as well as your knowledge of, osteopathic medicine specifically. The feeling, I think, is who better to speak to that than practicing DO's? A LOR from an MD can speak to your character and your potential and interest for medicine in general, but most likely will not address osteopathic medicine. Both types of letters can evaluate your potential to become a physician, but one is more likely to speak to the osteopathic profession. For some, however, a LOR from an MD is sufficient, especially if it is a letter in strong support of their candidacy.

It's not always a simple choice, in my opinion. I could have requested a LOR from a DO, but I went with an MD LOR because I felt that it was going to be the stronger letter. In my case, I felt that a stronger letter trumped the MD/DO distinction. Furthermore, I felt that my background spoke strongly about my suitability for osteopathic medicine, so not having a DO letter wouldn't hurt me. Neither of the two schools that I interviewed mentioned the fact that I didn't have a DO LOR. However, that doesn't mean much in itself, since it's situational and anecdoctal.

Use your best judgment. I would certainly recommend getting a strong DO LOR, but that isn't set in stone, unless the school that you are applying to specifically requires you to have one.

 

[Jpc984]

You do have a valid point. I would have went with the stronger MD letter as well, but what about when the secondaries say "Optional Essay"?

 

[spicedmanna]

Himm interesting. OK... What about when the secondaries say "Optional Essay"?

This is off-topic to the thread, but I'll address that question. I think this situation is somewhat different. A secondary essay is a clear opportunity to say more about yourself outside of what your application already says about you. It is almost always beneficial to provide more dimension to your character and information about your interest/suitability for medicine, for a career as a physician, and for a given school. If you have more meaningful elements to add, then definitely take advantage of the extra space. If, however, you are struggling hard to come up with stuff and are just adding less than meaningful and sincere information, then perhaps it would be better to not waste the adcom members time with stuff that may cause them to roll their eyes. Like I mentioned before, it is likely, however, that you will have something meaningful to add; thus, it would be foolish to not take advantage of the optional forum by which to do it.

I guess the take home message is to understand the reasons behind why you are invited to do certain things. When things are optional, don't just automatically do it. Be intentional. I think it is generally a good idea to understand why you are going forward with it and do it purposefully and meaningfully, don't just do it because everybody says so, or is doing it. Do it because you think it's going to serve you and understand how it will serve you.

Okay...enough hijacking.

 

[woodhorse22]

So you are saying that DO schools might not accept interfolio.com?

 

[spicedmanna]

So you are saying that DO schools might not accept interfolio.com?

Doesn't interfolio have a list of schools that accept it? If not, then contact the schools in question and ask if it acceptable to use interfolio.

 

[spicedmanna]

will it hurt their perception of you if you add an MD letter in with the DO letter? I will have both MD and DO but I dont want ADCOMS to think that DO is just my backup.

I don't personally think having both types of letters is harmful as long as all letters are written in strong support of your candidacy. Be mindful, however, of how many letters you are sending. Some schools don't want to be overwhelmed by too many letters. It may even be wise to check with the schools regarding that if you plan on sending more than the requested number of letters. In general, my thinking is quality over quantity.

 

[boodthedog]

Doesn't interfolio have a list of schools that accept it? If not, then contact the schools in question and ask if it acceptable to use interfolio.

From my understanding, schools that say they specifically accept interfolio are set up to receive the documents electronically, but you can still send your interfolio documents via snail mail to any school. I hope this is true, otherwise I will need to get a bunch of addressed envelopes to my letter writers who have already submitted to interfolio.

 

[Jpc984]

haha I agree... even though i'm the hijacker.

 

[Packamylase]

I had 1 M.D. and 1 D.O., and it was no problem. I would recommend (and it is required and HIGHLY recommended by every osteopathic program) that you have a D.O. LOR.

 

[woodhorse22]

Hello,
I tried calling DO schools whether or not they accept interfolio.com.
Some of them have never heard about interfolio.com while others accepted them. For example A.T Still, CCOM, AZCOM were okay with it. MSUCOM said no straight up while KCUMB gave me an unsure answer. So please let me know as I am using interfolio.com as my primary source for sending these letters.

 

[Luba Licious]

When I applied a few years ago, KCUMB, LECOM, NOVA and KCOM all took interfolio.

 

[spicedmanna]

Hello,
I tried calling DO schools whether or not they accept interfolio.com.
Some of them have never heard about interfolio.com while others accepted them. For example A.T Still, CCOM, AZCOM were okay with it. MSUCOM said no straight up while KCUMB gave me an unsure answer. So please let me know as I am using interfolio.com as my primary source for sending these letters.

I didn't use them, so I can't say. However, there is an alternative way to gain more information other than calling the schools. You can also contact interfolio and ask them for a list of schools that are partnered with them and that accept interfolio, or you can ask them directly about certain schools. If there is a school that is not on their list that you wish to send LORs to, find out if there is a way that interfolio handles this that is acceptable to these schools (which may require you to also contact the schools in question). It will be a little bit more pin-pointed.

Hope this helps.

 

[DiverDoc]

Hello,
I tried calling DO schools whether or not they accept interfolio.com.
Some of them have never heard about interfolio.com while others accepted them. For example A.T Still, CCOM, AZCOM were okay with it. MSUCOM said no straight up while KCUMB gave me an unsure answer. So please let me know as I am using interfolio.com as my primary source for sending these letters.

I emailed KCUMB and they were cool with it.

 

[Jpc984]

MSUCOM requires their own forms... That is why they do not accept interfolio.

 

[EEL08]

Here's another thread re:interfolio
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=416167

 

[GreenShirt]

Some schools prefer that you don't send more than the requested number of letters (usually 2 or 3). You'll have to check the websites of the schools you're considering for details.

 

[jonb12997]

UNECOM doesn't require one, but they strongly recommend it. i.e. if you come to your interview and you have NO idea what OMM is outside of the literature from osteopathic.org, then it's not going to look good as if you've spent time working with a DO...

however, I feel like it's really hard to get in to shadow a DO unless you happen to know one... and honestly, unless you spend a significant amount of time with the doctor, they're just going to write the, "this person spent X number of hours shadowing me, I think he/she will make an excellent osteopathic physician" type letter... I kinda think that if you can find a way to show the school that you're genuinely interested in osteopathic medicine, it shouldn't matter if you get an actual letter from an actual DO, what about spending time observing an OMM class with a friend that's a DO student? Or what about spending time working in a big ER with a couple DOs where you see OMM in action, but don't actually get to know the doctor well enough to ask them for a letter... I think those should could too...

 

[GreenShirt]

I recommend doing trying by e-mail. It might be harder for someone to comprehend over the phone b/c they're probably busy doing something else when you call them, whereas when they check their e-mail they're focused on it.

 

[nlax30]

I agree, definitely check with the individual schools. My own experience has been that I didn't have a problem with one of my science letters being from a professor in the Psychology/Neuroscience department. I had a biochem professor write one, and my physiological psych professor write the other and all the schools I applied to accepted them fine.

 

[mshheaddoc]

merging threads

 

[WannaBaDoc]

PCOM asks for a LOR from a committee or advisor. Would submitting a letter from science/non-science teachers work for them instead ?

 

[JimT30]

I have a unique LOR question and I dont know if anybody has come across this or heard anything. I have LORs from a MD and a DC and I wondering if that would suffice for the DO letter. I know the main reason they want you to have a DO letter is because they want to make sure you understand the philosophy, and having read the history of and studied both fields in multiple Health Profession History classes and through independent reading, I feel like I have a good grasp on the philosophy. Also having shadowed a DC and a MD I am aware of manipulative therapy as well as the more conventional approach. Like I said Im not sure if anybody can answer question and it will probably serve me better to ask individual schools, but I thought I would give it a shot.

 

[stickytape]

How important is it to have a letter of rec. from a D.O. or M.D.?? If I do not have one should I just not apply? Also, how does one go about getting this experience? I do not know any DOs', but know a few MDs. Thanks.

 

[dr.kicia]

How important is it to have a letter of rec. from a D.O. or M.D.?? If I do not have one should I just not apply? Also, how does one go about getting this experience? I do not know any DOs', but know a few MDs. Thanks.

very important...you can get a DO to write you one you will just have to do some footwork to find a student friendly one...and the difficulty of that depends most likely on the area you are in.
i got my DO thru the major university hospital website...i found few DOs and their email adresses and i got contacted back y one...turned out to be one of the best experiances in my pre-med career...you will also learn a lot about the osteopahic medicine if you shadow a DO...it's a win win situation so i recomend you start working on it.

 

[Auraraptor]

A DO rec helps you if you are trying for a DO.

 

[billydoc]

Hey guys!
Great thread. My situation is a bit different. I've been in a health care field for almost two decades. So sure enough I came across many docs including D.O.s. But all D.O.s I know are the graduates of NYCOM emigre' physician program. They all were doctors in their home countries and did 3-year track at NYCOM. They will gladly write LORs for me but don't know the format, and don't want to spoil it for me. I've got L.O.Rs from them before for some of the Caribbean schools. But they were already printed set with mostly check off format, and a little comment section. That was fairly easy. But since I've never applied in U.S I just want to do it right.

Would any of you good ppl of SDN, either accepted or well into the process, be kind enough to share the format of your L.O.R. May be a pm or a link with your e-mail. I'd really appreciate it. Also, I did call Interfolio, and from what I understood, the L.O.R s could be uploaded to my account. But my D.O s are not familiar with the whole thing. Some advice is really appreciated.

Thanks

 

[billydoc]

Bump.

C'mon guys. I'm not asking for some welfare handout. I just need to see a format of LOR written by D.O. If anyone could help please pm. You don't have to give your name or anything. I just want to have some guide lines to what was acceptable. Schools I'm mostly interested in at the moment are NYCOM and TOUROCOM NY, mostly for family and geographic reasons.

Please help. I really appreciate it. 🙂

Hey guys!
Great thread. My situation is a bit different. I've been in a health care field for almost two decades. So sure enough I came across many docs including D.O.s. But all D.O.s I know are the graduates of NYCOM emigre' physician program. They all were doctors in their home countries and did 3-year track at NYCOM. They will gladly write LORs for me but don't know the format, and don't want to spoil it for me. I've got L.O.Rs from them before for some of the Caribbean schools. But they were already printed set with mostly check off format, and a little comment section. That was fairly easy. But since I've never applied in U.S I just want to do it right.

Would any of you good ppl of SDN, either accepted or well into the process, be kind enough to share the format of your L.O.R. May be a pm or a link with your e-mail. I'd really appreciate it. Also, I did call Interfolio, and from what I understood, the L.O.R s could be uploaded to my account. But my D.O s are not familiar with the whole thing. Some advice is really appreciated.

Thanks

 

[prionsRbad]

Bump.

C'mon guys. I'm not asking for some welfare handout. I just need to see a format of LOR written by D.O. If anyone could help please pm. You don't have to give your name or anything. I just want to have some guide lines to what was acceptable. Schools I'm mostly interested in at the moment are NYCOM and TOUROCOM NY, mostly for family and geographic reasons.

Please help. I really appreciate it. 🙂

Well, my DO LOR is confidential (they carry more weight that way) so I'm not exactly sure what it says. The doc who's writing it said he would convey my understanding and knowledge about the osteopathic philosophy, my experience as a patient with OMM and other personality traits/life experience he thinks would make me a compassionate physician. That's all I can tell you, sorry.

As for Interfolio, I have all 7 of my LOR's there and it's super easy to use. There are many threads on Interfolio and how to use it if you do a search, but I highly recommend it.

Good Luck

 

[Amy B]

Bump.

C'mon guys. I'm not asking for some welfare handout. I just need to see a format of LOR written by D.O. If anyone could help please pm. You don't have to give your name or anything. I just want to have some guide lines to what was acceptable. Schools I'm mostly interested in at the moment are NYCOM and TOUROCOM NY, mostly for family and geographic reasons.

Please help. I really appreciate it. 🙂

Just as prionsRbad stated, the LOR are confidential so most of us have not ever seen ours. They just need to reflect how they know you, what you are like as a person and as a potential future doctor, your strengths and what makes you unique and a good canidate for medical school. They really should be able to figure this out.

 

[ricrob]

I am looking for some advice about LOR's, specifically for PCOM. I just received a supplemental app from PCOM and they only require a letter from the pre-med advisor/committee. But they do strongly recommed a letter from a DO. I emailed them about a LOR from a MD, and they said to include "any letter that I would like in support of my application to the DO program." I shadowed an MD and believe that he will write a strong LOR on my behalf, more so than the DO I shadowded only twice. The DO didn't seem that interested in showing me the finer points of being a DO, and told me I should shadow other physicians in other specialties. Also, I was wondering if I should include a LOR from my undergrad research advisor. I also took two classes from him. If anyone who was accepted to PCOM could give me some pointers I would greatly appreciate it! Any thoughts on the number of letters and who they should come from?

 

[Jpc984]

I am looking for some advice about LOR's, specifically for PCOM. I just received a supplemental app from PCOM and they only require a letter from the pre-med advisor/committee. But they do strongly recommed a letter from a DO. I emailed them about a LOR from a MD, and they said to include "any letter that I would like in support of my application to the DO program." I shadowed an MD and believe that he will write a strong LOR on my behalf, more so than the DO I shadowded only twice. The DO didn't seem that interested in showing me the finer points of being a DO, and told me I should shadow other physicians in other specialties. Also, I was wondering if I should include a LOR from my undergrad research advisor. I also took two classes from him. If anyone who was accepted to PCOM could give me some pointers I would greatly appreciate it! Any thoughts on the number of letters and who they should come from?

I have not been accepted, but I am currently applying. Your MD letter should be fine... If you guys are close, maybe he can throw in a little paragraph about your interest in osteopahtic medicine and how you defended it or what not.