2008-2009 Letter of Recommendation Thread

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

ShyRem

I need more coffee.
Moderator Emeritus
Verified Member
Physician
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2004
Messages
9,801
Reaction score
137
The place for ALL questions/problems/anxiety regarding Letters of Recommendation.

:cool:
Members don't see this ad.
 
My premed commitee handles all of our letters, sending them out electronically in a packet with a cover letter to each individual school. I'm very happy to have them do this for us, but I recently found out that they absolutely do not send out letters until August because they don't even start commitee letters until then.

Will this put me at much of a disadvantage? Previously I had planned on getting secondaries done and sent out in July (or as soon as I get them), and feel annoyed that no matter how fast I get them out, my pre med commitee will be holding back my application from being complete.

I do have to say that our school has a very good track record with handling med school apps, so I doubt they would do anything that would hurt us, but it makes me nervous!
 
You should be fine. Most secondaries start being sent out in late August. But don't use the LORs as an excuse to dally on your secondaries!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Great, thanks! I will not dally, for any reason!
 
I have a burning Q for you. My chem prof wrote me a great LOR 2 years ago. I am reapplying summer 2008 and he has since retired (June 2007, he is like 83ys old) from the University. If he writes me a letter on his old letterhead will that be ok? Will med schools call up my school and get freaked out he is no longer teaching. Do schools care if he is only a prof. emeritus now? I have a great relationship with this guy and he wrote a spectacular letter. thanks for the help.
 
matlabsux said:
I have a burning Q for you. My chem prof wrote me a great LOR 2 years ago. I am reapplying summer 2008 and he has since retired (June 2007, he is like 83ys old) from the University. If he writes me a letter on his old letterhead will that be ok? Will med schools call up my school and get freaked out he is no longer teaching. Do schools care if he is only a prof. emeritus now? I have a great relationship with this guy and he wrote a spectacular letter. thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

Definitely have him write you one! Adcoms won't care if he's retired. :thumbup:
 
Doc Henry said:
My premed commitee handles all of our letters, sending them out electronically in a packet with a cover letter to each individual school. I'm very happy to have them do this for us, but I recently found out that they absolutely do not send out letters until August because they don't even start commitee letters until then.

Will this put me at much of a disadvantage? Previously I had planned on getting secondaries done and sent out in July (or as soon as I get them), and feel annoyed that no matter how fast I get them out, my pre med commitee will be holding back my application from being complete.

I do have to say that our school has a very good track record with handling med school apps, so I doubt they would do anything that would hurt us, but it makes me nervous!
Click to expand...


I turned my packet in to my school on my birthday last year (may 3rd)....and it got sent out in mid sept.

I was ready to jump off a bridge by then.

That said, I still got in to my top 5 choices and then some. :) You'll be OK.
 
How would I go about getting a LOR from a DO? I don't work in a hospital setting. I have shadowed with a DO last year but I haven't heard a reply from him. Should I just call up local DO's and explain the situation?
 
BirenJ said:
How would I go about getting a LOR from a DO? I don't work in a hospital setting. I have shadowed with a DO last year but I haven't heard a reply from him. Should I just call up local DO's and explain the situation?
Click to expand...

I wrote letters to DO offices to see if I could shadow. You can try callling, but doctor's are really busy. So the DO you shadowed won't write you a letter? I would try to contact him again. If that doesn't work, find somebody else to shadow for at least a few days. Then ask them to write you a letter. Some people will write letters without shadowing because they'd rather not be bothered. I don't know what they would say in the letter though. Good luck!
 
How strict are schools on the DO letter? I have two great letters from MDs, one from 1yr+ shadowing and the other from a published research paper. I don't think it will be feasible to get a meaningful letter from a DO before I submit. My GPA is average and my MCAT is significantly above average for the schools I'm looking at if it matters.
 
aliDO said:
I wrote letters to DO offices to see if I could shadow. You can try callling, but doctor's are really busy. So the DO you shadowed won't write you a letter? I would try to contact him again. If that doesn't work, find somebody else to shadow for at least a few days. Then ask them to write you a letter. Some people will write letters without shadowing because they'd rather not be bothered. I don't know what they would say in the letter though. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Well, no luck with the DO I shadowed. It might have been too long for him to remember who I am.

How easy is it to get a letter if you aren't working for them?
 
Ok, so here's my deal. I had a really good shadowing experience with my uncle who is a general surgeon and also a DO. It basically solidified my desire to pursue medicine. Ive heard that there is taboo with sending letters of rec from family members though, and that they are not taken seriously. I have other good experiences with MD's that I could submit letters from (and will at MD programs), but no other osteopathic doctors. What do you guys think, should i send in the MD letter or my uncle's letter to osteopathic colleges??
 
Members don't see this ad :)
jimboapu said:
Ok, so here's my deal. I had a really good shadowing experience with my uncle who is a general surgeon and also a DO. It basically solidified my desire to pursue medicine. Ive heard that there is taboo with sending letters of rec from family members though, and that they are not taken seriously. I have other good experiences with MD's that I could submit letters from (and will at MD programs), but no other osteopathic doctors. What do you guys think, should i send in the MD letter or my uncle's letter to osteopathic colleges??
Click to expand...

That is a tough one. I would agree that an LOR from a family member could be seen as taboo. Perhaps you could include your experience with your uncle in your PS?
 
Include the experience in a personal statement. It is too much personal bias for the letter of recommendation. They want objective and it is hard to be objective when you are related.
 
thanks for the feedback, i was thinking along the same lines :thumbup:
 
I would tend to say no. A lot of places will specify that your LORs can not come from family members and I believe it is frowned upon. I don't see how different this is from having your physician parent have a physician friend write one after a day of shadowing the parent set up, though, which I know happens a lot.

I was, however, going to get an LOR from my uncle but only to his alma mater as an 'alumni letter' at a private college. I would say this is the only 'accepted' form of a relative writing a letter. I decided not to bc I didn't want to think I got in on someones else's merits. In the end, I didn't even get an interview there. I don't know if I would have had I had the letter written either. Oh well.
 
Depending on where you're applying, you could always submit your uncle's letter as a supplemental letter, but those rarely get read. The only reason that dig into the supplemental letters is if they're on the fence about your app.

But, if you can put it into your ECs and your PS, I think that it will have the intended impact.
 
jimboapu said:
Ok, so here's my deal. I had a really good shadowing experience with my uncle who is a general surgeon and also a DO. It basically solidified my desire to pursue medicine. Ive heard that there is taboo with sending letters of rec from family members though, and that they are not taken seriously. I have other good experiences with MD's that I could submit letters from (and will at MD programs), but no other osteopathic doctors. What do you guys think, should i send in the MD letter or my uncle's letter to osteopathic colleges??
Click to expand...

Nope. There was a similar question on the Allo board the other day (but it was a father in law), so check out over there. I remember destinctly that some schools specified that your letter not be from a family member of any sort. Really, they are not as objective of a writer, and are required to disclose your relationship. Some adcoms may even look unfavorably on getting a letter from a relation. I like the other suggestion of listing the shadowing in your experiences, but get another DO to write the letter, perhaps your uncle has a colleague that would write for you based on his relationship?
 
MossPoh said:
Include the experience in a personal statement. It is too much personal bias for the letter of recommendation. They want objective and it is hard to be objective when you are related.
Click to expand...

I would say no...

On a random tangent, I don't get how any lor can be objective... Would you ask someone who wouldn't write you a good letter? Where is the objectivity in that?
 
I have heard of people getting terrible letters of recommendation. When talking to a counselor, I was told specifically to ask for a "strong" letter of rec.

I even got a guy tell me that he couldn't write me a good one. This was weird, because I owned his class, and I got along with him pretty well. I think he just didn't want to write one.
 
do you have the same last name? It might be "taboo", but someone who has known you your entire life and yourself THAT well, could write you the best letter of rec you'll ever see.
 
How about you get it from someone in the family who does not share your last name and just look the other way? I am sure they won't find out, will this fly?
 
We actually do not have the same last name and it is tempting to submit his letter. I dont want to be dishonest though...a little white lie could end up hurting me in the longrun I feel like. How lame would that be for them to find out later by digging a little deeper, and I cant lie to their face at an interview. I think ill just submit the MD letter..bummer it has to be that way though.
 
Do not put any bull**** on your application, and do not bring any to your interviews.

Surely your uncle knows another DO who could write you a letter?

If you use the letter, don't try to hide his relationship to you. And I don't see why you shouldn't use the letter. You just might need another one from a DO, if you apply to a school that doesn't want it to be a family member, but wants a letter from a DO. Check on the websites for their requirements.

Some places might take it. I think the reason for the DO letter is to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into, and you're not just applying to DO schools as backups. I think its safe to say that if you have an uncle who is a DO, and you've observed him in practice, you have some clue about what DO's are all about.
 
Jpc984 said:
I would say no...

On a random tangent, I don't get how any lor can be objective... Would you ask someone who wouldn't write you a good letter? Where is the objectivity in that?
Click to expand...

There is a difference in objectivity. There is a good letter and a freakishly squeeky clean praising letter.
 
What about a second cousin? Is that fair game?
 
Insulinshock said:
What about a second cousin? Is that fair game?
Click to expand...

In certain states like kentucky.





My general belief is that if you have to hesitate or are in doubt, then no, not fair game. You can use it as headway into the world of osteopathic medicine. Second cousin is kind of hazy to me and I'd rather just shadow a few other docs and get letters from them. My dad is a doc, so I have a bit of an unfair advantage. Most of the hospital knows my dad and his work, so it was really just a matter of me asking people and living up to his legacy. That being said, I have technically shadowed him for 100s of hours (sometimes not by my own will). I didn't put that on the application because I felt most would view it as stretching the truth. I have over 200 hours of shadowing with other doctors to make up for it though...
 
After not achieving success the first attempt at MD matriculation. I am thinking about broadening the scope of the schools I am applying to, and including some DO schools. However, I find that most schools are seeking a letter from a DO along with the recommendations package. I am living in Massachusetts and I have not been able to locate many DO's on the aamcos website, nor can I find any DO shadowing opportunities in the area. Does anyone else have experience dealing with this as a MA resident?
 
DM27 said:
After not achieving success the first attempt at MD matriculation. I am thinking about broadening the scope of the schools I am applying to, and including some DO schools. However, I find that most schools are seeking a letter from a DO along with the recommendations package. I am living in Massachusetts and I have not been able to locate many DO's on the aamcos website, nor can I find any DO shadowing opportunities in the area. Does anyone else have experience dealing with this as a MA resident?
Click to expand...

There are 167 DOs, who are AOA members, In Massachusetts. :thumbup: I'm sure there are even more who are not listed on the AOA website, but it's a start.

http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=findado_main
 
jimboapu said:
Ok, so here's my deal. I had a really good shadowing experience with my uncle who is a general surgeon and also a DO. It basically solidified my desire to pursue medicine. Ive heard that there is taboo with sending letters of rec from family members though, and that they are not taken seriously. I have other good experiences with MD's that I could submit letters from (and will at MD programs), but no other osteopathic doctors. What do you guys think, should i send in the MD letter or my uncle's letter to osteopathic colleges??
Click to expand...

Some osteopathic schools require a letter from a DO. But since your uncle is a DO I'm sure he knows a friends that you can shadow to get a letter, thats what I did. On the plus side the admissions committee may look a little more favorably on someone who has a DO in the family.
 
Try the osteopathic.org site, or what I did was just search through a phone book for Doctors in my area. All but one was willing to let me shadow them.
 
Finding a DO to shadow has been the bain of my existence, but I think I may have finally made some ground (after sending out 10+ letters in the mail and numerous emails) by contacting the state osteopathic medical association. Unfortunately for me, the difficulty was amplified by living in a state without a lot of practicing DOs. They are in the process of matching me with a DO. Don't hesitate, follow the advice provided by MJB.

CDO2012: Did you call them or send them letters?
 
its hard but keep on calling and emailing; it took me a while to find somebody to shadow and ultimately get a letter
 
4Health said:
Finding a DO to shadow has been the bain of my existence, but I think I may have finally made some ground (after sending out 10+ letters in the mail and numerous emails) by contacting the state osteopathic medical association. Unfortunately for me, the difficulty was amplified by living in a state without a lot of practicing DOs. They are in the process of matching me with a DO. Don't hesitate, follow the advice provided by MJB.

CDO2012: Did you call them or send them letters?
Click to expand...

Hey, I called most of them, I found that when I sent letters they were basically ignored. It might also be helpful to find a younger DO to shadow. They are usually more willing to have someone follow them around. Also, if you live near any medical school MD or DO that may they usually have a lot more clinics you can call. The college I'm at right now has an MD school so there are a HUGE amount of practicing doctors in the area. Also, the doctors in this area are really into helping students because they are used to it. I'm not sure any of this helped but I hope it did!
 
For those who have used Interfolio or VE, did you encounter any problem in the process? Is there any school that DO NOT accept these services?
 
I applied to 19 (I think) DO schools and 1 MD. No school had a problem with interfolio. Use it, it is extremley easy and convinient. :thumbup:
 
msucom does not
 
Hello,
I had a couple of questions about the DO letter process. First, I was thinking about asking two separate DO's for letters of recommendation. One is a family physician that I shadowed and through this I had exposure to primary care. The other DO is a psychiatrist (a colleague of my Mom) who I have met with a few times and has really been more of an adviser but he is very well known. So if I ask both for letters and ask them to send it Interfolio, later I can pick and choose which letter to send to which school? Also, would it be considered overkill to send two letters?

If a school doesn't accept Interfolio, does that mean they don't accept electronic transfer? Would it still be possible to request that a written copy of the respective letters be sent from Interfolio to the schools? Which brings up another point, when you request to have the letter sent to Interfolio, is there any option to have the right to read the letter waived? I would prefer doing it that way, then I assume once I have an account set-up, I can just identify the respective letter by title?
 
Yes, you can do that. I don't know that two DO letters would be overkill, but I don't think it is necessary either.

The fact that this guy is well-known probably doesn't mean much, except maybe at the school he went to. They will typically want the DO to verify clinical experience with pt contact.
 
Yes you can pick and choose. Just be sure to label them correctly. There is a point in the Interfolio process where it will allow you to label the Letter you want to receive and or tag it. I label mine something like this, DR SoNso LOR Electronic...For me it tells me that this LOR is from Dr. SoNso and it was sent to him electronically and he will send it in electronically. I dont like this option. It can confuse and frustrate those that are sending in the letter. For those I think wont be able to handle it I just label it DR SoNso LOR Mail. Then I print the request and paper clip a prepaid and filled out envelop and hand it directly to them. This mailed way, seems to be easier for everyone I am asking for an LOR from.
I hope that helps and makes sense.
 
OCHO said:
Yes you can pick and choose. Just be sure to label them correctly. There is a point in the Interfolio process where it will allow you to label the Letter you want to receive and or tag it. I label mine something like this, DR SoNso LOR Electronic...For me it tells me that this LOR is from Dr. SoNso and it was sent to him electronically and he will send it in electronically. I dont like this option. It can confuse and frustrate those that are sending in the letter. For those I think wont be able to handle it I just label it DR SoNso LOR Mail. Then I print the request and paper clip a prepaid and filled out envelop and hand it directly to them. This mailed way, seems to be easier for everyone I am asking for an LOR from.
I hope that helps and makes sense.
Click to expand...

Yes that makes sense, thank you the information.
 
Applied to over 20 schools. None had a problem with it. I can't speak for MSUCOM, I didn't apply there. Interfolio was a godsend for me, I loved it. One of the best ways to be in control of your paperwork.
 
can you send LORs before you submit secondary?...just submitted primary.

applying to osu-com and kcumb

thanks in advance,

T
 
I'm interested in applying to both PCOMs, CCOM, KCUMB, Western, DMU among others.

I ask out of bitterness right now. The docs I've met just don't have the time. Any general resources I can refer to? It just takes one DO!
 
cheezer said:
I'm interested in applying to both PCOMs, CCOM, KCUMB, Western, DMU among others.

I ask out of bitterness right now. The docs I've met just don't have the time. Any general resources I can refer to? It just takes one DO!
Click to expand...

some schools well explicitly state they require a DO letter......but i dont think its very many. most just say they recommend it. i dont know which schools require it off the top of my head, but someone else might. although a quick browse of the school websites would get you the answer.
 
They want the actual DO letter, or is it enough that you shadowed a DO?
 
engineeredout said:
They want the actual DO letter, or is it enough that you shadowed a DO?
Click to expand...

some schools want you to have a recommendation from a DO. Some of them also have a form which a DO can fill out. LMU, LECOM are two that come in mind for me.
 
PCOM does not require a DO LOR

if you tool around the schools websites long enough you can find admission req's. If they require it it will be posted there.

I got into PCOM-PA w/o the letter. I think PCOM-GA has the same application as well...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

G
Late Letters of Recommendation
Replies
4
Views
536
Rogue42
Rogue42
MateoGM416
New letters of recommendation this late in cycle?
Replies
1
Views
450
chilly_md
chilly_md
M
Physician Letters of Recommendation
Replies
3
Views
2K
aml868
A
K
  • Question
committee letter
Replies
1
Views
476
theoceanman
theoceanman
orangezz98
  • Locked
Letters of Recommendation - DO
Replies
0
Views
597
orangezz98
orangezz98
Top