* * 2009-2010 Letter of Recommendation Thread * *

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IRE said:
My prof. LORs are out of the country for the summer. Is it better to wait for them or apply now? I have an employer and MD letter. Trying to get a DO rec. I'm pretty much hoping for PCOM as I wouldn't have to move. Thoughts? Otherwise pretty good app., 30 and 3.5.
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So... in this process I've found that some days are easy and some days are hard... today, for me... is a hard day...

I'm anxious waiting for my LORS, I'm anxious waiting for TMDSAS to acknowledge that they have all of my transcripts... I sent them electronically from Interfolio on Monday. I feel like I'm juggling... and right now all the balls are in the air and I'm waiting for them to land and hoping that I can catch them and keep the rhythm without sending everything crashing around my feet.
 
danimjo said:
So... in this process I've found that some days are easy and some days are hard... today, for me... is a hard day...

I'm anxious waiting for my LORS, I'm anxious waiting for TMDSAS to acknowledge that they have all of my transcripts... I sent them electronically from Interfolio on Monday. I feel like I'm juggling... and right now all the balls are in the air and I'm waiting for them to land and hoping that I can catch them and keep the rhythm without sending everything crashing around my feet.
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Write a poem.

No really; it'll take the mind off. ;)
 
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I'm reapplying to TOURO. Does anyone know if I can send in the same rec. letters or do I have to submit new ones (or an additional - one - new letter)?

Thanks!
 
so far I have 4 lor's and I am in need of some advice
I have asked for 5 lor's and have only recieved 4 via interfolio
I have a letter from an MD(nuerosurgeon) but I am shadowing a DO next week
I have 1 letter from a bio prof(was my advisor, her brother was a DO and she is awsome)
1 letter from a math prof(pre calc)
and 1 letter from an english prof. ( I took the history of rock music)

I have asked for another bio professor and emailed him to remind him(politely) and he has not responded ( I took medical botany with him). I plan on emailing him again, however I want to take appropriate measures to make sure that I am OK when schools ask for them. would I be ok with the 4 letters I have? or do I need another science letter? I am confident that the people who wrote me the LOR's really backed me up just worried that schools will want to see another science LOR.
 
kypreos said:
so far I have 4 lor's and I am in need of some advice
I have asked for 5 lor's and have only recieved 4 via interfolio
I have a letter from an MD(nuerosurgeon) but I am shadowing a DO next week
I have 1 letter from a bio prof(was my advisor, her brother was a DO and she is awsome)
1 letter from a math prof(pre calc)
and 1 letter from an english prof. ( I took the history of rock music)

I have asked for another bio professor and emailed him to remind him(politely) and he has not responded ( I took medical botany with him). I plan on emailing him again, however I want to take appropriate measures to make sure that I am OK when schools ask for them. would I be ok with the 4 letters I have? or do I need another science letter? I am confident that the people who wrote me the LOR's really backed me up just worried that schools will want to see another science LOR.
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If you are not using a letter from a pre-medical committee, then schools will usually ask for 2-3 science LORs. Seeing that you have only one confirmed science LOR, you should attempt to at least obtain one more (with two more being ideal) whether through your medical botany professor or otherwise.
 
Semicolon said:
If you are not using a letter from a pre-medical committee, then schools will usually ask for 2-3 science LORs. Seeing that you have only one confirmed science LOR, you should attempt to at least obtain one more (with two more being ideal) whether through your medical botany professor or otherwise.
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ok, its just frusterating cause I feel like if I keep asking him to write it he will write me a crappy LOR cause I nagged him. I will email him again, I asked him in april. this is rediculous.
 
i worked in a lab under an MD/PhD associate professor. would that count usually as an MD letter?

and by hospital i mean either that or private practice
 
scarfscarfscarf said:
i worked in a lab under an MD/PhD associate professor. would that count usually as an MD letter?

and by hospital i mean either that or private practice
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I don't think it matters, as long as the writer can speak to YOUR abilities exclusively and specifically.

Keep in mind, for schools requiring a DO reference, this will not fly.
 
how does the LOR process work??
This is what i know so far...
1. you find the DO/MD you want a LOR
2. you can either type up a letter yourself or have them write one for you
3. ????
4. the school receives your LOR

I'm not sure if the DO/MD sends you the LOR back to you (so you can send it to your school) or do they mail it directly to your intended schools?
 
brendan85023 said:
how does the LOR process work??
This is what i know so far...
1. you find the DO/MD you want a LOR
2. you can either type up a letter yourself or have them write one for you
3. ????
4. the school receives your LOR

I'm not sure if the DO/MD sends you the LOR back to you (so you can send it to your school) or do they mail it directly to your intended schools?
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If your school has a pre-medical committee you can utilize them to send out your LORs. Otherwise it may be easier for you to sign up with Interfolio and use that to send your LORs to the schools that accept it (most do). Some schools, like NYCOM, will only accept copies through mail.
 
Is it worth it to get a letter from a DO that you only shadowed for a day or two? But in that day or two he spent the time to explain the DO profession?
 
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yea, I did that and it worked for me. Better than nothing in my opinion
 
Hello everyone, so I have a few LORs that I got and retained from last year which I plan to use for this cycle. I told my LOR writers to put my AAMC ID on the front since I applied last year to allopathic only. But this year, I only applied to osteo schools so my question is.

#1 alot of schools ask for AACOMAS ID to be on the front, I know this is for identification purposes, but i have a pretty unique foreign name which I doubt anyone else has, do you guys think this will be a problem? I dont wanna go back and ask my writers do redo the letters just to add in a simple ID #, thats such a drag and annoying.

#2 do you guys think the admissions commitee will somehow see my AAMC ID# and view it as a negative? maybe in a non-positive light? as if maybe i couldnt get into allopathic and im only using osteo as a backup?
 
For Interfolio, they ask you if you need to put any unique IDs on the cover sheet. So when they send the LOR to the school, the cover sheet will have your name and AACOMAS #ID for identification.

For the second thing, not sure I can help you with that...
 
so my question is.
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Just a quick disclaimer: As you may know, whatever answer anyone can give you on those two questions, will be an answer based on personal opinion, logic, one's best guess, etc...because the majority of us don't sit (or ever sat) in an adcom.


With that in mind, I think you shouldn't have much of a problem with the AMCAS ID on it, I hardly see that as the deal breaker for anyone's application.

If a DO school wants you, it won't be the AMCAS ID what will keep that school from recruiting you...

You know what I mean...chili bean? ;)


Best wishes!



P.S. Now, a question for you, do you really want to risk not having all your LORs by asking the authors to rewrite them?








_______________________________________________
Medhacker an FP doing cosmetic surgery, pissing off the plastics and the derms...and loving every single minute of it! :cool:
 
I have searched but usually not good at finding things on forums - when should LORs be submitted?

thanks in advance,

Vincent
 
Typically, the instructions on the secondary request that you submit them along with your completed secondary. That way you'll be submitting them along with your secondary. So I'd suggest waiting for the secondaries to come and read what their instructions are. And if it remains unclear, I'd send an email to the individual schools.
 
Tizoc said:
Typically, the instructions on the secondary request that you submit them along with your completed secondary. That way you'll be submitting them along with your secondary. So I'd suggest waiting for the secondaries to come and read what their instructions are. And if it remains unclear, I'd send an email to the individual schools.
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thanks!
 
I am still confused about extra LORs (one from a DO). How do I send them to the schools I'm applying to? Is it ok to just mail copies of them in with my secondary applications?
 
brotally said:
I am still confused about extra LORs (one from a DO). How do I send them to the schools I'm applying to? Is it ok to just mail copies of them in with my secondary applications?
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A secondary will usually specify how they would like to have their LORs. Most, but not all, schools participate in Interfolio, so you could just make an account with them and send it electronically; that would be the easiest method.
 
Do you guys think it will be okay if the LOR is from a 3rd year resident whom I've shadowed? I'm having a hard time locating a "practicing physician".

Thanks for your inputs!
 
I have a LOR from the PI of a lab I worked in as an undergrad, I received about 10 units of "pass/no pass" credit and on my aacomas verified app the courses appear under the "bio/zoology" category, yet I just received an email from DMU stating that this LOR doesn't fulfill any of their requirements since they classified it as a "research" letter. Would I be able to convince anyone that this was technically an LOR from a proff for whom I took a class with? At the moment I only have 1 letter from a science faculty* and the prospects of me getting a new LOR doesn't look good since I graduated more than 2 years ago and it's summer. Has anyone else who's been accepted to med school been able to use a letter like this as a letter from a science proff?


*My other LOR from a proff is from a professor of anthropology, and I noticed at least for DMU, that they ask for letters from "biology, chemsitry, and physics" courses. Do most schools only count the above 3 subjects as being science? The courses I took with this proff were physical anthroplogy courses: human evolutionary biology, and primate evolution... which I assumed would be considered "science" since the courses involved knowledge about anatomy and dealt with evolution, which pretty much seems like it would fit under the umbrella of "biology".
 
Black Adder said:
I have a LOR from the PI of a lab I worked in as an undergrad, I received about 10 units of "pass/no pass" credit and on my aacomas verified app the courses appear under the "bio/zoology" category, yet I just received an email from DMU stating that this LOR doesn't fulfill any of their requirements since they classified it as a "research" letter. Would I be able to convince anyone that this was technically an LOR from a proff for whom I took a class with? At the moment I only have 1 letter from a science faculty* and the prospects of me getting a new LOR doesn't look good since I graduated more than 2 years ago and it's summer. Has anyone else who's been accepted to med school been able to use a letter like this as a letter from a science proff?


*My other LOR from a proff is from a professor of anthropology, and I noticed at least for DMU, that they ask for letters from "biology, chemsitry, and physics" courses. Do most schools only count the above 3 subjects as being science? The courses I took with this proff were physical anthroplogy courses: human evolutionary biology, and primate evolution... which I assumed would be considered "science" since the courses involved knowledge about anatomy and dealt with evolution, which pretty much seems like it would fit under the umbrella of "biology".
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Physical anthropology is considered "other science", but still science. You may need to explain your situation and specify physical anthropology (as opposed to cultural) to get them to understand.
 
Quick question!

My DO sent my LOR to ME instead of uploading it on interfolio. I didn't open the letter -- is it possible for me to send the LOR to a school by forwarding it? (meaning, I stuff the unopened LOR in another envelope). The DO is on vacation and rarely used his e-mail (I had to nag his wife so she can passed on the message).

OR is there anyway I can just print out the cover letter request from interfolio and mail that along with the unopened LOR to interfolio? Will they accept it and upload the LOR for me?

Please let me know if anyone been in the same situation.
 
How do you ask your LOR writers to write you a letter for two types of schools? I thought I was dead set on podiatry, but some recent events have made me think more about general medicine. What do I tell my letter writers? "Oh, btw can you also give me one for DO school?" I've only told them via email about podiatry school so far, and I'm about to meet up with one of them in person.

I'm applying this summer/fall, so I really don't have time to build relationships with a whole different set of people.

PS: This isn't a rash decision -- I'd thought about becoming a DO for a while, and until these recent personal events, I really thought I'd be happy specializing earlier.
 
Well, if you're dead set about applying right now for DO, you will just have to tell them. Simple as that. What else can you do?
 
Dear Colleagues,

My school pre-med committee doesn't handle physician LORs. I have DO willing to write the letter but i was just wondering when do I send it out? when i press the submit button on my application? and from reading some of the posts it seems the best way would be to upload it to interfolio?

thanks,
A concerned student
 
Palindromic said:
Dear Colleagues,

My school pre-med committee doesn't handle physician LORs. I have DO willing to write the letter but i was just wondering when do I send it out? when i press the submit button on my application? and from reading some of the posts it seems the best way would be to upload it to interfolio?

thanks,
A concerned student
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yes, the easiest way would be to tell the physician to upload it on interfolio (you pay around 20 bucks to have an account for a year). or you have the following options:

1. give him a bunch of addressed and stamped envelopes and tell him to send them out to all your schools. This is doable if you aren't applying to many schools.
2. This is sort of extreme but the people who wrote my letters actually let me look over them and let me send them out wherever they needed to be sent out. I don't know if this is possible in your case but just mentioning your options.

and to answer the when, I called up many admissions offices and they told me to send the LORs out as soon as your primaries have been received by them. so they should have it by the time you turn in your secondaries. Some schools actually do offer you an interview without having your LORs in though.
 
I would suggest you send in LORs along with your secondaries rather than with your primaries (keep in mind that verification takes up to 6 weeks and those schools will not have a file with your name on it). Most secondaries specifically ask for LORs to be sent at that time.
 
title says it all
but just in case
when do you send in your doctor LOR?
when you submit your AACOMAS?
 
Palindromic said:
title says it all
but just in case
when do you send in your doctor LOR?
when you submit your AACOMAS?
Click to expand...
As Semicolon said, with your secondaries.
 
Have any of you asked for a letter, only to have them tell you to write it and they'd review it? She gave me guidelines for what to put, but I seriously don't know how I'm supposed to write about myself. Can anyone help me out? I really don't know what a letter of rec is supposed to look like.
 
I will be shadowing a DO for a second time this week...how should I ask him for the letter so that it can be sent to all DO schools?

Should I ask him to send it to Interfolio?
 
When I first contacted a DO about shadowing, I mentioned to him that I was interested in earning a letter of rec. for osteopathic medical schools. I shadowed him for 6 hours and at the end of the day he just asked me where to send it. He told me that he got his letter without even shadowing a DO..just went and talked to one...
So, I would just bring it up and let him know that you are interested in applying to DO schools and mention that it is a requirement for most schools that you have a letter from a DO. See what he thinks you need to do to earn a letter from him. I doubt he gives you much grief over it...I have yet to run into a DO that acts like a jerk. Actually, all of the DOs I have interacted with are more than happy to help you along the way. Cant get some of them to shut up once you mention osteopathy :)
I didnt have any problems using Interfolio for my DO letter. Just give them a pre-addressed envelope and the printed interfolio request page...ALSO..let the writer know that they can mail in their letter and not necessarily have to do it digitally. Iv run into several people, especially physicians, who aren't too thrilled about putting their signature online digitally...
 
I went with interfolio, just because I knew that the DO I shadowed was exceptionally busy. I didn't want to trouble him with multiple mailings. Interfolio has worked great for me, I couldn't imagine applying without it.
 
ShinyDome19 said:
When I first contacted a DO about shadowing, I mentioned to him that I was interested in earning a letter of rec. for osteopathic medical schools. I shadowed him for 6 hours and at the end of the day he just asked me where to send it. He told me that he got his letter without even shadowing a DO..just went and talked to one...
So, I would just bring it up and let him know that you are interested in applying to DO schools and mention that it is a requirement for most schools that you have a letter from a DO. See what he thinks you need to do to earn a letter from him. I doubt he gives you much grief over it...I have yet to run into a DO that acts like a jerk. Actually, all of the DOs I have interacted with are more than happy to help you along the way. Cant get some of them to shut up once you mention osteopathy :)
I didnt have any problems using Interfolio for my DO letter. Just give them a pre-addressed envelope and the printed interfolio request page...ALSO..let the writer know that they can mail in their letter and not necessarily have to do it digitally. Iv run into several people, especially physicians, who aren't too thrilled about putting their signature online digitally...
Click to expand...

I completely agree with you. DO's are the BEST! They are extraordinarily nice. When I asked the physician I shadowed she was more than happy to write one. She even said it's kind of like the circle of life. Someone wrote one for her, she'd write one for me, I'd write one for someone else, and etc...

I didn't use interfolio seeing as my undergraduate institution mailed letter packets out. Turns out the first letter she wrote was lost in my school's mailroom and I found out over a month later. Here's the insane part... After explaining what happened, she voluntarily offered to physically DROP it off at my school's pre-health advisors office. It's a 45 minute drive from her practice!!! Of course I would not let her do that and the pre-health advisor agreed to let her sign the sealed evelope and I dropped it off the next day.

The squeaky wheel get's the oil. Nothing to be nervous about. Simply ask... :)
 
*** please give me some input before someone move this post! my posts get moved, but then it gets lost so i usually don't get responses ***


how detrimental do you think it is if i'm not able to get another letter from a science faculty (currently only has 1)? I do have letters from a DO, my supervisor from my year long internship at a naval medical center, a letter from my school's Academic Integrity coordinator (I was a peer educator for a year), and a letter from a science professor.



thank youuuuuu!
 
All I can say is to look at the schools to which you want to apply and look at their LOR requirements. Contact their admissions staff and see if they'll accept other letters as a substitute for a science faculty letter. Finally, if your school has a pre-med advisory committee many med schools will accept a letter from them as a substitute for as many as 2-3 faculty letters. Good luck.
 
hopefulCC said:
*** please give me some input before someone move this post! my posts get moved, but then it gets lost so i usually don't get responses ***


how detrimental do you think it is if i'm not able to get another letter from a science faculty (currently only has 1)? I do have letters from a DO, my supervisor from my year long internship at a naval medical center, a letter from my school's Academic Integrity coordinator (I was a peer educator for a year), and a letter from a science professor.



thank youuuuuu!
Click to expand...
You can always find your posts under your statistics. Click on your name and then the statistics tab.
 
hopefulCC said:
*** please give me some input before someone move this post! my posts get moved, but then it gets lost so i usually don't get responses ***


how detrimental do you think it is if i'm not able to get another letter from a science faculty (currently only has 1)? I do have letters from a DO, my supervisor from my year long internship at a naval medical center, a letter from my school's Academic Integrity coordinator (I was a peer educator for a year), and a letter from a science professor.



thank youuuuuu!
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Moving to the LOR thread. :)
 
Ugh. I've done something bad. I just asked a professor for a letter today, and asked if he could do it before October :(
 
MarieMarie said:
Ugh. I've done something bad. I just asked a professor for a letter today, and asked if he could do it before October :(
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that sucks!
they wait for the last day possible and whip up a letter in a few minutes. I am so frustrated with my letter-writers except the DO I shadowed. He was super awesome!
 
forrealz said:
that sucks!
they wait for the last day possible and whip up a letter in a few minutes. I am so frustrated with my letter-writers except the DO I shadowed. He was super awesome!
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Everyone else has been fine with the deadlines. But this, my last one, has been all "IT'S GOING TO BE HARD I DON'T KNOW" :( I feel awful. I put off asking him because I didn't know if my MCAT score would be decent and I didn't want to annoy some dude who only knows me on the periphery. And I only got a 3.0 in his class. I regret the whole thing.
 
scarfscarfscarf said:
i worked in a lab under an MD/PhD associate professor. would that count usually as an MD letter?

and by hospital i mean either that or private practice
Click to expand...

Chocolate Bear said:
Yes it would! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

my post was a piggyback on a different topic, but i needed to clarify and thought this was a more appropriate topic. also, i'm not applying to schools that require a DO letter.

"wait im confused. i have a letter from an MD/PhD i took a class from. that counts as a physician letter? i thought those letters are to detail your capacity to be a physician. i have 3 faculty letters, one is an MD/PhD, and a letter from my volunteering at peds (child life specialist) detailing my interaction with the kids and capacity to be a physician. i have that as a supplemental letter. i'm trying to shadow a DO to get a physician letter, but i'm afraid it won't be in time for secondaries. are you saying that i should be good to go?"
 
Hey guys, iam just getting in my LORS to Interfolio. Do we have to send each school the LORS individually or collectively like in amcas application?
 
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