3 DO letters = overkill?

[NoPMHx]

I have 3 DO doctors who are happy to write me rec letters. To med schools' eyes, is getting 3 letters from DO doctors an overkill?

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[YayPudding]

At least one but some diversity of opinion and perspective is called for. Try a DO, non-science faculty, science faculty and maybe volunteer/research/EC mentor

 

[BobbyKoch]

Get them all, store them in interfolio. If one speaks to a certain skill or experience that fits a specific school's mission you could then choose to send a specific letter.

I've heard of people sending their letters to an advisor or other third party in order to get feedback as to their strength, but I'm not sure if that would be considered ethical.

 

[bengirlxD]

Meanwhile students are having trouble just finding one....

 

[Donna Moss]

.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Being a non-traditional student, I had 10 letters from physicians and professors stacked up at my university through the years. The letter service thought I was trying for a faculty position at another school...

Don't sweat the small stuff, take all letters and choose which ones you want to send. However, for the love of god, don't send more than 5 LORs. Three DO LORs is just overkill, just pick one or two. Then have 1 science/1 non-science/1 extracurricular to have some some diversity...

 

[lnguyen1412]

I'm having:
2- community college professors (1 phD and 1 MS)
2- physician letters (DO & MD)
1- community service supervisor.

Now I'm a 1st year medical student.
As long as your letter speak about you and show the adcom that letter writers actually know you on personal levels, any letter is good. The quality is what worth talking, not quantity

 

[AlmondCroissant]

Three DO letters is SUPER unique and will make you stand out!!! It's awesome, definitely do it!

 

[workaholic181]

I had two, seems to be working so far! Just accentuates that you have real exposure to the field of osteopathy.

 

[bears1992]

I doubt schools see many applicants with three DO letters. AACOMAS only allows five letters to be uploaded and some schools like PCOM, only accept direct letters from the letter writer or though AACOMAS. If you really want to send all three letters, I would send your professor letters to AACOMAS and then put as many of your DO letters as you can into AACOMAS. Send the remaining DO letters to schools via Interfolio if they will accept them.

Gyngyn has noted on here before that too many letters annoys adcoms and he/she does not advise sending more than what is required.

 

[workaholic181]

I doubt schools see many applicants with three DO letters. AACOMAS only allows five letters to be uploaded and some schools like PCOM, only accept direct letters from the letter writer or though AACOMAS. If you really want to send all three letters, I would send your professor letters to AACOMAS and then put as many of your DO letters as you can into AACOMAS. Send the remaining DO letters to schools via Interfolio if they will accept them.

Gyngyn has noted on here before that too many letters annoys adcoms and he/she does not advise sending more than what is required.

*AACOMAS allows 6 letters


OP if you have letters from non physicians (like a science prof) that you feel would be strong it would probably, as this poster described, be better for your app if they were included initially rather than the three DO letters. Again, you have a max of 6 thru AACOMAS. I had two sci profs, two non sci profs, and two DOs. Had I had a third science professor who would have written a strong letter for me, I would likely have used this letter rather than one of my DO ones.

 

[bears1992]

*AACOMAS allows 6 letters


OP if you have letters from non physicians (like a science prof) that you feel would be strong it would probably, as this poster described, be better for your app if they were included initially rather than the three DO letters. Again, you have a max of 6 thru AACOMAS. I had two sci profs, two non sci profs, and two DOs. Had I had a third science professor who would have written a strong letter for me, I would likely have used this letter rather than one of my DO ones.

You are correct! Not sure why I thought the maximum was five but I just checked and you are right.

 

[Goro]

I have 3 DO doctors who are happy to write me rec letters. To med schools' eyes, is getting 3 letters from DO doctors an overkill?

Only on SDN would someone ask something like this!

It's rare enough to see a candidate with two DO LORs... yours would be a record for me at my school. You'd probably get an accept right at the interview from the Dean.

 

[MADD!!!]

Only on SDN would someone ask something like this!

It's rare enough to see a candidate with two DO LORs... yours would be a record for me at my school. You'd probably get an accept right at the interview from the Dean.

Really? I'd think this would be overkill. Now you're gonna see a flow of applicants with multiple DO LOR's.

I personally just sent one, and I had a killer app cycle.

 

[Goro]

Really? I'd think this would be overkill. Now you're gonna see a flow of applicants with multiple DO LOR's.

I personally just sent one, and I had a killer app cycle.

It's not overkill.
It's hard enough for people to get one DO LOR that I'm not worried about seeing 3 at once.

 

[MountainClimber94]

What would you say to a person submitting w/ 1 DO, 3 MD, and 1 PhD?

 

[Coltuna]

What would you say to a person submitting w/ 1 DO, 3 MD, and 1 PhD?

Probably not going to satisfy most of the base letter requirements at schools? Some require at least 2 facutly members.

 

[calivianya]

Only on SDN would someone ask something like this!

It's rare enough to see a candidate with two DO LORs... yours would be a record for me at my school. You'd probably get an accept right at the interview from the Dean.

Really? I'm having trouble getting my science professors to write letters for me... but both of my physician letters are DOs. It just so happens that the two intensivists I was closest to are both DOs, and I know more and could certainly get more DO letters if I wanted.

Would I be safe getting rid of the science professor letters and just using my DO letters instead? It would speed my application up considerably if I could do that. I'd be complete right now. I haven't even submitted my DO primary app yet, so I still have the ability to delete my professor letters.

 

[Goro]

Really? I'm having trouble getting my science professors to write letters for me... but both of my physician letters are DOs. It just so happens that the two intensivists I was closest to are both DOs, and I know more and could certainly get more DO letters if I wanted.

Would I be safe getting rid of the science professor letters and just using my DO letters instead? It would speed my application up considerably if I could do that. I'd be complete right now. I haven't even submitted my DO primary app yet, so I still have the ability to delete my professor letters.

Pretty sure most DO schools want more than just clinician LORs.

 

[NoPMHx]

Really? I'd think this would be overkill. Now you're gonna see a flow of applicants with multiple DO LOR's.

I personally just sent one, and I had a killer app cycle.

It's not how MANY DO letters you have that matters.. I forgot to mention that I've known these doctors for a while, and I was confident that they know me well enough to write me strong letters. I would assume having 1 strong DO letter would have more impact than having 3 weak ones.