A few questions about my letters of recommendation

[BrianMoser]

As it currently stands, I have secured most of my letters of recommendation. However, there is some concerns on my part that I can’t shake. Does anyone have any input for the following concerns? My app is in my profile, and I am applying MD and DO.

1. I have 2 PIs on account of doing research in 2 seperate labs. One of my PIs with whom I have a published abstract is not writing me a letter of recommendation, as he is too busy. I will not be pursuing the issue further. His post doc also mentioned he just does not have the time to write one. I have been with the lab for 2 years now. Will the lack of his letter be a red flag that kills my application? Is my app dead on arrival for schools without his letter? My other PI (again, for a seperate and different lab in a different field) agreed to write me one.

2. My non-science letter (a psychology class) is from a professor who is one of my PIs. Can his letter count as non-science and research? Or do I have to pick one? If a school asks for non science and research, and I don’t have the other research letter, am I screwed for that school?

3. I have volunteered at a free clinic connected to my school for some time now. There is no supervising physician that I see every single day - attendings, fellows and residents rotate in and out -the person I directly report to is a medical student with the title “Clinic Director”. I have worked with her for a few years. Can she write me a letter of recommendation seeing as she has been my direct supervisor for years now, or am I going to have to get a physician to sign off on this?

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[LizzyM]

Welcome @BrianMoser If you are using your real name, I'd strongly urge you to change to something less identifiable to protect your privacy.

Lack of a PI letter is not good if you are applying to MD/PhD programs or schools that put a heavy focus on research. Many other schools won't really care.

It is a bit odd to have a writer be both "non-science" and "research". Non-science letters often come from faculty in the humanities or sometimes someone is sociology, economics or similar social sciences. Of course, there are people who do research in sociology and econ but it is quite rare among pre-meds. Schools do vary but most want a committee letter OR 2 science and 1 non-science instructors.

Except for some DO schools, you generally do not need a physician letter. If you feel the need to have a letter from someone who has supervised you in a clinical setting, someone a bit "higher up" than a medical student might be a better choice. But, again, most of the students don't have, and most schools don't expect a letter from a physician.

 

[BrianMoser]

Welcome @BrianMoser If you are using your real name, I'd strongly urge you to change to something less identifiable to protect your privacy.

Lack of a PI letter is not good if you are applying to MD/PhD programs or schools that put a heavy focus on research. Many other schools won't really care.

It is a bit odd to have a writer be both "non-science" and "research". Non-science letters often come from faculty in the humanities or sometimes someone is sociology, economics or similar social sciences. Of course, there are people who do research in sociology and econ but it is quite rare among pre-meds. Schools do vary but most want a committee letter OR 2 science and 1 non-science instructors.

Except for some DO schools, you generally do not need a physician letter. If you feel the need to have a letter from someone who has supervised you in a clinical setting, someone a bit "higher up" than a medical student might be a better choice. But, again, most of the students don't have, and most schools don't expect a letter from a physician.

Hello,

Thank you so much for the reply. Do not worry, my screen name isn’t my real name. It’s the name of one of the characters from the show Dexter.

Yeah, my main concern was the lack of a PI letter killing my app. As I mentioned, one of my PIs is writing me a letter. This is a PI who I took for some psychology classes and who I later ended up doing psychology research with. My other PI is not. Two seperate PIs

I mostly want the person I mentioned (who is a medical student) to write me a letter because working at this clinic is one of my my most meaningful experiences, and it seemed like a good idea to have someone vouch for me that I’ve known and worked under for years. I know some schools take a lot of letters and I figured I could send those schools these extra letters from my most meaningful volunteer experiences.

 

[LizzyM]

Frankly, reading applications for 25 years, I've never seen a "most meaningful volunteer experience" letter that moved the needle or was in anyway meaningful in terms of making an admissions decision. Vouching for you in the view of most volunteer supervisors is stating that you have volunteered X hours and helped advance the mission of the organization. Maybe the med student would be more effusive but that's not been my experience as a recipient of these letters.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I would recommend the staff manager sign off on your work with the free clinic. Med students are temporary, and even if they manage you, their recommendation would not hold much gravitas. Are there any med students who wouldn't write a "good" letter for a premed?

While residency may be more the target, read

Get A Better Letter: An Insider's Guide to Letters of Recommendation - SDN

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