advice needed for getting recommendations

[stratom]

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To all that have gone through the process, please help me out. I just completed the past MCAT offerred in April and am now looking foward to writing the needed essays and obtaining letters of recommendation. I am planning to apply to a mix of both MD as well as MD/PhD programs.

In this situation, what subjects should I be asking my recommenders to focus in on? On one school's site, I read that letters specific for the MD/PhD programs are needed in addition to those submitted for the regular MD program. If so, is the same needed by most other programs? Also, would it look bad if I asked the same recommender to write both letters to be submitted to a single school? And letters of recommendation are asked for along with secondary application material? Your help is much appreciated.

 

[gwang]

I only applied to MD/PhD programs, so I don't know about all the specifics for MD, but I was under the impression that all MD letters are forwarded to the MD/PhD file as well (some schools establish an MD file for MD/PhD applicants regardless of one's interest in the straight MD program). I imagine it is acceptable to use MD/PhD letters for MD programs, but you should have specific MD letters in addition. I asked my references to speak about my academic capabilities and personal strengths, and I asked for letters from the following people:

-main PI/thesis advisor. I also took 2 classes from him.
-summer PI.
-another summer PI.
-bio professor/vice provost of undergrad studies. I also work for her indirectly in Freshmen programs.
-chemistry senior instructor. I took 6 chemistry classes from him and TAed for him for a term.
-poli sci professor. (some schools requireed a letter from a non-science professor)
-clinical experience letter: supervisor at volunteer clinic. This letter got to me very late, I only used it for two schools and I ended up declinding interviews at those schools (OHSU and Wisconsin). So for MD/PhD, it's fine to not have a clinical letter.

Letters are required if you get a secondary. They do not review your file until all letters have been received. A lot of schools also have "evaluation sheets" to be sent in with the letters. I applied to too many schools and felt it would be rude to ask my professors to fill out all these forms in addition to writing the letter, so I chose not to send in these forms. I'm not sure if that was detrimental to my application, but it doesn't matter to me now. Good luck.