Advice on approaching professor

[daisymay]

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Hi everyone,

I'm just looking from some advice on "breaking the news" to my professor/advisor that I'm applying to med schools.

Back in May I started working full time and conducting an independent study project in a lab on campus. It's a very small lab - only 4 people - and the professor has been great with me, spending a lot of time teaching important techniques, putting up with my questions and mistakes ... 🙂 In turn I've done a lot of lab work for him, and spend about 45 hrs/week in the lab.

So in May, when I arranged this position, I let him know I didn't know for sure what route I wanted to go after undergraduate (although I've been leaning towards medical school for a long time.) While the research has been very interesting and challenging, it has confirmed for me that I definitely want to go the med school route.

I've finished my application, and have pretty good numbers, EC's, and life experiences. However, I would really like to get a LOR from my professor, but I'm having a hard time figuring out a good way to "break the news" to him. I'm mostly scared that he'll get really upset he's been spending all this time with me if I'm pursuing an MD (although I'd definitely like to continue research in med school.)

Sorry to blab on for so long, but has anyone faced a similar situation, or have any advice? I'd appreciate the feedback very much.

Thanks

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

Just be honest with him. If he is the type that is going to get angry about your decision to pursue medical school, he is not the type of prof you want a reco from anyway. If you have been a solid worker (which it sounds like you have) then he should be happy to see you pursue what you want. I doubt he expected you to go through grad school then come back and join his lab.

 

[LUBDUBB]

faytind is right...just be honest


Tell him that you're thinking about applying to medical school this year, ask him what he thinks? If he offers to write you a rec then you're golden. If he doesn't then you can ask him, "Prof, if I apply to med school, would you feel comfortable writing me a rec?"


Best of luck

 

[stoic]

Yup, you just gotta tell him. Let him know you've appriciated your time in the lab, but that ultimately you miss patient contact, etc.

99% chance that he'll be cool and write you an awesome letter. If he freaks, then he can go to hell, right?

Good luck,
S

 

[Athomeonarock]

I was in the same situation, When i finally got the balls to tell him, he just said, "oh, thats to bad, but come to think of it, i wouldent want to fight for tenure now a days." He then wrote me a very nice LOR.

 

[principessa]

It sounds like this prof has been really supportive of you, and I imagine he will continue to support you as you're applying to med school. If you've done research with someone, schools will expect a letter from them, and it looks really good when someone says, "I would like to have her as a Ph.D. student."

My research mentor was also very supportive, and he probably secretly wanted me to go for a Ph.D., but he was always very happy when a med school offered me an interview or acceptance.

 

[BisMuOxo]

I was also in the same situation(40 hours per week of research during the past 2 summers). Much of the advice here is good. The one thing I would recommend is that you make it clear to the professor that you are absolutely confident in your decision. Dont say something like "I'm thinking about applying to medical school", you should say "I have decided that I am applying to medical school". You dont want to be in a situation where the professor tries to persuade you to follow the research career path.

 

[shocker]

I was in a similar situation also, and I agree that being forward and truthful will work.

I don't think it was just my profs, but did most of your profs turn up their nose when you said med school? My guy tried recruiting me for over a year and never refrained from dogging out MDs.

 

[W222]

Offer him a hug first, then break the news gently. He is likely to cry but you should be fine.

 

[principessa]

I don't think it was just my profs, but did most of your profs turn up their nose when you said med school? My guy tried recruiting me for over a year and never refrained from dogging out MDs.

Not really. I made it clear from the beginning that I was pre-med. They may have tried to get me to consider the M.D./Ph.D. route and talk to me about research opportunities for MDs, but I think they understood that this was the better choice for me. Of course they will make fun of MDs - there's no getting around that. But then they'll say something like, "Of course, you'll be different."