Am I screwed?

[maybemed2013]

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So I am in the process of applying to both M.D. and D.O. med. schools

And I have LOR from a D.O. and I think I can get a LOR from my boss who is a MD.

I called my uni because I DID NOT want them to send my D.O. LOR to MD schools and they told me they send every LOR and if the schools does not want to look at the LOR they do not have to.

I read the LOR from the D.O. and goes into details about how I would make a great osteopathic physicians and how I believe being a D.O. would be more beneficial to me than a M.D.


They only thing I think will benefit me is that the DO that wrote the letter teaches at a MD school, that MD school is my first choice MD AND my boss who is a MD teaches at a DO school, which is my first choice DO

 

[alerk323]

So I am in the process of applying to both M.D. and D.O. med. schools

And I have LOR from a D.O. and I think I can get a LOR from my boss who is a MD.

I called my uni because I DID NOT want them to send my D.O. LOR to MD schools and they told me they send every LOR and if the schools does not want to look at the LOR they do not have to.

I read the LOR from the D.O. and goes into details about how I would make a great osteopathic physicians and how I believe being a D.O. would be more beneficial to me than a M.D.


They only thing I think will benefit me is that the DO that wrote the letter teaches at a MD school, that MD school is my first choice MD AND my boss who is a MD teaches at a DO school, which is my first choice DO

I don't have any experience with the DO app process so this is purely speculation. I would imagine MD schools understand how competitive it is and that many many students apply to both MD and DO schools with the ultimate goal of being a doctor superseding the MD vs DO thing. Also, if this is an LOR from a DO doctor it makes sense that he would be saying why you would be a good fit.

Question though, why did he say that you believe being a DO would be more beneficial, are those his words or yours?

 

[Ismet]

So I am in the process of applying to both M.D. and D.O. med. schools

And I have LOR from a D.O. and I think I can get a LOR from my boss who is a MD.

I called my uni because I DID NOT want them to send my D.O. LOR to MD schools and they told me they send every LOR and if the schools does not want to look at the LOR they do not have to.

I read the LOR from the D.O. and goes into details about how I would make a great osteopathic physicians and how I believe being a D.O. would be more beneficial to me than a M.D.


They only thing I think will benefit me is that the DO that wrote the letter teaches at a MD school, that MD school is my first choice MD AND my boss who is a MD teaches at a DO school, which is my first choice DO

I may not be remembering the process correctly, but I'm pretty sure your school sends the LORs to AMCAS/AACOMAS and then YOU assign the letters to schools. Unless the LORs are part of a letter packet/committee letter that is sent all together? If that's the case, ask if you can remove the DO letter from the letter packet and then you can have the DO who wrote it submit it separately to AACOMAS.

 

[chemsmith]

I may not be remembering the process correctly, but I'm pretty sure your school sends the LORs to AMCAS/AACOMAS and then YOU assign the letters to schools. Unless the LORs are part of a letter packet/committee letter that is sent all together? If that's the case, ask if you can remove the DO letter from the letter packet and then you can have the DO who wrote it submit it separately to AACOMAS.

correct, at least for amcas

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Yeah that's right for AMCAS, for AACOMAS you have to send it yourself via interfolio (or other) when you get the secondary prompts so you're still ok.

 

[maybemed2013]

My uni sends all the letters as part of the committee packet. I ask them today if they would remove the D.O. LOR for AAMC they told me no and that if the MD schools don't want to look at the LOR they don't have to.

I was not planning to send the LOR myself my uni sends them with their committee LOR.

 

[bfMD1291]

I asked a similar question of my advisor. Their answer was to first go with the person who I think knows me best (i.e. who would write a stronger letter on my behalf). All things equal, however, she advised me that the MD letter would likely hold more weight with a admissions committee because it is the more universally respected degree (note: don't harm the messenger on this last point...just passing along the message! Certainly not saying this is necessarily true or that I agree with that justification).