applying MD/PhD -- rec letter required from ALL PI's??

[luckyducky87]

Hey guys, I am thinking of applying for the MD/PhD program next cycle. My question is, do most MD/PhD programs require all applicants to submit a rec letter from ALL PI's they've ever worked for?

The reason I am asking is: I have ~1 year of research experience (more like... 1 summer + 1 school semester + 1 summer) from college, which was a terrible experience for me. I unfortunately over-committed myself in various activities on top of 20+ credit hours every semester, and I was very uncommitted to research work, which was my fault. But I also got in bad terms with the PI otherwise (not my fault in particular; this PI has reputations in the department and the lab has now shrunk to a 3-person lab because she's so difficult to work with...). Bottom line - If I ask her for a rec letter, I don't think anything positive can come out of it...** 🙁

Currently, I am doing full-time research work as I am taking time off after college (this - I would call a more significant and better learning experience). I don't foresee any problems asking this PI (who's pretty prominent in the field, btw).

Will this be a problem for me as a potential MD-PhD applicant?? :-/


** In fact, when I was applying for research jobs and needed rec letters, I asked this PI if I may ask her for a recommendation letter, and she gave me a really lukewarm response that got me concerned and resulted in me not asking her for one after all.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Cytotoxic]

Can you get a letter from someone else in the lab (e.g. postdoc)? Also, ask the PI if she would write you a supportive letter - you may be surprised, and if she says no, you've lost nothing.

If neither of the above are options, don't worry about it too much. Just be prepared to explain the lack of a letter if it comes up.

 

[URHere]

You are not required to have LORs from every PI you have ever had, but you generally should have letters from every substantial research experience on your resume.

If you have been with the same PI for 2 summers and one semester, it may raise a few eyebrows if you mention the time commitment but have no letter to show for it. If you are going to submit without a letter from this person, make sure that you have a very solid letter lined up from your current PI (which may mean taking some extra time off before applying if you have just started in the lab).

The only real problem I foresee, is that several programs require TWO research letters. Your current PI would take care of one of those, but do you have someone who could supply the other (a collaborator, a PI from another lab, etc)?

 

[luckyducky87]

ah, shoot...

first point - there were no post docs in the previous lab, and i worked most closely with a grad student, whom i would definitely not ask for a letter from...

secondly - i started working in this current lab 2 months ago and will continue to work for the 2 years im taking off (which sounded like plenty of time... until now; i.e. i have to think about the application cycle already?!). so i guess if i ask for a rec letter next summer, i would have worked for ~10 months full-time in this lab.

but also, currently, i've been working very closely with this one grad student and his project. so if i get a rec letter from the grad student (he's already gotten a masters, but working towards his phD now), could that count as a 2nd letter?? i don't really expect that i'll be working so closely with another PI at this institution any time soon, and i really cannot imagine getting a positive letter from the previous grad student or the PI... 🙁

what do most undergrads (who go straight into md/phd programs) do?? if they've only worked in 1 lab as an undergrad (which i assume most people do). do they ask for letters from 2 separate individuals in that one lab?



PS: it's not quite a real research lab experience, but i have sort of a not-so-traditional research-ish experience with a biochemistry professor (a summer project) -- as in, just an experience that showed independence, trouble-shooting, researching-on-my-own skills... could a rec letter from this professor count as something?

 

[harvman11]

Well, here's what I understand about the process. I'm currently applying for MD/PhD programs, and I have a letter from all 3 of the different PIs I've worked with. The requirements are different at each school, but in general you are expected to have a letter of recommendation from each PI whose lab you've worked in for a significant period of time. Some schools require this, some schools don't, but if you've worked in a lab for that long and don't have a LOR from that experience, it's going to raise a red flag. As for requiring letters from at least 2 PIs, I don't recall seeing anything about this anywhere but I may be wrong.

In the interviews I've been to so far, I've been asked to explain all 3 of my research projects (2 that were just summers, 1 I've been doing for 3 semesters) by pretty much every single interviewer, so if you list it on your application expect to discuss it (and why you have no letter).

Is there any way you could mend the relationship with your previous PI to where you could at least get a so-so letter from them? an average letter will do as long as you can get a strong recommendation from another PI.

I probably would not ask for a letter from a graduate student unless it's necessary, I doubt they would consider a letter from a student to be worth too much.

As for your other "semi-research experience", I can't say much since I don't know how much "research" was involved, but as long as it's not cleaning glassware, making media, doing transformations, etc. and you have full grasp of the science, it could probably count. Hope this helps!

 

[JAWSCIENCE]

While not every program requires a letter from every PI they generally expect one from each significant experience you list. There are a few schools that do require one from every PI and would not look at my app until that last letter writer finally sent the darn thing in.

In addition most schools have a minimum requirement for letters that speak to your research. Most schools want more than one. This is a big part of their decision and they don't want to have it based on one letter.

I would avoid letters from grad students, especially if you all ready have a letter from your PI from that very same experience.