Asking D.O Doctor to write letter for applying to MD school???

[Monkeys4Lyfe]

I will be applying to both MD and DO schools and already have the approval of an osteopathic physician in writing a letter for me.

My question is....

Would it count against me to have a DO write a letter for getting into an MD school? I have several other MD physicians I could ask for a letter and probably get a good one from. Essentially, I am just looking out for myself which is what we are all doing, and I want to get accepted into both MD and DO schools.

(sorry if posted in the wrong area. I searched for a LOR thread but didn't find one)

M4L

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[HopefulDoc94]

Why not ask the DO for a letter for your DO application and ask the MD for your AMCAS application?

 

[gyngyn]

The real reason not to have this letter has nothing to do with his degree.
Physician letters are not useful for MD applications. Shadowing letters are particularly valueless except at the (very)rare schools that request a "clinical letter."
Use the letter for DO applications only.

 

[Monkeys4Lyfe]

The real reason not to have this letter has nothing to do with his degree.
Physician letters are not useful for MD applications. Shadowing letters are particularly valueless except at the (very)rare schools that request a "clinical letter."
Use the letter for DO applications only.

So you are saying I shouldn't have letters from physicians when applying to MD schools? (Obviously, DO requires one so need it there)
If you are saying this, would you mind telling me who you think I should ask? I have several professors I could ask and supervisors from a research position as well. I have enough, its just deciding which ones are most valuable.

I have these:
- 3-4 science professors
-1-2 non-science professors
-volunteer coordinator (wouldn't trust this person as much)
-3-7 physicians i shadowed
-1-2 physicians/phd docs in research lab


Thanks in advance.

 

[starspells]

So you are saying I shouldn't have letters from physicians when applying to MD schools? (Obviously, DO requires one so need it there)
If you are saying this, would you mind telling me who you think I should ask? I have several professors I could ask and supervisors from a research position as well. I have enough, its just deciding which ones are most valuable.

I have these:
- 3-4 science professors
-1-2 non-science professors
-volunteer coordinator (wouldn't trust this person as much)
-3-7 physicians i shadowed
-1-2 physicians/phd docs in research lab


Thanks in advance.

I would stick to the prof letters and research PI letters. Feel free to use a DO shadowing letter for the schools that require a clinical letter.

 

[gyngyn]

So you are saying I shouldn't have letters from physicians when applying to MD schools? (Obviously, DO requires one so need it there)
If you are saying this, would you mind telling me who you think I should ask? I have several professors I could ask and supervisors from a research position as well. I have enough, its just deciding which ones are most valuable.

I have these:
- 3-4 science professors
-1-2 non-science professors
-volunteer coordinator (wouldn't trust this person as much)
-3-7 physicians i shadowed
-1-2 physicians/phd docs in research lab


Thanks in advance.

Unless you worked closely with a physician as a PI or in long term employment (not scribing), these letters are fluff.
They are uniformly pleasantly bland and thus, useless. Shadowing letters are, by definition, useless. What can they really say? "Monkeys4Lyfe was incomparably unobtrusive and shadow-like in his movements. Hardly anyone failed to sign a waiver for his presence..."

 

[MareNostrummm]

The real reason not to have this letter has nothing to do with his degree.
Physician letters are not useful for MD applications. Shadowing letters are particularly valueless except at the (very) schools that request a "clinical letter."
Use the letter for DO applications only.

Wow I was not aware of this. Do you know if there is a table/excel sheet going around which lists each schools letter of recommendation requirements?

Unless you worked closely with a physician as a PI or in long term employment (not scribing), these letters are fluff.
They are uniformly pleasantly bland and thus, useless. Shadowing letters are, by definition, useless. What can they really say? "Monkeys4Lyfe was incomparably unobtrusive and shadow-like in his movements. Hardly anyone failed to sign a waiver for his presence..."

That being said, DO schools are perfectly fine with bland letters as long as you can prove you had contact with a DO?

 

[gyngyn]

Wow I was not aware of this. Do you know if there is a table/excel sheet going around which lists each schools letter of recommendation requirements?

That being said, DO schools are perfectly fine with bland letters as long as you can prove you had contact with a DO?

1. MSAR.
2. Apparently.

 

[Espressso]

DO schools simply want to make sure you know what you're getting into, rather than simply applying DO "just cuz".

 

[rossatron7]

Unless you worked closely with a physician as a PI or in long term employment (not scribing), these letters are fluff."

Can you elaborate on why you distinguished scribing from useful long term employment with a physician?

 

[gyngyn]

Can you elaborate on why you distinguished scribing from useful long term employment with a physician?

Scribing letters are a lot like shadowing letters.
"rossatron7 quietly and unobtrusively types really fast..."
Scribing can be excellent experience. Physician letters from scribing do not address what we are looking for in an LoE, though.

 

[<L>]

DO schools simply want to make sure you know what you're getting into, rather than simply applying DO "just cuz".

"This applicant was able to see the "whole person" during this shadowing experience. Of course I'm an ophthalmologist, and that meant that she wasn't using the slit lamp correctly".

 

[Eye on MD]

"This applicant was able to see the "whole person" during this shadowing experience. Of course I'm an ophthalmologist, and that meant that she wasn't using the slit lamp correctly".

This is hilarious