[Asking for a friend] Graduated 7 years ago, what to do about LoR?

[meowkat]

Hi guys! A friend I work with graduated undergrad with a degree in nutrition 7 years ago and she is thinking about applying to medical school next cycle. She's worked in a couple different fields but is currently a dietitian/nutritionist at the hospital I work at. She has a lot of great experiences and she's currently studying for the MCAT to take in January. Her issue is with letters of recommendation. Since she graduated 7 years ago, she doesn't know how to contact her science professors to receive letters of recommendation. Since that is listed as a requirement for a lot of schools, she doesn't know how to approach asking for LoR from professors who have definitely forgotten her by now. Plus, a couple she can't even contact because they don't seem to work at the school anymore. She can get a lot of great rec letters from people she has worked with over the years, both in and out of the medical field, but she's worried that not having a science professor LoR is a big red flag. I don't know what the process is so I haven't been able to help her.
How necessary is the "science professor" requirement for medical school applications? And can she get away with not having a letter from a professor?

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[KnightDoc]

Hi guys! A friend I work with graduated undergrad with a degree in nutrition 7 years ago and she is thinking about applying to medical school next cycle. She's worked in a couple different fields but is currently a dietitian/nutritionist at the hospital I work at. She has a lot of great experiences and she's currently studying for the MCAT to take in January. Her issue is with letters of recommendation. Since she graduated 7 years ago, she doesn't know how to contact her science professors to receive letters of recommendation. Since that is listed as a requirement for a lot of schools, she doesn't know how to approach asking for LoR from professors who have definitely forgotten her by now. Plus, a couple she can't even contact because they don't seem to work at the school anymore. She can get a lot of great rec letters from people she has worked with over the years, both in and out of the medical field, but she's worried that not having a science professor LoR is a big red flag. I don't know what the process is so I haven't been able to help her.
How necessary is the "science professor" requirement for medical school applications? And can she get away with not having a letter from a professor?

Good news/bad news -- a lot of schools have a 5 year timer on most recent coursework, so she might have to take or retake some science classes. Grades from 7-11 years ago are not going to do much to demonstrate current proficiency.

 

[lumya]

She can take a some current high level science courses. As a non-trad I took some more courses at a local university and was able to get my letters of rec that way.

 

[LunaOri]

Some schools do not require letters from professors if you are not a recent graduate.

 

[deleted599599]

As an applicant this year I had to reach back to profs from 2012-2013 for LOR's, none of which would possibly remember me. I found emails via school websites, and basically cold-called them to get all my req's.
In my case, I included my "road traveled", personal statement, picture, transcripts, and some doc's I had saved from their courses to show I was indeed a student of theirs. My hit rate was about 50/50 on profs getting back, but it ultimately did end up working out. I also planned for this and got the letters wayyy before they would be needed and had them on standby in interfolio. Just my two cents here.

 

[Catalystik]

Hi guys! A friend I work with graduated undergrad with a degree in nutrition 7 years ago and she is thinking about applying to medical school next cycle. She's worked in a couple different fields but is currently a dietitian/nutritionist at the hospital I work at. She has a lot of great experiences and she's currently studying for the MCAT to take in January. Her issue is with letters of recommendation. Since she graduated 7 years ago, she doesn't know how to contact her science professors to receive letters of recommendation. Since that is listed as a requirement for a lot of schools, she doesn't know how to approach asking for LoR from professors who have definitely forgotten her by now. Plus, a couple she can't even contact because they don't seem to work at the school anymore. She can get a lot of great rec letters from people she has worked with over the years, both in and out of the medical field, but she's worried that not having a science professor LoR is a big red flag. I don't know what the process is so I haven't been able to help her.
How necessary is the "science professor" requirement for medical school applications? And can she get away with not having a letter from a professor?

Some schools expire prerequisites.
Some schools want to see coursework taken within the last two years to be sure you still have the academic horsepower they consider essential to succeeding in med school. (At least one wants to see something within the last six months.)
Some schools allow the substitution of work or volunteer letters if you petition them.
Some schools' websites give alternate suggestions for nontrads.
Some schools are very nonspecific about the letters that are required.

Careful research as to each school's requirements/allowances would be essential when formulating an application list.

A combination of reaching out to past profs for LORs and taking some new coursework for the same purpose would allow for the broadest possible application list.

 

[meowkat]

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone! I talked to her and she had a follow up question. She's currently in a science heavy grad program which she will finish this December. Would it be okay to substitute her LoR from undergrad with grad school professors? And will the grad program count as taking new/retaking coursework?

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone! I talked to her and she had a follow up question. She's currently in a science heavy grad program which she will finish this December. Would it be okay to substitute her LoR from undergrad with grad school professors? And will the grad program count as taking new/retaking coursework?

What classes and what are the course prefixes?