Could this LOR be bad news for me?

[tavokeri9]

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[Catalystik]

My PI wrote a letter for me and sent me a copy. It was confidential, but I guess if the letter writer allows a student to read it, that's up to them…Anyway, as I was going over the letter, I realized that my PI mentioned that I would definitely be a co-author on a paper she will submit this fall.

However, we didn't submit any paper this semester, and I'm not sure if we will before application time 🤔 Is it okay to still have this on my LOR? Would med schools question my research productivity and ask why I didn't get published considering that this point was written in an LOR?

Don't worry about it. PIs change their minds and we know you may have no control over a submission date. Besides, there are many months remaining before you submit your med school application, so it may become true, though a bit later than predicted, after all.

 

[tavokeri9]

Don't worry about it. PIs change their minds and we know you may have no control over a submission date. Besides, there are many months remaining before you submit your med school application, so it may become true, though a bit later than predicted, after all.

Okay, but would I be questioned about it in an interview? If necessary, I can ask my PI to update my letter before I apply in June…do you think that is a good idea? I'm not sure if I will be working in the lab next semester, since I've graduated already…but if I do, hopefully a publication will materialize!

 

[Burning River]

Just relax and tell the truth if asked about it. You're almost certainly not going to be held accountable for something your PI said and subsequently did or did not do

 

[Cinclus]

Just relax and tell the truth if asked about it. You're almost certainly not going to be held accountable for something your PI said and subsequently did or did not do

^Thiiiiissssss. You're fine. Don't worry.

 

[Catalystik]

Okay, but would I be questioned about it in an interview? If necessary, I can ask my PI to update my letter before I apply in June…do you think that is a good idea? I'm not sure if I will be working in the lab next semester, since I've graduated already…but if I do, hopefully a publication will materialize!

Most applicants will not have had access to such a letter, and so would not be aware of what was said. If asked, you might say that you'd been under the impression the a manuscript submission was imminent, but don't know about any decisions made after you left the lab. To my mind, that you were given the credit you were in the content of the LOR makes you look good, regardless.

You may not be told if a manuscript was accepted, BTW. So keep an eye on PubMed by Searching your PI's Last name with two initials following.

 

[Goro]

Even if she did submit the paper, it won't count as a publication unless it's actually accepted.

And no, they really don't care about productivity...it's more important that you learned something about the scientific process. You're not applying to grad school, after all.

My PI wrote a letter for me and sent me a copy. It was confidential, but I guess if the letter writer allows a student to read it, that's up to them…Anyway, as I was going over the letter, I realized that my PI mentioned that I would definitely be a co-author on a paper she will submit this fall.

However, we didn't submit any paper this semester, and I'm not sure if we will before application time 🤔 Is it okay to still have this on my LOR? Would med schools question my research productivity and ask why I didn't get published considering that this point was written in an LOR?