Does this count as a science letter?

[thatpremedguy]

Hi

I'm finishing up on writing my primary for AMCAS and AACOMAS and I have several letters of rec but in regards to science letters of rec1 I have is from a hard science bio professor which I took his class pass/fail and another from the director of health sciences (basically the pre-med advisor) I took a class from him which was a shadowing program at a hospital where I turned in papers to him and I was given a grade for course credit (this class fell under the interdisciplinary category in my transcript) does this count as a science letter? I would highly prefer this as my other science letters of rec wouldn't be as strong.

I'm really confused if it is or isn't as it seems to fall in a grey area. I asked the advisor and he said it is more of a character and clinical performance letter which still didn't seem to be a definitive answer of yes or no, and everyone I talk to has been in between. Even the school descriptions on MSAR I have looked at don't give me a definitive answer.

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[AnMDtoB]

Probably not - generally, "science" is biology, chemistry, & physics or mixtures/subsections thereof and *maybe* you can sometimes get away with nutrition or psychology or social sciences (or maybe even math) depending on the school. Still sounds like it would be a valuable letter to contribute anyway

 

[thatpremedguy]

Actually, at some schools neither will count as science. You may need a science faculty who taught a class that you got a letter grade in. Presumably you have general bio, general chem, general physics, organic chem, and biochem. Get a letter from one of those

can you go into details which schools these are? I'm not applying top 20

 

[thatpremedguy]

Every school you are planning to apply to should be researched in both MSAR and on each website for their specific letter requirements. This should be included in your detailed spreadsheet on where you are applying to

very true, I'm actually fine with 1 letter for a surprisingly large number of schools I'm applying to but I do have another letter writer secured for those that require 2 science.

 

[Catalystik]

in regards to science letters of rec
1) I have is from a hard science bio professor which I took his class pass/fail and
2)another from the director of health sciences (basically the pre-med advisor) I took a class from him which was a shadowing program at a hospital where I turned in papers to him and I was given a grade for course credit (this class fell under the interdisciplinary category in my transcript) does this count as a science letter?

I would highly prefer this as my other science letters of rec wouldn't be as strong.

1) This would be considered a "science letter from faculty who taught you", but would be looked on as less-than-optimal due to the noncompetitive grading environment.

2) This is not a science faculty letter, but would do well for "nonscience faculty who have taught you."

 

[chemdoctor]

Actually, at some schools neither will count as science. You may need a science faculty who taught a class that you got a letter grade in. Presumably you have general bio, general chem, general physics, organic chem, and biochem. Get a letter from one of those

It doesn’t have to be those specifically right? Upper divisions count?

 

[Catalystik]

It doesn’t have to be those specifically right? Upper divisions count?

Correct and Yes.

 

[chemdoctor]

Yes.

I took a genetics aging class and professor offered an LOR. Took an Animal Behavior type class but want one from that professor too. For nonscience, I’ve got sociology and literature

 

[Catalystik]

I took a genetics aging class and professor offered an LOR. Took an Animal Behavior type class but want one from that professor too. For nonscience, I’ve got sociology and literature

What are the course prefixes?

 

[Catalystik]

I usually judge it by the professors title such as professor of NeuroBiology even though they may be part of the psych department.

That works for me, too, but students are not always aware of their professors' formal titles.

 

[chemdoctor]

What are the course prefixes?

BSC and CBH

 

[Catalystik]

BSC and CBH

What do they stand for? Biological Sciences and Comparative Psychology & Animal Behavior?

 

[chemdoctor]

What do they stand for? Biological Sciences and Comparative Psychology & Animal Behavior?

Yeah

 

[Catalystik]

I took a genetics aging class and professor offered an LOR. Took an Animal Behavior type class but want one from that professor too. For nonscience, I’ve got sociology and literature

What do they stand for? Biological Sciences and Comparative Psychology & Animal Behavior?

Yeah

It looks, from this information, like the first was science faculty for the course you took, and the second is not. The Behavioral Sciences/Psychology courses are not the hard science classes about which adcomms want a faculty letter.

You might try gonnif's (post #14) approach and find out how the second professor would characterize their title on the letter they sign for you.

 

[chemdoctor]

It looks, from this information, like the first was science faculty for the course you took, and the second is not. The Behavioral Sciences/Psychology courses are not the hard science classes about which adcomms want a faculty letter.

You might try gonnif's (post #14) approach and find out how the second professor would characterize their title on the letter they sign for you.

Yeah I know the first one won't have an issue.

The second one... what do you mean? He would say PhD and maybe professor of animal behavior? That sucks because I really wanted a letter from him and feel like we've developed a strong relationship

His class is in the Psych department but it's definitely a science GPA class with everything I learned. If not, I have a backup in place but feel that it would be in the best interest of my app to use the second professor's too

 

[Catalystik]

Yeah I know the first one won't have an issue.

The second one... what do you mean? He would say PhD and maybe professor of animal behavior? That sucks because I really wanted a letter from him and feel like we've developed a strong relationship

His class is in the Psych department but it's definitely a science GPA class with everything I learned. If not, I have a backup in place but feel that it would be in the best interest of my app to use the second professor's too

If you talk to the professor and tell him how important it is that he emphasize the hard science content of the course, perhaps he would comply. Of course, if he says he will and forgets, you'll maybe never know, as you've have waived the right to see the letter.

Some professors have appointments in more than one department. You might check his online Biography and see how he describes himself.

 

[chemdoctor]

@Catalystik

wow thank you so much! I will do just that!