Finally found a DO to shadow, when should I ask for letter?

[Mcat35]

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He sounded really nice over the phone! He is an orthopedic surgeon with a private practice. Graduate of DMU.

If anyone has any tips about how to deal with orthopedic surgeons etc please let me know. Also, is there any basic knowledge regarding ortho that I should know as a medical school applicant?

Thanks all

 

[fiznat]

I would make casual mention of it up front, so he has time to think about it while you are working together. Make it clear that you are there to learn whatever you can from him and make the best of the experience, but also because it is a required part of the application service and you hope he'll be able to write you a letter.

 

[TwoBits]

I waited until about the third session. But you can do what fiznat recommends, especially if he brings the topic up by asking you how far along the app process you are, or something related. All doctors know the deal with letters of rec, and more than likely, they had to do the same thing, so i'm sure he will understand. good luck!

 

[necronomicon]

I waited until about the third session. But you can do what fiznat recommends, especially if he brings the topic up by asking you how far along the app process you are, or something related. All doctors know the deal with letters of rec, and more than likely, they had to do the same thing, so i'm sure he will understand. good luck!

I agree with this. With the DO that I shadowed, I never even asked for a LOR until a few weeks ago. We had talked about the application process in the past, so I think it was a subconscious expectation.

If I were you, I would bring it up in a casual way. Make mention of the application process and how long it takes to get all the LORs organized and ready to be sent. Ask him about his process and what kind of letters he had, and--most importantly--ask him who he thinks would be a good author candidate and what should be included. That way, you have him thinking about all of it before you ask. If he doesn't come right out and offer it to you after all of your discussions, I would simply ask at that point.

 

[Mcat35]

ok, I will ask tomorrow, thanks all!

 

[fiznat]

Ask him about his process and what kind of letters he had, and--most importantly--ask him who he thinks would be a good author candidate and what should be included.

lol, that's kinda transparent isnt it? I would much rather be upfront and honest about it rather than trying to backdoor the conversation. Just man up and ask him.

 

[aSagacious]

Not to be a party pooper, but I've heard that letters from shadowing experiences don't hold that much weight in the grand scheme of things. AdComs would rather see letters from either individuals with whom you've shared a lasting relationship (so that they may speak to your character) or who have observed you in an academic/professional setting (so that they may speak to your competence and abilities). After spending a couple dozen hours following a doctor around, there's not much (s)he will be able to say about you.

 

[Journey2become]

If the LOR is for a requirement then make sure you have a back-up (or two). At least until you can get a letter uploaded to interfolio (or something similar). This makes it easier than asking the physician to send it to 15 - 30 different schools.

 

[Mcat35]

Not to be a party pooper, but I've heard that letters from shadowing experiences don't hold that much weight in the grand scheme of things. AdComs would rather see letters from either individuals with whom you've shared a lasting relationship (so that they may speak to your character) or who have observed you in an academic/professional setting (so that they may speak to your competence and abilities). After spending a couple dozen hours following a doctor around, there's not much (s)he will be able to say about you.

ya, but that is a requirement for many DO schools. Right now this is the only thing I'm lacking. As far as my grades/MCAT both are very competitive for DO schools.

 

[blinkboy1156]

Anytime after the 1st day. I asked on the 2nd day and he was happy to write a LOR. Be honest and upfront about asking for one.

 

[jm192]

ya, but that is a requirement for many DO schools. Right now this is the only thing I'm lacking. As far as my grades/MCAT both are very competitive for DO schools.

Yeah, don't worry about it bro. The letters don't have to be great. The letters themselves carry very little weight in the process. It's a way to force you to spend time with a DO and see what Osteopathic medicine is all about. (Which in a lot of cases is identical to allopathic.)

But, I actually called a physician's office and asked his secretary about shadowing him. He called me back personally, and I explained to him that I was applying to osteopathic schools, wanted to shadow him to get a feel for it, and that I needed a letter from a DO and hoped he could help me out with that.

The NICE thing about this is most DO's had to go through it too, so they often don't mind.

 

[Mcat35]

Yeah, don't worry about it bro. The letters don't have to be great. The letters themselves carry very little weight in the process. It's a way to force you to spend time with a DO and see what Osteopathic medicine is all about. (Which in a lot of cases is identical to allopathic.)

But, I actually called a physician's office and asked his secretary about shadowing him. He called me back personally, and I explained to him that I was applying to osteopathic schools, wanted to shadow him to get a feel for it, and that I needed a letter from a DO and hoped he could help me out with that.

The NICE thing about this is most DO's had to go through it too, so they often don't mind.

ya I had a chance to eat lunch with the Doc, and I asked him then. He said that it might be a bit early. I will ask again after the 3rd session and get all the paperwork setup before then.