Getting LOR from post-doc fellow with MD?

[paki20]

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i am getting a LOR from my PI but i was wondering if I could also get a LOR from a post-doc who has a MD? he knows me extremely well and he said he would write a very strong and impressive LOR for me if i wanted him to..we do research together and we have been on trips overseas together so he knows me quite well..will it be worth it? any thoughts? appreciate the help..

 

[SarsMO]

I think it's a good idea. I had a letter from the PI and then a lab tech that I worked with more closely.

 

[shemarty]

I agree - letters from people who know you well are best. I had a letter from a surgical fellow who I worked with closely on research projects.

Edit: I didn't mean that you should get TWO LORs from the same activity. I meant that you can get one from the fellow if he knows you better than the PI. Yes, submitting both would be taking up valuable space. I got one from the surgical fellow but did NOT ask for one from the PI in this particular lab.

 

[am9451]

OP, I had a similar dilemma. Asked both my PI and postdoc for letters, but my PI encouraged me just to take his. He said it really doesn't look good to have 2 letters from the same lab. It wound up working well for me because his letter was pretty darn glowing anyway.

If you're afraid your PI won't have as much to say, ask if he'd be willing to collaborate with your postdoc. I'm pretty sure my PI asked my postdoc so he'd have more to say about me, since I didn't see him nearly as often.

Just keep in mind that you're limited in how many letters you can send. Do you really want 2 from the same source? Especially if they'll probably say similar things and touch on similar strengths? I think it's more important to present a fuller picture of yourself. Hope that helps!