How are you supposed to "get to know your professors?"

[Tofurkey]

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Hello,

I am a post-bacc doing my pre-meds. I have already gotten two letters from profs. But I'm told that four total science would look best since I was a humanities major.

Anyhow, my question is, how does one go about "getting to know your professor?" I mean, I go to office hours and stuff, but how much do they really get to know you then? I just ask questions about the homework--are you supposed to chat them up as well? To me this just seems kind of fake.

I don't know what to do since I want good LOR's--but I'm having trouble "getting to know my professors" at the level that pre-med advisors seem to want you to. The two profs I already have letters from knew me from office hours and some minor chatting about my career plans, but that's about it, and I'm not sure how I can do more.

My clinical LORs will be a lot different, since when you're shadowing, etc. you have a LOT more time, in my opinion, to share yourself with the other person.

 

[g3pro]

i'm having a tough time as well...i don't even have a LOR from a single professor, but i'm only a freshman.

i guess office hours will be the only way to get LORs. that's how i plan on getting mine. 🙁

 

[drlexygoat]

Sounds like you're doing the right thing so far. The way I got to know my profs was through the same route. I went to office hours, asked questions in class on occassion, and once in a while sent an email or two. Oh yeah, and I asked them to help me plan my schedule for the following semeste r(I had this done about 6 times I think by 6 diff people).

I'll admit, it's pretty lame considering it's a forced issue, but what else can you do? I never sat down for a nice chat about the weather and tried to stay on topic. If conversation happens, let it. Just dont' force it.

 

[Gleevec]

Take seminar classes and do well in them, work as a TA, work in a lab.

Its hard to get a good rec from a lecture prof without going to office hours or being annoying as heck and alienating your peers, so it would be better just to pick environments where you will have more direct interaction, as listed above.

 

[Anka]

g3, since you're a freshman, you have plenty of time to work in a lab to get to know a prof. You could even make a pretty significant contribution to the lab (so, rather than saying, "G3 was a nice guy during office hours and did well in my class," your letter might say, "G3 is a pleasure to work with, is a team player, and contributed strongly to the work of my lab over the last couple of years. In particular, s/he took on an independent project [... resulting in publication/part of a publication...]"

Just a heads up, if you take that rout, try to take at least one class with the prof, as some schools will count a research rec as "personal" unless you took a course, which I don't get, but no one asked me. Pitt, for instance.

Tofurkey, I found my best post-bac letters came from lab professors, especially in the "smaller" orgo lab. If you're more hands on than not, it might work better than a seminar (Which was an excellent suggestion). That said, standing out in a large lecture course speaks well to your ability to politic and be persistent.

Best of luck to both of you!

Anka

 

[g3pro]

Originally posted by Anka
g3, since you're a freshman, you have plenty of time to work in a lab to get to know a prof. You could even make a pretty significant contribution to the lab (so, rather than saying, "G3 was a nice guy during office hours and did well in my class," your letter might say, "G3 is a pleasure to work with, is a team player, and contributed strongly to the work of my lab over the last couple of years. In particular, s/he took on an independent project [... resulting in publication/part of a publication...]"

Just a heads up, if you take that rout, try to take at least one class with the prof, as some schools will count a research rec as "personal" unless you took a course, which I don't get, but no one asked me. Pitt, for instance.

yeah, i will definitely need to get in on some of this research, but at my large university, the professors do some serious work with other doctorate students, etc. not very easy to get in on the action.

🙁