How important is a committee letter?

[HopefulDoc91]

I applied to DO schools last year, but when I went through the health sciences advisory committee at my university, they decided to not recommend me (my major is pre-vet, and they thought I still wanted to be a vet even though I've dedicated everything to applying to med school). Anyway, I am reapplying to DO schools this year, and I've been graduated from college for almost a year. Is it a big deal if I don't have a LOR from this committee? Honestly they treated me like **** and I would hate to have to go back through them, and I wouldn't even know how to go about doing that since I'm graduated now. Will it look poorly if I don't have that letter though? I have LORs from 1 MD, 2 DOs, 1 science professor, my undergrad advisor, and my volunteer coordinator (which is a very good letter). Thoughts? Do DO schools have certain LOR that are required?

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[Goro]

There's less of a lusting for committee LORs from DO schools than from MD schools, it seems.

 

[austintr]

I applied to DO schools last year, but when I went through the health sciences advisory committee at my university, they decided to not recommend me (my major is pre-vet, and they thought I still wanted to be a vet even though I've dedicated everything to applying to med school). Anyway, I am reapplying to DO schools this year, and I've been graduated from college for almost a year. Is it a big deal if I don't have a LOR from this committee? Honestly they treated me like **** and I would hate to have to go back through them, and I wouldn't even know how to go about doing that since I'm graduated now. Will it look poorly if I don't have that letter though? I have LORs from 1 MD, 2 DOs, 1 science professor, my undergrad advisor, and my volunteer coordinator (which is a very good letter). Thoughts? Do DO schools have certain LOR that are required?

Having just been through the app process without a committee letter, I would say to try and get one if at all possible. However, if you don't think they will write you a good recommendation, you can generally substitute w/ 2-3 additional letters, with science profs preferred.

I made the mistake of thinking my 2 MD, 1 DO, and 1 academic department chair combo would get me considered at most places. One of my top two choices basically said, "Yeah, thanks for the app money, but we need 3 more faculty letters to sub for a committee letter. We don't care if you've been out of school for a few years."

My story is similar to yours in a way, in that I was not officially in the pre-med track my last two years, so didn't really have easy access to a committee letter. When I WAS pre-med years before, the committee was just terrible to me. So when I came back to school full-time after working a few years in healthcare, I had no desire to jump through all the hoops for them and beg them to write me a letter.

This has been super long winded, but definitely try and get a committee letter if it's fairly doable. You have enough letters that many schools will still 100% consider you, but don't be surprised if others use your lack of committee letter/multiple faculty letters to substitute as a way to easily screen you out. Good luck!

 

[HopefulDoc91]

Having just been through the app process without a committee letter, I would say to try and get one if at all possible. However, if you don't think they will write you a good recommendation, you can generally substitute w/ 2-3 additional letters, with science profs preferred.

I made the mistake of thinking my 2 MD, 1 DO, and 1 academic department chair combo would get me considered at most places. One of my top two choices basically said, "Yeah, thanks for the app money, but we need 3 more faculty letters to sub for a committee letter. We don't care if you've been out of school for a few years."

My story is similar to yours in a way, in that I was not officially in the pre-med track my last two years, so didn't really have easy access to a committee letter. When I WAS pre-med years before, the committee was just terrible to me. So when I came back to school full-time after working a few years in healthcare, I had no desire to jump through all the hoops for them and beg them to write me a letter.

This has been super long winded, but definitely try and get a committee letter if it's fairly doable. You have enough letters that many schools will still 100% consider you, but don't be surprised if others use your lack of committee letter/multiple faculty letters to substitute as a way to easily screen you out. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice! The committee at my university requires 5 professor LOR's, so I would have to hunt those down just to get the committee letter. Couldn't I just use those letters instead? Also, if you don't mind me asking, if you applied last cycle without a committee letter and got in, where did you get accepted at? I just honestly don't know if I could find 5 professors to write me decent LORs (instead of just something bland) since I've been out of school.

 

[HopefulDoc91]

There's less of a lusting for committee LORs from DO schools than from MD schools, it seems.

That's funny because when I applied last cycle I heard the opposite, but I could've been wrong. Do you think I will be screened out by DO schools if I don't have a committee letter?

 

[Goro]

I can't see why. The bias, at least from hearing what the wise LizzyM has to say, is that as UG schools are feeders for med schools, the med schools know the processes at their feeders. Hence, one raises an eyebrow as to why a candidate would not go through the pre-med committee to get a committee letter.

It's never, ever been an issue at my school. I doubt is any of my colleagues on the Adcom even know which schools give committee LORs. Our wily old Admissions dean might, but he's never, ever said anything about it.

That's funny because when I applied last cycle I heard the opposite, but I could've been wrong. Do you think I will be screened out by DO schools if I don't have a committee letter?

 

[HopefulDoc91]

I can't see why. The bias, at least from hearing what the wise LizzyM has to say, is that as UG schools are feeders for med schools, the med schools know the processes at their feeders. Hence, one raises an eyebrow as to why a candidate would not go through the pre-med committee to get a committee letter.

It's never, ever been an issue at my school. I doubt is any of my colleagues on the Adcom even know which schools give committee LORs. Our wily old Admissions dean might, but he's never, ever said anything about it.

Thanks so much for your input!!! When I interviewed with PCOM last year, they did ask me why I didn't have a committee LOR (PCOM HAD a contract with my state to accept a certain number of students, so I'm more than sure they were familiar with the committee at my school). I was honest and told them the committee felt that since my major was pre-veterinary medicine, I wasn't fully committed to wanting to be a doctor. I then explained that my school did not have a pre-med major, and pre-vet included all the same pre-reqs so it made sense to remain in that major instead of switching to biology and having to stay in my undergrad an additional year. But I was rejected from PCOM so I guess they didn't like that....any suggestions as to how I could reword that for future schools?

 

[Goro]

Just tell the truth, and provide evidence that Medicine is indeed your goal (volunteering with patients, shadowing a DO and getting LOR from same, etc). The PCOM people may have rejected you for completely different reason, BTW.

Thanks so much for your input!!! When I interviewed with PCOM last year, they did ask me why I didn't have a committee LOR (PCOM HAD a contract with my state to accept a certain number of students, so I'm more than sure they were familiar with the committee at my school). I was honest and told them the committee felt that since my major was pre-veterinary medicine, I wasn't fully committed to wanting to be a doctor. I then explained that my school did not have a pre-med major, and pre-vet included all the same pre-reqs so it made sense to remain in that major instead of switching to biology and having to stay in my undergrad an additional year. But I was rejected from PCOM so I guess they didn't like that....any suggestions as to how I could reword that for future schools?

 

[Alienman52]

That's pretty terrible that they didn't "recommend you." My health professions committee at my college stinks too, so I can empathize. The committee LOR will most certainly help, but not having it is not a death sentence.


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[austintr]

Thanks for the advice! The committee at my university requires 5 professor LOR's, so I would have to hunt those down just to get the committee letter. Couldn't I just use those letters instead? Also, if you don't mind me asking, if you applied last cycle without a committee letter and got in, where did you get accepted at? I just honestly don't know if I could find 5 professors to write me decent LORs (instead of just something bland) since I've been out of school.

Yeah you definitely could. I don't know of a single DO school that would not accept 5 academic LORs in lieu of a committee letter. You seem to have a much wider array of letters, and from good sources, than most applicants. So I don't think you should have many problems getting some II's, assuming the rest of your app is squared up.

I was fortunate enough to get into DMU and am very excited about matriculating there. They weren't necessarily my top choice before I started applying, but they definitely won me over and it's certainly a school worth checking out!

 

[HopefulDoc91]

Yeah you definitely could. I don't know of a single DO school that would not accept 5 academic LORs in lieu of a committee letter. You seem to have a much wider array of letters, and from good sources, than most applicants. So I don't think you should have many problems getting some II's, assuming the rest of your app is squared up.

I was fortunate enough to get into DMU and am very excited about matriculating there. They weren't necessarily my top choice before I started applying, but they definitely won me over and it's certainly a school worth checking out!

I applied to DMU last year but didn't get in. I definitely have way more clinical experience and better LOR's now, plus I'm retaking the MCAT on Jan 28th and should get a much better score than last year (I only got a 496 last year). And it looks like I'm probably going to be taking gen chem 2 again this spring, and I feel pretty confident I can get an A in it. I'm hoping all of this will boost my application from last year so I can get some interviews!

 

[psu228]

I applied to DMU last year but didn't get in. I definitely have way more clinical experience and better LOR's now, plus I'm retaking the MCAT on Jan 28th and should get a much better score than last year (I only got a 496 last year). And it looks like I'm probably going to be taking gen chem 2 again this spring, and I feel pretty confident I can get an A in it. I'm hoping all of this will boost my application from last year so I can get some interviews!

I though PCOM required two science faculty, and a non science faculty letter if you didn't have a committee one? Maybe that's only at the philly campus, not sure where you interviewed.

Either way, don't go grovel for one from your old school. Being a year out gives you a reason "why" you wouldn't have one from them. I'm applying this cycle after graduation spring 2016, and never bothered to get one from my committee for that reason.

Maybe you'll anihilate this gen Chem class and can get a letter from that prof. The fact that you had at least one interview with, no offense, a pretty low MCAT, bodes well for the rest of your app as it was last year. Seems like you're really gunning to improve on that success; id be surprised if it didn't work out for you.

 

[crazyboi1993]

Never used one, submitted 2 science letters, one non-science, and 2 doctors (1 MD and 1 DO), got 8 interview, went to 6, accepted to all 6

 

[cptnjack]

not important imo, just get 2/3 science faculty, and maybe 1 nonschool and 1 doctor and youll be gucci