how many LORs?

[PBandJ]

i'm wondering how many LORs are necessary for a complete MD/PhD application. is it different for each school? i've been searching through the forums to find that answer, but haven't found anything yet.

also, when i ask professors/advisors for letters, do they write one letter that the pre-med office then makes copies of and distributes to each school, or do they have to write a separate letter for each school?

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[tedrik]

i'm wondering how many LORs are necessary for a complete MD/PhD application. is it different for each school?

You should have one from each of the labs you've worked in, hopefully from the PI or at least signed by the PI. The adcoms are going to be looking for a letter that speaks to your clinical experience, probably from volunteering. That one isn't totally necessary (I didn't have anything close to one). You may also want to have a science professor write you one and also one that is more personal. Some schools may specifically ask you to get certain letters from certain people (I know UCSD did this last year). Who you get your LOR from will vary based on your individual experiences, but you'll need at least 3 and I'd say no more than 6.

also, when i ask professors/advisors for letters, do they write one letter that the pre-med office then makes copies of and distributes to each school, or do they have to write a separate letter for each school?

This is going to depend on your school. If your student affairs office will make a packet of all of your letters and then send those out to individual schools for you, then that would be the most convenient. Some schools also make a committee/composite letter, but I don't know anything about that process.

Good Luck!!

 

[gwang]

Although schools vary on the requirement, they generally will accept whatever you send in (the minimum is for real, but you can send in more). I used a confidential letter service at my school's career center, so each professor wrote a letter with a generic salutation and sent it to the career center, and the career center sent copies of all letters in my packet to each school at my request. If your schools lacks such a service, I hear Interfolio is also splendid. Oh, and I didn't even bother sending out the evaluation forms.

The most important letters, as tedrik pointed out, come from you PI(s), followed by those written by science professors and clinical experience witnesses. Some schools require a letter from a non-science professor (I can only think of UWisconsin). Personally, I had 3 PI letters, 2 science prof letters, and 1 poli sci prof letter. I did not have a clinical experience letter, although one of my science professors spoke about my interests in medicine, and I assume some of the letters mentioned my people skills.

 

[tedrik]

"Location: West Coast" <--????

I guess you're having west coast withdrawals too....

 

[gwang]

Haha, I didn't even notice that! Yes yes I miss the beautiful west coast. But Baltimore has its charms. Are you having withdrawals? You live in New York City, Ted, you are NOT ALLOWED to have withdrawals of any kind.

How's MSI treating you? Loving med school much?

"Location: West Coast" <--????

I guess you're having west coast withdrawals too....

 

[PBandJ]

thanks y'all.

i've been putting together a list of who i will ask (most of whom know i will be asking them already), and i can think of 3 PIs, one of whom can attest to my clinical experience since it's a clinical research job, 2 engineering/science professors, and another PhD professor. how does that sound?

 

[kamio]

Hi, I have a similar question regarding the LORs. It seems to me that most MD/PhD programs require 3 LORs for the medical school component, and then additional LORs addressing research. My trouble is, all the faculties that know me well know me through research experience. As such, they are all already writing me research letters and I am left with no one for the medical school letters. I can ask for a reference from my high school VP and from the hospital I volunteered at, but neither of these really satisfies the requirements since they are not from professors. How do students usually get to know professors outside research experience? Any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks!

 

[microTAS]

Hi, I have a similar question regarding the LORs. It seems to me that most MD/PhD programs require 3 LORs for the medical school component, and then additional LORs addressing research. My trouble is, all the faculties that know me well know me through research experience. As such, they are all already writing me research letters and I am left with no one for the medical school letters. I can ask for a reference from my high school VP and from the hospital I volunteered at, but neither of these really satisfies the requirements since they are not from professors. How do students usually get to know professors outside research experience? Any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks!

seems like it can't hurt to pool letters together at your school's letter collecting service. For MSTPs that have a big say in MD admissions it seems like outstanding research letters are the most important, whereas it is a bit more vague for med schools (if you get kicked to md-only decisions or the mstp has only a small say). the more letters the merrier!

me: 3 research lett, 1 ec, 1 science teacher, 1 cheme teacher that were distributed selectively for different schools


g luck to all applicants this upcoming app cycle!

 

[tedrik]

thanks y'all.

i've been putting together a list of who i will ask (most of whom know i will be asking them already), and i can think of 3 PIs, one of whom can attest to my clinical experience since it's a clinical research job, 2 engineering/science professors, and another PhD professor. how does that sound?

Did you list 4 letters or did you mean that one of the 3 you listed can also attest to your clinical experience? Also, when I said PIs I meant principle investigators, the people in charge of the labs that you have worked in. Professors who's classes you've taken normally aren't quite as strong as letters from people you've working in a lab with, but this isn't always going to be the case. Without knowing the nature of your relationships with these professors I can't tell you whether or not they would be good for your application, but you might want to try and get one or two more letters from people you've worked with more closely as opposed to merely taking their class.

How do students usually get to know professors outside research experience? Any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks!

It's kind of difficult, but can be almost impossible if you are at a big school. The first place to start would be to go to things like office hours, but you're going to have to find something interesting about them or their research to get you guys to really interact. You may also get to know faculty in the administration if you are involved in something like student government. I was able to get to know a research scientist who was also a dean because of some club involvements.

Charm City

So true... Have you gotten mugged yet??

 

[PBandJ]

Did you list 4 letters or did you mean that one of the 3 you listed can also attest to your clinical experience? Also, when I said PIs I meant principle investigators, the people in charge of the labs that you have worked in. Professors who's classes you've taken normally aren't quite as strong as letters from people you've working in a lab with, but this isn't always going to be the case. Without knowing the nature of your relationships with these professors I can't tell you whether or not they would be good for your application, but you might want to try and get one or two more letters from people you've worked with more closely as opposed to merely taking their class.

so i will probably be able to get letters from at least 3 PIs (probably 4, now that i think about it) that i've worked closely with. one of those is my current PI, and the job is in clinical research, so he will be able to detail my clinical experience as well as my research experience.

i can get another rec. from my summer research advisor (i worked there for 3 consec. summers and wrote 2 papers with this doc.), who is a PhD professor and researcher.

the two sci/eng professors are ones from small classes where i got to know the professor very well, who could attest to my personality, but they prob. wouldn't be able to talk about my research experience.

lastly (just thought of this one), i worked at a dialysis clinic and could get 1 or 2 recommendations from my supervisors there about my clinical experience (1 is the administrator and she is an RN, and the other is the medical director and a nephrologist). it was only one summer, but i suppose it could still help my app!

anywho, i have time to think about it since i'm applying for 2007. but thanks for your help!