How "strict" are LOR guidelines adhered?

[bluecabinet]

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I'm trying to get a list of med schools to apply to and boy those LOR requirements differ from school to school so much..

I don't think I can satisfy them all..

Usually the school just requires 2 letters from "science" faculty, but some schools require a letter from a professor in the same department as my major...I have two from physical science and 1 from my research professor who is in pharmacology dept (my major is bio so it isn't exactly biology dept..)

Am I good? I realized many schools require a letter from non-science professors....how strictly are they adhered? Do they just throw my app out if I don't "conform" to their LOR requirement? I don't think I can get a letter from non-science professor...they are not responding to my emails...I wasn't really that close with them to begin with...

I currently have LORs from

1 physics prof
1 ochem prof
1 research (pharmacology)
1 MD (work)

Is this list good enough?
Anyways what are you guys take on this?

Thanks..

 

[scarshapedstar]

I'm trying to get a list of med schools to apply to and boy those LOR requirements differ from school to school so much..

I don't think I can satisfy them all..

Usually the school just requires 2 letters from "science" faculty, but some schools require a letter from a professor in the same department as my major...I have two from physical science and 1 from my research professor who is in pharmacology dept (my major is bio so it isn't exactly biology dept..)

Am I good? I realized many schools require a letter from non-science professors....how strictly are they adhered? Do they just throw my app out if I don't "conform" to their LOR requirement? I don't think I can get a letter from non-science professor...they are not responding to my emails...I wasn't really that close with them to begin with...

I currently have LORs from

1 physics prof
1 ochem prof
1 research (pharmacology)
1 MD (work)

Is this list good enough?
Anyways what are you guys take on this?

Thanks..

Requirements are... required. And go in person if they don't answer email.

 

[phnerd1105]

I'm trying to get a list of med schools to apply to and boy those LOR requirements differ from school to school so much..

I don't think I can satisfy them all..

Usually the school just requires 2 letters from "science" faculty, but some schools require a letter from a professor in the same department as my major...I have two from physical science and 1 from my research professor who is in pharmacology dept (my major is bio so it isn't exactly biology dept..)

Am I good? I realized many schools require a letter from non-science professors....how strictly are they adhered? Do they just throw my app out if I don't "conform" to their LOR requirement? I don't think I can get a letter from non-science professor...they are not responding to my emails...I wasn't really that close with them to begin with...

I currently have LORs from

1 physics prof
1 ochem prof
1 research (pharmacology)
1 MD (work)

Is this list good enough?
Anyways what are you guys take on this?

Thanks..

Different schools have different requirements. Some do not require non-science letters, so you might want to look into that. Otherwise, unless you have all the required letters, your application will not be considered "complete". Schools have given exceptions to students on certain requirements (classes were taken a while ago, etc), so you might be able to talk to some schools and see if you can supplement with another letter.

 

[blkshrtdynasty]

Best to ask. In my experience, some schools were much more willing to bend on the requirements than others.

But for most schools, yes, that's a good looking list.

 

[CopaceticOne]

I think two of the school I applied to required non-science coursework LORs and were very firm on that point. Just an FYI since that looks like the only thing you don't have.

 

[Barcu]

If you added a non-science professor to that list, you should be set for pretty much any school.

 

[tenndoc]

ask the school. several schools i applied to "required" a DO letter, but were happy with my MD letters. its more of a recommendation instead of a requirement in some cases

 

[Itsame]

They are pretty firm about the types of letters they need. I ran into some trouble this year because my non-science letter was an epidemiology professor. Epi is not in any of the "science" lists for my schools, but at least one of my schools counted it as a third science letter anyway and said that I had not fulfilled my requirements.

This led to panicked phone calls to different admissions people who told me different things. Bad. I even talked to a fourth professor about writing me an emergency letter at that point, before the school eventually came back and said that they would accept the Epi letter.

...I was not offered an interview there.

Better safe than sorry, eh?