How Well Did you know the DO before asking for a recommendation?

[jglemonade1]

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Hi,

I was wondering how well I should know a DO before I ask for a letter of recommendation. I don't know any yet, but I am able to start shadowing one ASAP. How long do you think I should shadow before I ask for a recommendation. I wanted to get the letter as soon as possible, but I wanted it to be good as well.

Thanks!

 

[bla_3x]

The doc who wrote me a letter never knew me at all. I simply took the physician roster at the hospital I work at, wrote dowm the names and #s of all the D.Os and left a bunch of messages.

The one that called back first happend to be the director for the FP residency program in my town and was very happy to help. They ALL know that this is a requisite of your application. He sat with me for a while and we talked about medicine, school, my plans, etc. He ended up writing me a great letter. I also got a chance to sadow some great docs through the FP residency program.

Good luck!!

 

[Popoy]

The first DO I shadowed was simply a part of the DO Panel done at UCDavis. The only way i was able to shadow her was that I understood that she did not write any letter of recommendation.

The second DO I met was through my mom who's an RN and hooked me up with the docs she worked with. She was a peds doc and she was more than happy to write me a letter by simply sitting with me and asking me my goals and why I wanted to be a DO.... sort of a small practice med interview.

The third DO I met was again through a connection with my mom and he was an OB/GYN that did an HPSP with the Navy. He wrote me a great letter of recommendation after a couple of shadowing times with him.... I think he was the reason I got into KCOM.... Anyway....

The point is, most DO's know how hard it is to get a letter of recommendation let alone from an Osteopathic Physician. Most of them know of the requirement and for the most part will write you a letter of recommendation to fulfill your requirement.

I do know of students that shadow and the DO refused because simply put the DO, in this scenario, didn't feel that the student was really all that interested in being a DO.

Try your luck and go talk to them and tell them up front that because of the requirement for a "DO letter" that you're interested in what he/she is doing but ultimately would like it if they would write you a letter of recommendation.

Interviewing for DMUCOMS, I know that I've seen my fair share of horrible letter of recommendations so try and ask them for a letter.... the worst thing they would say is no....

Good luck, 😎

 

[EHallberg]

This is good advice. I've got another point of view, just to throw it into the mix.

I'm working on putting together an excellent app, and I'm starting early. I recently shadowed a DO, and it was really good but also a little... something. Possibly because it was my first-ever shadowing experience, possibly because we just didn't seem to 'click' on an interpersonal level. Midway through the afternoon, I made the decision that I was just there to observe and learn, and I wasn't going to ask for a letter from this particular physician.

My feeling is, I want to wait to find someone I can shadow a few times, someone who I really mesh with in terms of attitude and opinions, someone who will go out of his/her way to write an outstanding letter, not just a good one. Am I worrying too much?

 

[JMJ]

My personal experience was as follows:

I looked in the phone book for any DO.
I called and spoke with his secretary, and she informed him that I called concerning a LOR.
He returned my call and asked to meet with me. He told me to bring my transcript, MCAT score, and anything else he should see. We sat and had a great conversation concerning my goals and such. He wrote me a terrific letter and sent it to all of the schools I applied to. I was accepted to many schools and the rest is history.

The DOs understand. They had to do the same thing. Just pick one and give him/her a call. More than likely, they will meet with you.

Best Wishes

JJ

 

[DrQuinn]

I shadowed a DO back like 5 years ago up in Alaska... I spent the summer shadowing docs in the ED, and there was only one DO in the whole hospital (a Psychiatrist, nonetheless). I called her office (never having met her) and sat down with her for about a half an hour. We talked about medical school, being a doctor, etc, and she wrote me a great letter...

Most DOs are very happy to hear that people are applying to DO school, so they will be more friendly than other MDs who probably get inundated with requests.

Q

 

[daveyboy]

The DO I shadowed I met while I was volunteering at a local hospital. I knew I was interested in Osteo schools so I just approached him and asked if I could watch him operate (he is an ortho). That was really all it took, and I started shadowing every week for about a year. Although I think it is appropriate to get a letter after a short time, IMO it is really beneficial to develop a relationship with a physician as a premed.

 

[carpe diem]

Go ahead and ask the physician up front (as you are setting up the shadowing/volunteer experience) that if things work out and if he/she feels comfortable if he/she can write a letter for you. This lets them off the hook should something happen to cause them to be uncomfortable writing a letter --- it can happen.

They know this is why you want to shadow them and will respect you more if you just ask up front. Your credibility in their eyes will be high from the start.

my two cents............

 

[sddoc]

The DO who wrote my letter went to church with my in-laws. I never met him in person, but he was kind enough to talk to me over the phone about why he chose DO school over MD school. Although I felt uncomfortable asking him to write a letter for me after one conversation, he did it without hesitation.

I try to remember that someday, a bright eyed college student will contact me for a letter. I hope that I will treat him/her with the same respect that I was treated with! 🙂

 

[DrInW8ing]

The DO who wrote my letter worked at the hospital in which I volunteered.

After a month of shadowing 2x/week, he offered to write me a letter. However, I continued to shadow him for 3 months before he wrote the letter so that he could get to know me and my motivations better. After the physician wrote my letter, I continued to shadow him for 2 more months.

You may want to keep in mind that in the interview you may be asked how well you knew the people who wrote your LORs. I believe that some of the schools may even call the physicians that write the LORs in order to inquire about a particular applicant.

Good luck !!

 

[lytesnsyrens]

i work in an ED and met one of the DO's. we really hit it off and after about 3 months i asked him to write me one. of course i won't need it for awhile since i haven't even taken the mcat yet, but he was more than willing to write it up for me when i need it. i just asked him in advance to let him know i will need it later.

 

[meanderson]

This thread kinda shows the differences between allopathic and osteopathic schools. I posted a message on the allopathic board concerning letters of rec from DO's/Md's and they acted like they were not that important. A good number of allopathic med students get into top 20 med schools without lor from a physician. I wonder why a lOR from a physician is such a big deal for Do but not so much for MD.

 

[luckystar]

Originally posted by meanderson
This thread kinda shows the differences between allopathic and osteopathic schools. I posted a message on the allopathic board concerning letters of rec from DO's/Md's and they acted like they were not that important. A good number of allopathic med students get into top 20 med schools without lor from a physician. I wonder why a lOR from a physician is such a big deal for Do but not so much for MD.

Not all DO schools require a DO LOR. And most of the ones that do will accept a LOR from an MD. They just want to be sure that you have experience, and know what you're getting yourself into.