I think I just got shot in the foot

[Abdul17]

Long story short, I had a LOR from one Physician I shadowed that I had typed for him saved in my docs. Another physician was totally okay with sending a LOR to interfolio but asked if I could send a sample so he can write one based on it. So I sent the one from my docs that I had from Physician A. Fast forward to today, I'm doing a routine follow-up with him and he tells me he just ended up copying the "sample" and changed a few words and a sentence and if that was okay..... I already submitted my app.
Now I'm fuming. Does this put me in a position for a blacklist and ruin my chances completely?
@Goro I could really use your help on this 😓

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[LAF_Noir]

If you are applying through AMCAS, you can pick and choose which schools receive which letters. Make sure not to send those two physician letters together.

Through AACOMAS, some DO schools have you list a specific letter writer on their secondary portal whereas other schools receive all letters sent to AACOMAS.

I know Interfolio reviews your letters for headers and spelling, but I am not sure if they compare them amongst each other for uniqueness. I doubt it.

 

[Abdul17]

If you are applying through AMCAS, you can pick and choose which schools receive which letters. Make sure not to send those two physician letters together.

Through AACOMAS, some DO schools have you list a specific letter writer on their secondary portal whereas other schools receive all letters sent to AACOMAS.

I know Interfolio reviews your letters for headers and spelling, but I am not sure if they compare them amongst each other for uniqueness. I doubt it.

The application was already submitted with both letters when I got them. I didnt know he did that so I can't even remove it. Luckily I didn't send both to AACOMAS but to AMCAS I did. Everything checked out on Interfolio too so I thought I was good.
Now here I am freaking out over getting blacklisted. Jesus man

 

[LAF_Noir]

The application was already submitted with both letters when I got them. I didnt know he did that so I can't even remove it. Luckily I didn't send both to AACOMAS but to AMCAS I did. Everything checked out on Interfolio too so I thought I was good.
Now here I am freaking out over getting blacklisted. Jesus man

I see what you are talking about now. I logged into AMCAS and tried to remove letters submitted to schools. I cannot, like you said. I am sorry about your situation, friend. Maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[Goro]

Long story short, I had a LOR from one Physician I shadowed that I had typed for him saved in my docs. Another physician was totally okay with sending a LOR to interfolio but asked if I could send a sample so he can write one based on it. So I sent the one from my docs that I had from Physician A. Fast forward to today, I'm doing a routine follow-up with him and he tells me he just ended up copying the "sample" and changed a few words and a sentence and if that was okay..... I already submitted my app.
Now I'm fuming. Does this put me in a position for a blacklist and ruin my chances completely?
@Goro I could really use your help on this 😓

This would raise an eyebrow and I'd be forced to mention this to the Admission Dean and the Adcom if you got an interview.

In an interview, I'd definitely ask you about it. Actually, I'd grill you like a cheeseburger after hearing that you wrote the LOR yourself.

 

[Abdul17]

This would raise an eyebrow and I'd be forced to mention this to the Admission Dean and the Adcom if you got an interview.

In an interview, I'd definitely ask you about it. Actually, I'd grill you like a cheeseburger after hearing that you wrote the LOR yourself.

Is it enough basis for a blacklist though? And when you say you'd be forced to mention it to others are you referring to you yourself or in general as someone reviewing my application?

 

[Goro]

Is it enough basis for a blacklist though? And when you say you'd be forced to mention it to others are you referring to you yourself or in general as someone reviewing my application?

I'm talking about me.

@LunaOri
@Mr.Smile12
@Moko
@Catalystik
@gyngyn
@Pathdocmd

What say you???

 

[Abdul17]

I'm talking about me.

@LunaOri
@Mr.Smile12
@Moko
@Catalystik
@gyngyn
@Pathdocmd

What say you???

Haha well that took a very sharp turn.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Just tell the admissions team what you told us. They can connect with the appropriate references to verify your story.

 

[Abdul17]

Just tell the admissions team what you told us. They can connect with the appropriate references to verify your story.

Cool. Thank you. Should I wait for the admissions team to decide on whether they want to give me an II? Do I bring it up during the potential Interview if they ask about it? How would you advise me to go about clearing this up

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Cool. Thank you. Should I wait for the admissions team to decide on whether they want to give me an II? Do I bring it up during the potential Interview if they ask about it? How would you advise me to go about clearing this up

An email should suffice. It's too bad you don't know which schools won't look at your letters until they make a decision to interview.

 

[Abdul17]

An email should suffice. It's too bad you don't know which schools won't look at your letters until they make a decision to interview.

Okay great!! Thank you so much! Yeah it's definitely a bummer which brings me to next and final question. If I don't get a reply and I don't get an II, does that mean I've been blacklisted now? It's a scary position because I've worked so hard to get to this spot you know?

 

[gyngyn]

Identical LoE's would be hard to overlook.

 

[Abdul17]

Identical LoE's would be hard to overlook.

Yes I know but is this a blacklist case? Would I now be unable to reapply next year without said LoR

 

[gyngyn]

Yes I know but is this a blacklist case? Would I now be unable to reapply next year without said LoR

Nobody really cares who wrote your old letters, but a review of the old application would reveal the anomaly to a screener.

 

[Abdul17]

Nobody really cares who wrote your old letters, but a review of the old application would reveal the anomaly to a screener.

So a screener could potentially, well, screen my application because of it? So either way I'll be having a very difficult time. In other words, a blacklist

 

[gyngyn]

So a screener could potentially, well, screen my application because of it? So either way I'll be having a very difficult time. In other words, a blacklist

Schools where you have not previously applied would not have access to your old application. Not all schools will give screeners access to old records. Some screeners are not as thorough as others...
This is unfortunate, but not a complete deal-breaker.

 

[Abdul17]

Schools where you have not previously applied would not have access to your old application. Not all schools will give screeners access to old records. Some screeners are not as thorough as others...
This is unfortunate, but not a complete deal-breaker.

And screeners run through old applications before sending out secondaries or before sending out interviews? Or is it just a per school basis?

 

[gyngyn]

And screeners run through old applications before sending out secondaries or before sending out interviews? Or is it just a per school basis?

Most secondaries go out without a screen.

 

[Abdul17]

Most secondaries go out without a screen.

Okay sorry last question, would there be a way to somehow explain the issue when submitting the application so when a screener reviews it they would know what happened instead of just marking it off and rejecting

 

[LunaOri]

We wouldn’t blacklist you from my school.

 

[LunaOri]

I know for a fact that there are PI’s (looking at you, MBH) who tell applicants to write their own LOR for them to sign.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Be prepared for the schools to reach out to each of them. This more so raises about fake/forged letters

 

[Catalystik]

This would raise an eyebrow and I'd be forced to mention this to the Admission Dean and the Adcom if you got an interview.

In an interview, I'd definitely ask you about it. Actually, I'd grill you like a cheeseburger after hearing that you wrote the LOR yourself.

Identical LoE's would be hard to overlook.

I agree with these comments. I have no reassuring words to offer. I read every LOR, even if more were submitted than the set limit. There's no way this would slip by me.

 

[Abdul17]

I agree with these comments. I have no reassuring words to offer. I read every LOR, even if more were submitted than the set limit. There's no way this would slip by me.

I think you guys may have misunderstood me. I'm not trying to get the letter overlooked or slipped or thrown out the window. I fully understand that this happened, it sucks, I'll have to suck it up. I just want to know my options and whether it becomes incredibly detrimental to my applications in the future. As gyngyn has stated previous applications get reviewed. As LunaOri has stated, it wouldn't cause a blacklist at their respective school. Judging from the varying responses I'd assume it's a decision made on a school by school basis. I have no problem with the Adcoms reaching out to every single person that submitted a letter either. My one and only concern was and is, does this put me on the blacklist. But again the varying responses tells me it's up to the particular school. Correct me if I'm wrong please.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

In this instance, I think it’s best to reach out to the schools and just come clean

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Plagiarizing an essay gets you blacklisted. I've never really seen anyone submit identical LOR's to know whether that really gets you blacklisted. As I said, the good schools will do their due diligence and check out the anomaly. Email them and let it be.

 

[Abdul17]

Plagiarizing an essay gets you blacklisted. I've never really seen anyone submit identical LOR's to know whether that really gets you blacklisted. As I said, the good schools will do their due diligence and check out the anomaly. Email them and let it be.

Sounds good to me

 

[BucketDoctor]

I am just a lowly applicant but I will give my 2 cents on this situation. You wrote a letter of recommendation, for yourself, to be passed off as someone else wrote it instead. In the real world, this is considered at least being dishonest and at worst being fraudulent. Let’s say you get accepted into medical school. Will you write the letter of recommendation for residency programs for yourself as well? What about potential fellowship letters of recommendation? If you are being dishonest about who wrote your letters of recommendation, then adcoms could assume that you were dishonest in your undergraduate classes and maybe assume that you were cheating in them. This is a blacklist worthy situation in my opinion.

 

[_TheStruggl3_]

I am just a lowly applicant but I will give my 2 cents on this situation. You wrote a letter of recommendation, for yourself, to be passed off as someone else wrote it instead. In the real world, this is considered at least being dishonest and at worst being fraudulent. Let’s say you get accepted into medical school. Will you write the letter of recommendation for residency programs for yourself as well? What about potential fellowship letters of recommendation? If you are being dishonest about who wrote your letters of recommendation, then adcoms could assume that you were dishonest in your undergraduate classes and maybe assume that you were cheating in them. This is a blacklist worthy situation in my opinion.

I'm guessing you haven't asked a PI or busy professor to write a LOR for you yet. It's unfortunate, but many of them ask you to write a draft for them. It doesn't mean it gets submitted without their review or signature. Rather, they ask for you to lay the foundation of the letter which they will edit to what they deem appropriate. I don't think this is something unusual. It's more unusual that the LOR writer plagiarized the sample haha!

 

[BucketDoctor]

I'm guessing you haven't asked a PI or busy professor to write a LOR for you yet. It's unfortunate, but many of them ask you to write a draft for them. It doesn't mean it gets submitted without their review or signature. Rather, they ask for you to lay the foundation of the letter which they will edit to what they deem appropriate. I don't think this is something unusual. It's more unusual that the LOR writer plagiarized the sample haha!

Oh I didn’t know this practice of writing your own letter of recommendation was so common. My apologies to the OP in this regard. All of the people that I have had write a letter of recommendation have written the letter on their own, using my personal statement and resume as a guide.

 

[Med Ed]

Oh I didn’t know this practice of writing your own letter of recommendation was so common. My apologies to the OP in this regard. All of the people that I have had write a letter of recommendation have written the letter on their own, using my personal statement and resume as a guide.

It is fairly common, and I find it quite lazy.

 

[Goro]

I'm guessing you haven't asked a PI or busy professor to write a LOR for you yet. It's unfortunate, but many of them ask you to write a draft for them. It doesn't mean it gets submitted without their review or signature. Rather, they ask for you to lay the foundation of the letter which they will edit to what they deem appropriate. I don't think this is something unusual. It's more unusual that the LOR writer plagiarized the sample haha!

I agree. It's a very common practice.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I am just a lowly applicant but I will give my 2 cents on this situation. You wrote a letter of recommendation, for yourself, to be passed off as someone else wrote it instead. In the real world, this is considered at least being dishonest and at worst being fraudulent. Let’s say you get accepted into medical school. Will you write the letter of recommendation for residency programs for yourself as well? What about potential fellowship letters of recommendation? If you are being dishonest about who wrote your letters of recommendation, then adcoms could assume that you were dishonest in your undergraduate classes and maybe assume that you were cheating in them. This is a blacklist worthy situation in my opinion.

We have to take the story as it is. As mentioned, professors often ask students to write letters that they can sign.

Now if the OP found a way to submit the letter without getting the professor's permission, then we have a different conversation.

 

[snooper]

So, best scenario:
Your first LOR writer asked you to type the letter - i.e. you knew what the letter said but you didn't write it yourself.
Second LOR asked for an example and basically copied it.

Why hasn't anybody suggested that OP talks to Second LOR writer and maybe even ask to fix the mess? That person must have had an inkling that the LOR1 was submitted