If you shadowed with a foreign doctor can they write your LOR?

[PostBaccEngineer]

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I am from a different country and had to move back home during COVID for multiple reasons. I ended up shadowing with a doctor in my home country and I was wondering if I can get them to write my physicians LOR? I know its probably more unfavorable than a US doctor, but its incredibly difficult to get shadowing opportunities during COVID, that in addition with me being a postbacc student meant I didnt have enough time to find an opportunity. I do have clinical volunteering and EMT experiences in the US though.

Thanks for any input!

 

[zorcandpals]

You generally dont need a physicians letter for the vast vast majority of schools and the schools that require a shadowing letter are even more rare. Like what can someone really say about you when all you did is follow them around. If you have clinical volunteering experiences, a letter from someone in those roles, who is also a physician is probably much more useful than a shadowing letter even if it would be from a US doc. If you're looking at DO schools that want a DO letter then I think it needs to actually be a DO, though

 

[PostBaccEngineer]

You generally dont need a physicians letter for the vast vast majority of schools and the schools that require a shadowing letter are even more rare. Like what can someone really say about you when all you did is follow them around. If you have clinical volunteering experiences, a letter from someone in those roles, who is also a physician is probably much more useful than a shadowing letter even if it would be from a US doc. If you're looking at DO schools that want a DO letter then I think it needs to actually be a DO, though

Dont most DO schools require a physician letter? Would a foreign one fulfill that requirement?

 

[PapaGuava]

Yes majority of DO schools require a physician LOR, and some even require a DO-specific letter (not many though). If the physician is an MD or DO, I don't see why it would be an issue but I'll tag @Goro for insight on your question OP.

 

[Goro]

Yes majority of DO schools require a physician LOR, and some even require a DO-specific letter (not many though). If the physician is an MD or DO, I don't see why it would be an issue but I'll tag @Goro for insight on your question OP.

We'll be far happier with a LOR from a US doctor.

 

[PapaGuava]

We'll be far happier with a LOR from a US doctor.

Okay thanks for clarifying! 🙂

 

[DasNotRacist]

We'll be far happier with a LOR from a US doctor.

Why?

 

[Goro]

Why?

because you'll be seeing American patients and get trained by American doctors.

Plus you need to know how an American doctor approaches the practice of Medicine , and what an American doctors day is like.

 

[Doc_Ock]

You could sell it as an example of cultural competency and diversity which are big buzzphrases that are popular with adcoms, maybe sell it as a unique experience. What you should NOT do is substitute it for experience with and a letter from an American physician. If you're applying DO it reeeeeeally helps to have a letter from a DO, at some schools it's a soft requirement.