Is it appropriate to give LOR writers a gift?

[mustangrolla]

I've been thinking of getting my professor a gift for writing me a letter of rec. But at the time, I feel as if there might not be a need since they do this all the time and that they might not even be allowed to accept any kind of gifts from students.

What have other ppl done to show their appreciation? I have no clue as to what kind of gifts may be appropriate, especially to someone who is so much older? Gift cards to starbucks, wine? Help!

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[crazyrice610]

I've been thinking of getting my professor a gift for writing me a letter of rec. But at the time, I feel as if there might not be a need since they do this all the time and that they might not even be allowed to accept any kind of gifts from students.

What have other ppl done to show their appreciation? I have no clue as to what kind of gifts may be appropriate, especially to someone who is so much older? Gift cards to starbucks, wine? Help!

i bought them each a nice box of chocolate and gave it to them when i picked up the letters.

 

[xturquoise]

I gave my LOR writers, a professor and a pharmacist, some Ferrero Rocher chocolates I bought from Costco. Not too expensive but just a small token of my appreciation. I gave them the chocolates with all the LOR information. I think it helped in getting a better LOR. In my opinion, getting an appropriate gift can only help you. 🙂

 

[JWirawan]

I gave my LOR writers a souvenir from Indonesia. I told them that I was going back on a vacation to Indonesia, so I gave them something nice from there. I gave them something after they had sent the LOR.

 

[ForTce]

I've been thinking of getting my professor a gift for writing me a letter of rec. But at the time, I feel as if there might not be a need since they do this all the time and that they might not even be allowed to accept any kind of gifts from students.

What have other ppl done to show their appreciation? I have no clue as to what kind of gifts may be appropriate, especially to someone who is so much older? Gift cards to starbucks, wine? Help!

Please NO GIFT CARD, this is ABSOLUTELY not appropriate to give money!
Moreover, this will show you are lazy to find a nice gift.

 

[rxlynn]

Please NO GIFT CARD, this is ABSOLUTELY not appropriate to give money!
Moreover, this will show you are lazy to find a nice gift.

Well, I did give a gift card because, although I know my pharmacists who wrote LORs in a professional way, I have not been to their houses and don't really know their personal taste. What I did do was give them Starbucks gift cards, because I knew they both love coffee and it was something they would really use. So, maybe it was lazy, but I did give it a lot of thought.

 

[ForTce]

Well, I did give a gift card because, although I know my pharmacists who wrote LORs in a professional way, I have not been to their houses and don't really know their personal taste. What I did do was give them Starbucks gift cards, because I knew they both love coffee and it was something they would really use. So, maybe it was lazy, but I did give it a lot of thought.

No offense or anything, but a gift card is a kind of a tacky present to give. Sometimes people feel weird about accepting a gift card, because it looks like, well, money. Moreover, accepting money is unethical and unprofessional.
If I were one of your pharmacists, I would have never accepted your $10.

The other thing that's weird about giving someone a gift card is that the receiver knows exactly how much it cost you. It's just like you leave the price tag.

I would have just invited them to have a coffee at starbucks than merely giving them $10.
That's also a good way to socialize and give you an opportunity to know them better.

Gift card is by definition the lazy way, sorry!

 

[Falokis]

I would have just invited them to have a coffee at starbucks than merely giving them $10.
That's also a good way to socialize.
Gift card is THE lazy way, sorry!

I don't know. I love gift cards. It's the one thing that can't be screwed up. I do agree with you that it comes off a little lazy.

 

[CincyPrePharm06]

I am taking both my pharmacists (both wrote letters) and my fellow techs out for dinner at our pharmacy's favorite mexican place (6-8 bucks a meal) as a way of saying thanks and to celebrate me getting into school. My only stipulation was that someone drive me because I plan on having several of their delicous margaritas!

 

[sdn1977]

As someone who has written many lors, I don't want a gift and would feel you might be trying to influence my opinion. If, at the end of your rotation, internship, whatever, you'd like to bring something the whole staff might appreciate, that would be nice. It indicates to me a recognition that you know how integrated the whole process of delivering pharmaceutical care is.

I do like a nice personal note - again at the end of our time together, indicating how much you enjoyed our professional interaction, appreciative of the time I gave, etc......

That said....I do think it is a different circumstance when I write a letter for a residency application. In that circumstance, we are now colleagues - both pharmacists. Just different, IMO.

 

[ajmataz]

No offense or anything, but a gift card is a kind of a tacky present to give. Sometimes people feel weird about accepting a gift card, because it looks like, well, money. Moreover, accepting money is unethical and unprofessional.
If I were one of your pharmacists, I would have never accepted your $10.

The other thing that's weird about giving someone a gift card is that the receiver knows exactly how much it cost you. It's just like you leave the price tag.

I would have just invited them to have a coffee at starbucks than merely giving them $10.
That's also a good way to socialize and give you an opportunity to know them better.

Gift card is by definition the lazy way, sorry!

how about if your evaluators live on the other side of the country? i have two in Minneapolis and two in Seattle. i don't think a nice card with a starbucks gift card is inappropriate. sending anything else via postal mail would seem over-the-top, imo.

 

[twester]

What have other ppl done to show their appreciation?

I kept them all up-to-date on how the application process was going. When I got accepted, I stopped by to share the news. I looked them in the eye, thanked them for their help and gave them a firm, professional handshake.

 

[eleanor_rigby]

I kept them all up-to-date on how the application process was going. When I got accepted, I stopped by to share the news. I looked them in the eye, thanked them for their help and gave them a firm, professional handshake.

What happened to a simple thank you card from Hallmark with a few words regarding the gratitude for taking the time and effort to write you a recommendation?

What's with the chocolates, foreign gifts, gift cards, and dinner invitations??

Actually, I guess it depends on the relationship. I'm not too close to my professors, so any of the aformentioned gifts would be just a tad awkward.

 

[DrugDealer]

Moreover, this will show you are lazy to find a nice gift.

Not necessarily, especially if you personalize the card to the person.

When I needed LORs for pharmacy school, I asked my thesis advisor from grad school and a postdoc I had worked closely with. I had moved away from the Bay Area, so it was very easy to enclose a gift card when I mailed them the materials. I think it would have been more awkward for me to mail a big box and for them to receive it. The card was discreet.

Anyway, back to personalization: for my prof/advisor, I got her a card for Trader Joe's. She likes to cook, loves to travel and try new foods, and always threw picnics and cookouts for our lab. I got the postdoc a gift card for eBay, because we would always look for bargains on eBay while waiting for our experiments to do their thing. We even bought supplies from eBay for some crazy experimental design we had. In each case, the card brought back fond memories and was not generic at all. Plus, I knew each of them very well, which is not always the case for LOR writers.

A Sears or Target card would be a little tackier and less personal. Oh, and I did not buy a gift for my 3rd LOR writer, my manager from an office job I had, because I did not know her very well.

When I was in college and applying to grad school, I had my profs write my letters before the Christmas break because I was travelling to the UK over the holidays and would need to mail my apps earlier than the Jan. 1 deadlines. I brought a cool handblown Scottish paperweight back for each of them.

 

[pinkyrx]

I would definitely not be giving a gift before they even did the LOR! That to me would seem a little to close to bribery.

Now after the LOR is written, then if you wanted to give a small token of your appreciation, that seems reasonable. I do have to agree with the previous posters that said a gift card just doesn't seem appropriate. (IMO) It feels too much like giving cash.

Gift cards for a friend/family members birthday/xmas gift, now that is a good idea... but not to your professor.

 

[DrugDealer]

I would definitely not be giving a gift before they even did the LOR! That to me would seem a little to close to bribery.

No, bribery for a LOR is what Carmella does in the Sopranos when she wants a neighbor's family member to write Meadow a letter for Georgetown. She stalks her office and brings her a casserole/pie/something edible because the woman won't even agree to write the letter in the first place.

After they've agreed, it's not bribery to give a gift. They're not obligated to say anything favorable if you'll never see the letter. It's a token of appreciation for someone with a very busy schedule (a Berkeley professor with a research lab or a new professor just setting up her own lab, creating her teaching materials, attracting grad students) to take the time from their schedule for you.

 

[George Rivello]

Gift cards do come off as thoughtless, but its not as if you are buying an anniversary gift for your spouse. And even though I'm not a professor or a pharmacist, my heart would dance and sing if I got Ferrero Rocher chocolates. They are so good!

 

[toupac]

I'm curious because I am very grateful to my recommenders. I was just gonna send a thank you card to them but then figured that what they did was worth much more than that. Any suggestions?

 

[Flapjacks]

I'd like a gas card if i was the receiver

 

[toupac]

lol. nice.

 

[IrishHammer]

I'm curious because I am very grateful to my recommenders. I was just gonna send a thank you card to them but then figured that what they did was worth much more than that. Any suggestions?

Depends on their interest. Find something that they like, and get them a gift related to that. That's the really thoughtful touch, rather than "Here's a $25 gift card for Rite-Aid." You'll get your share of handing out gift cards during your career anyway.

 

[koercive]

Nice Tea from a tea store.

I found a legit place on yelp

 

[Thumper17]

I noticed my chem prof who wrote mine had a cup of coffee from the campus coffee stre, so I just got her a gift card from there.

 

[EyeCandy5]

I got my referees each a bottle of Australian wine

👍

 

[RxForSuccess]

I am helping one of my LOR writers move this weekend lol.

 

[koercive]

I was going to go with a bottle of wine, but I chose tea instead just in case they don't drink.

The place I went to sold a sampler tea set with quality white teas, green teas, black teas etc.

Also, I went to a mom-and-pop chocolate store to buy some good chocolate. I figured that the families and the person who wrote my letter can both enjoy some sweet chocolate 👍

 

[nextyearrx]

I got my referees each a bottle of Australian wine

👍

...

 

[fujitsux]

a BMW

 

[UMAX3000]

i got one a $50 gift card to CVS and the other about $50 worth of stuff for her baby?

 

[Passion4Sci]

I guess it depends how close you are to them.

For mine, a hand-written letter.

 

[UMAX3000]

Hey! I'm UoP c/o 2013, too!

 

[Flapjacks]

A week of personal immigrant laborers.

 

[Niosh]

State law limits me to giving a gift valued no more than $3 to one of my LOR writers. The other I was thinking a letter of some sort and maybe baked goods to eat during his wonderful 11 hour shift.

 

[toupac]

State law limits me to giving a gift valued no more than $3 to one of my LOR writers. The other I was thinking a letter of some sort and maybe baked goods to eat during his wonderful 11 hour shift.

Seriously? State law?

 

[2411t]

Think SNL skit Justin Timberlake. (blank) in a box.

State law limits me to giving a gift valued no more than $3 to one of my LOR writers. The other I was thinking a letter of some sort and maybe baked goods to eat during his wonderful 11 hour shift.

 

[Niosh]

Seriously? State law?

Yep, we're both state employees and there is a gift giving law. I'm sure I could give whatever I wanted and nothing would come of it but technically the law is in place.