Is there a way I can submit LORs myself?

[piotrkol1]

I'm currently close to wrapping up my SMP at RFU, but it's a toss-up whether or not I'm going to get into the medical school there. If things don't work out, then I was going to aim for UQ-Ochsner and just be done with it. However, in addition to that, I'm contemplating reapplying MD/DO one last time with the SMP grades and an improved MCAT. The problem is, I REALLY don't want to bother my recommenders again to re-upload my letters. I've already gone through two MD/DO cycles, plus two SMP applications, and a Carribean school (accepted but turned it down), so as you can see they've already had to do this for me numerous times. Most of them required multiple reminders, so it was arduous and I don't want to be a nuisance...Not to mention after getting into the SMP I told them I only needed the letters to be reuploaded one last time to my MD/DO applications...Now, I actually have signed letters from three of them in my email inbox (I never asked them to send me the letter in the first place, they sent me a copy and asked me to look it over before submitting it). Unlike AMCAS which allows letters to be sent in through the mail, it looks like the only option for AACOMAS is to submit it online through the email request forms. I've never used Interfolio and I'm not super familiar with it, but it looks like letters can be submitted in the mail. Would I be able to submit them on their behalf in this manner or does it still involve having them go online, verify something, or make an account?

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[balston82]

I think making an Interfolio account and hand mailing the letters in to Interfolio is your best bet. Just be sure to use the school's return address.

 

[Magus5454]

I wish I had used Interfolio, it would have saved me some pain trying to get letters each year

 

[piotrkol1]

I think making an Interfolio account and hand mailing the letters in to Interfolio is your best bet. Just be sure to use the school's return address.

Cool, so I should be able to do this all on my own without a problem then? And do you think its a problem if the letters are dated 2016?

 

[mk04447]

Honestly, I'd get new letters. Do you really want to open yourself up to integrity issues before you start your career? If anything looks fishy at all, even if you had the best intentions, you're toast. I mean what are you going to do, make logins for these folks, get a letter ID, and then mail them in as if you had not seen them? Slippery slope my friend and not worth IMO.

 

[GTown]

Honestly, I'd get new letters. Do you really want to open yourself up to integrity issues before you start your career? If anything looks fishy at all, even if you had the best intentions, you're toast. I mean what are you going to do, make logins for these folks, get a letter ID, and then mail them in as if you had not seen them? Slippery slope my friend and not worth IMO.

This is the absolutely best and most prudent advice for your situation. Applying to medical school is an arduous, painful and at times embarrassing process asking others to help you. DON'T send in your LORs yourself by mailing from the school's address. Interfolio requires the LOR writer to upload or mail the letter with an accompanying form. Are you going to 'pretend' to be the LOR writer and do all this - as @mk04447 said, it's not worth it, super fishy at best and many kinds of get you in lots of trouble if anyone ever finds out at worst. Reach out to your original LOR writers, or just get new LORs. If you want to make it a little easier for your original LOR writers, email them the interfolio form along with their letter so all they have to do is email/mail the letter along with the form back to interfolio. Just don't touch it yourself.

 

[balston82]

Totally forgot they needed their own IDs. Yeah I'd go ahead and ask them for new letters.

 

[GTown]

Totally forgot they needed their own IDs. Yeah I'd go ahead and ask them for new letters.

Just had to say that even if it didn't require LOR writer ID's, you shouldn't be submitting your own LOR by putting the school address or advising someone else to do so. That's a huge integrity issue - yeah this may not be a big deal and no one would ever find out maybe, but it's more the mentality behind that. Cutting corners, or finding shortcuts to avoid an uncomfortable or tedious situation is a slippery slope. It's certainly not a character trait I believe physicians should have. Not sure if others will agree, and don't really care if they do or don't, but had to say it.

 

[balston82]

Just had to say that even if it didn't require LOR writer ID's, you shouldn't be submitting your own LOR by putting the school address or advising someone else to do so. That's a huge integrity issue - yeah this may not be a big deal and no one would ever find out maybe, but it's more the mentality behind that. Cutting corners, or finding shortcuts to avoid an uncomfortable or tedious situation is a slippery slope. It's certainly not a character trait I believe physicians should have. Not sure if others will agree, and don't really care if they do or don't, but had to say it.

Wasn't my intent to advise dishonesty. I saw it more as forwarding letters to interfolio in order to be able to save them. The letters they mailed to his address would have the school's return address so I didn't think of it as necessarily being dishonest. However, creating fake ids is definitely a no no. Which is why I advised against it. I didn't have mine mailed in so I wasn't fully aware of what went into it

 

[balston82]

Just had to say that even if it didn't require LOR writer ID's, you shouldn't be submitting your own LOR by putting the school address or advising someone else to do so. That's a huge integrity issue - yeah this may not be a big deal and no one would ever find out maybe, but it's more the mentality behind that. Cutting corners, or finding shortcuts to avoid an uncomfortable or tedious situation is a slippery slope. It's certainly not a character trait I believe physicians should have. Not sure if others will agree, and don't really care if they do or don't, but had to say it.

Been thinking more on this one and I do believe I gave bad advice. I was focused on finding a practical solution, with the thinking that if the professors were okay waiving their confidentiality (by sending you the letters first) then there was nothing wrong with uploading unaltered letters to Interfolio. However there is still the expectation from the schools that these letters are directly from the professors and therein lies the dishonesty. GTown is 100% correct. Do the difficult thing and ask for those letters one more time.

 

[GTown]

Wasn't my intent to advise dishonesty. I saw it more as forwarding letters to interfolio in order to be able to save them. The letters they mailed to his address would have the school's return address so I didn't think of it as necessarily being dishonest. However, creating fake ids is definitely a no no. Which is why I advised against it. I didn't have mine mailed in so I wasn't fully aware of what went into it

Sorry if I came off as harsh, but you know how important integrity is in medicine. Thanks for clarifying and maturely accepting constructive criticism!

 

[GTown]

Been thinking more on this one and I do believe I gave bad advice. I was focused on finding a practical solution, with the thinking that if the professors were okay waiving their confidentiality (by sending you the letters first) then there was nothing wrong with uploading unaltered letters to Interfolio. However there is still the expectation from the schools that these letters are directly from the professors and therein lies the dishonesty. GTown is 100% correct. Do the difficult thing and ask for those letters one more time.

Absolutely agree on the expectation of confidentiality and waiving your right to LORs as well. I've had LOR writers before that say 'oh just write the letter yourself and I'll sign it', but I never felt comfortable doing that because it is still dishonest. Someone that is truly and enthusiastically able to recommend you doesn't need you to write the letter for them or have you look over the final product. I don't know if med schools pay attention to LORs or not (maybe @Goro knows for sure) but either way I truly think everything you do and how you go about it is important.

 

[Magus5454]

I had one LOR writer send me an unsolicited copy for me to look over, it was a glowing recommendation. I still would have preferred to not see it. I only asked professors I had a significant relationship with for sure.

 

[GTown]

I had one LOR writer send me an unsolicited copy for me to look over, it was a glowing recommendation. I still would have preferred to not see it. I only asked professors I had a significant relationship with for sure.

Yup, why even ask someone that doesn't know you well enough to recommend you.

 

[piotrkol1]

DON'T send in your LORs yourself by mailing from the school's address. Interfolio requires the LOR writer to upload or mail the letter with an accompanying form. Are you going to 'pretend' to be the LOR writer and do all this - as @mk04447 said, it's not worth it, super fishy at best and many kinds of get you in lots of trouble if anyone ever finds out at worst.

During my first application process, I mailed one of the letters in question to AMCAS and there were no problems. I had instructed the professor multiple times that the letter needed to be uploaded twice (AMCAS & AACOMAS), and he finally got around to it at the end of the spring semester. He subsequently emailed me that the letters were uploaded (he actually only uploaded it to my DO application) and since he was going to Poland for the duration of the summer he wouldn't be responding to any emails until school started again. He also mentioned that he had left me a signed copy of the letter in his mailbox at school that I could go pick up if needed.

I've had LOR writers before that say 'oh just write the letter yourself and I'll sign it', but I never felt comfortable doing that because it is still dishonest. Someone that is truly and enthusiastically able to recommend you doesn't need you to write the letter for them or have you look over the final product.

This is exactly what the DO I shadowed had me do and I was fine doing whatever was most convenient for him. Granted, I sent him the letter I wrote and then he said he made a few of his own changes before uploading it. A PA that overheard our conversation said he did the same thing back when he applied to school. Maybe it's not as uncommon as you think.