just got screwed by my doc...not literally and in need of major help...

[thadarknyte]

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😡 So my family physician for about 6 years now is a D.O. I talked to her in november and asked if i can shadow her. She gladly agreed and said that I can do it when i come back from school for winter break. Winter break rolled around, I called her, and she said "why not wait till the end of the year when you are back from school for summer, and well do it then." So knowing I had a doctor to shadow who was more than willing to write me a letter of recommendation, I was chillaxin till now (my summer vacation). I called her when i got back for summer vaca and left a message with her secretary. I had to leave 3 messages with her secretary for her SECRETARY to call me back saying "I'm sorry, Dr. _____ is very sorry but she is busy right now so you cant shadow her. She said sometime in teh future so call back then"

IM SCREWED!!!! i have shadowed various doctors when i worked in the hospital, but it was nothing enough to get me a letter of recommendation, because it would be a different doctor every time i volunteered. What should I do? I was planning on having all my applications sent in by mid to late July, i dont know if i can find a doctor to shadow in time? WHAT SHOULD I DO???

Also, on the sidenote, I really need help i.e someone to talk to about this whole app procedure. I dont know if im doing it right. I have no doctors in the family and very few friends in my major (somehow i ended up living in the engineering building at my school). I know all the info i need is in SDN but i dont have 6 hours a day filtering out the messages i dont need. Id be grateful. Thank you

 

[HunterGatherer]

well, you came to the right place.

1.You are applying this current application cycle which started June 1st?
2.You complete you application yet.
3.Complete the MCAT?
4. Got your LORs or premed committee letter?


I sent you a private message.

 

[thadarknyte]

well, you came to the right place.

1.You are applying this current application cycle which started June 1st?
2.You complete you application yet.
3.Complete the MCAT?
4. Got your LORs or premed committee letter?

1. Yes I am applying this current application cycle (trying to start med school in Fall of 2007)

2. I have not completed my application yet. I am applying to D.O's all over, but also really want to try Stony Brook and SUNY Downstate because they are very close to where I live (and my ideal situation would be to stay close to home because of family reasons). So I am halfway done with my AMCAS and AACOM (I just have to get my transcrips sent)

3. I took the MCAT in april 2006 now just waiting for the results (hopefully did well, getting really nervous)

4. I have gotten 5 of my 6 letters of recommendations allowed. For the premed comittee in my school, we need 2 science faculty, and then we are allowed 4 more. I have gotten 2 science, 1 work, and 2 other nonscience teacher. My last recommendation was going to be from my family physician which was supposed to have been in by this month, but doesnt look like thatll happen any time soon 🙁

 

[MikeyLu2010]

A DO letter is not required at all of the DO schools...only a select few...so you arent totally screwed

 

[dr.z]

A DO letter is not required at all of the DO schools...only a select few...so you arent totally screwed

You can still apply to places that don't require it.

 

[ejpcuse]

I don't think you are screwed out of a DO recommendation. You don't need to have the letter just yet, so you still have time. It didn't take me long to get a letter from a DO. All I did was went to a phone book/ online and looked up all the DOs in my area. If you call a lot of them eventually one will call you back. You can shaddow for a little while then ask them if they would be willing to write you a positive LOR. Just be upfront with them, I'm sure they they probably know you will be asking for one though. So don't sweat it, you can still do this! Just be persistent. Good Luck and hang in there, it's a long process.

 

[sweet2th]

Can I jump into your post?! I have a similar issue. (P.S- I'm close to Stony Brook too- grew up in Bellport if you have heard of that...) Anyway...a D.O. who I have not shadowed but have spent 3 years with while she was a resident...I asked her for a letter. I thought it was ideal and told her so because over this time she would give me advise and support with deciding to try for med school. She told me she had the boards in May but after that she would see if she could do it by June 1 (my pre-health advisor deadline). Come end of May she didn't return my emails and I sent her two. June 1 comes and I write her a third email and tell her my deadline is now June 20. She finally responds that she is super busy and "if you write yourself a letter pretending you are me, i can revise it and send it." CRAP! I don't know how to do that!! Is that even legal?! I dont even know what goes into a letter? HELP

 

[HunterGatherer]

She finally responds that she is super busy and "if you write yourself a letter pretending you are me, i can revise it and send it." CRAP! I don't know how to do that!! Is that even legal?! I dont even know what goes into a letter? HELP

I've been lurking in the clinical forums and this happens at that level as well and I'm sure at higher levels as well.

 

[Mike2010]

Can I jump into your post?! I have a similar issue. (P.S- I'm close to Stony Brook too- grew up in Bellport if you have heard of that...) Anyway...a D.O. who I have not shadowed but have spent 3 years with while she was a resident...I asked her for a letter. I thought it was ideal and told her so because over this time she would give me advise and support with deciding to try for med school. She told me she had the boards in May but after that she would see if she could do it by June 1 (my pre-health advisor deadline). Come end of May she didn't return my emails and I sent her two. June 1 comes and I write her a third email and tell her my deadline is now June 20. She finally responds that she is super busy and "if you write yourself a letter pretending you are me, i can revise it and send it." CRAP! I don't know how to do that!! Is that even legal?! I dont even know what goes into a letter? HELP

If you are tight with this doctor then give her you resume, other recs, a personal statement and a letter explaining you situation and she might just write you a letter. i had a doc i worked w/ write me out a personalized rec to Albert Einstein this way. My only advice is try to bypass the secratary though, face to face communication is always the best way.

 

[thadarknyte]

If you are tight with this doctor then give her you resume, other recs, a personal statement and a letter explaining you situation and she might just write you a letter. i had a doc i worked w/ write me out a personalized rec to Albert Einstein this way. My only advice is try to bypass the secratary though, face to face communication is always the best way.

yea, i am probably going to make a list of doctors to call tomorow and hopefully be able to shadow someone. Maybe once or twice a week, and then by the 3rd or 4th visit, have the balls to ask for a lOR.

I still havent even started my personal statement. I dont know what I am doing with my life, USA really needs to stop playing law and order marathons. They are killing me 🙁 hah

 

[OSUdoc08]

😡 So my family physician for about 6 years now is a D.O. I talked to her in november and asked if i can shadow her. She gladly agreed and said that I can do it when i come back from school for winter break. Winter break rolled around, I called her, and she said "why not wait till the end of the year when you are back from school for summer, and well do it then." So knowing I had a doctor to shadow who was more than willing to write me a letter of recommendation, I was chillaxin till now (my summer vacation). I called her when i got back for summer vaca and left a message with her secretary. I had to leave 3 messages with her secretary for her SECRETARY to call me back saying "I'm sorry, Dr. _____ is very sorry but she is busy right now so you cant shadow her. She said sometime in teh future so call back then"

IM SCREWED!!!! i have shadowed various doctors when i worked in the hospital, but it was nothing enough to get me a letter of recommendation, because it would be a different doctor every time i volunteered. What should I do? I was planning on having all my applications sent in by mid to late July, i dont know if i can find a doctor to shadow in time? WHAT SHOULD I DO???

Also, on the sidenote, I really need help i.e someone to talk to about this whole app procedure. I dont know if im doing it right. I have no doctors in the family and very few friends in my major (somehow i ended up living in the engineering building at my school). I know all the info i need is in SDN but i dont have 6 hours a day filtering out the messages i dont need. Id be grateful. Thank you

Umm.....you don't have to shadow a physician to get a recommendation letter. Chillax.

 

[Zerosixjt]

I never shadowed a DO, or an MD for that matter, and I still got in. I had other clinical experience that was work and volunteer related.

During the interview we did discuss how not shadowing a DO was a disadvantage. The most impotant thing to remember about the application is to be well rounded instead of sweating over one issue.

If you can't shadow a DO, shadow and MD, it is not ideal, but the clinical experience is the most important part of shadowing.

Good Luck!

 

[scrubs09]

same thing happened to me but you aren't screwed. I got into one of the schools that didn't req a letter but still, it would have been nice to have all my apps complete!