Letter from DO

[North Penguin]

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Many DO schools strongly recommend that I get a letter from a DO physician. I don't know of any DO so visited the AOA website and contacted several DOs today. I left messages and one of the secretaries told me the DO she was working for does gladly take students for shadowing. Finding a DO to shadow is one thing, but asking for a letter for DO school is another.

How do you really get a letter? I have a few hundred hours of hospital volunteering, so it's not that I don't have any clinical experience. My volunteer director wrote me a very good letter but that's not coming from a DO physician. So, I am shadowing again so that I can get a letter specifically from a DO. Do you just shadow a DO once, provide your resume/personal statement and ask him or her to write you a letter for your application? How weird or acceptable is this? Can someone tell me how this works?

 

[MystA RavE]

I have the same question actually. I wonder what they could write in that letter, if you only shadowed once or twice. I'm in the same situation...

 

[bigdog8829]

you tell them str8 up that i am shadowing you today, i want to learn about being a do, i am going to apply to do schools, and i would appreciate it if you can give me a LOR.
when you go there, give them your resume or cv. mention your gpa or mcat if you're proud of it. activities. things like that. similar to your aacomas. that will give them something to work with. couple that with 4 hours of shadowing, talking about med, why u want to be a dr. it will be fine.
a fellow do would most prob have to prob taking care of you, a person who will soon become a fellow do. if we're only 5% of the physicians out there, if we don't take care of one another, who will?

 

[North Penguin]

Hey bigdog8829,

if you don't mind me asking you this, are you speaking from an experience or just drawing an ideal scenario? I don't want to be looked weird or have the weird stare from the physcian like "why would I spend hours writing your letter when this is my absolute first time to see you?"

I already have a phobia of asking for letters even after having done it like hundred times ever since high school, and this whole thing about getting a letter from a DO has been a real stress for me to even think about.

 

[Kappy1]

Many DO schools strongly recommend that I get a letter from a DO physician. I don't know of any DO so visited the AOA website and contacted several DOs today. I left messages and one of the secretaries told me the DO she was working for does gladly take students for shadowing. Finding a DO to shadow is one thing, but asking for a letter for DO school is another.

How do you really get a letter? I have a few hundred hours of hospital volunteering, so it's not that I don't have any clinical experience. My volunteer director wrote me a very good letter but that's not coming from a DO physician. So, I am shadowing again so that I can get a letter specifically from a DO. Do you just shadow a DO once, provide your resume/personal statement and ask him or her to write you a letter for your application? How weird or acceptable is this? Can someone tell me how this works?

I have the same question actually. I wonder what they could write in that letter, if you only shadowed once or twice. I'm in the same situation...

I think you want the DO to know you. A LOR is a way to make your application stand out to ADCOM's. I think you would need to work with him or her for a while so he or she can write you a good letter. Also getting one from a DO who went to the school you want to go will go a long way. Schools ADCOM's value their Alumni's recommendations. I hope you are both accepted to the school of your choice. Good Luck!!!

 

[nlax30]

I think it would vary and greatly depends on the physician himself as to whether he'd right you a decent letter after only a single meeting.

I would definitely be up front with him when you meet him and tell him that along with your interest in shadowing him that you would also like for him to write you a letter, tell him you've brought along copies of your resume/CV, scores, ECs, etc., and say you'd be more than willing to meet/shadow him some more so that he can get to know you a little. I wouldn't too much about having to shadow him a whole lot, but he will probably want to sit and talk with you a little while about your interests, why you want to be a DO, talk about the profession, etc. When I was getting my DO letter I met with him and a few times and we just talked about the profession, chatted about life, and in general just got to know each other a little bit, and he happened to be an ER doc which I was interested in so I started shadowing him. I guess that can vary as this physician was very easy going and laid back about the whole thing, but they understand your need for a letter and have probably done it before, just don't be afraid to ask.

 

[bigdog8829]

Hey bigdog8829,

if you don't mind me asking you this, are you speaking from an experience or just drawing an ideal scenario? I don't want to be looked weird or have the weird stare from the physcian like "why would I spend hours writing your letter when this is my absolute first time to see you?"

I already have a phobia of asking for letters even after having done it like hundred times ever since high school, and this whole thing about getting a letter from a DO has been a real stress for me to even think about.

yes from experience. what i said is what i did the day i shadowed my do. giving her a brief CV and letting her know in advance i would like a letter please.

 

[bigdog8829]

I think it would vary and greatly depends on the physician himself as to whether he'd right you a decent letter after only a single meeting.

I would definitely be up front with him when you meet him and tell him that along with your interest in shadowing him that you would also like for him to write you a letter, tell him you've brought along copies of your resume/CV, scores, ECs, etc., and say you'd be more than willing to meet/shadow him some more so that he can get to know you a little. I wouldn't too much about having to shadow him a whole lot, but he will probably want to sit and talk with you a little while about your interests, why you want to be a DO, talk about the profession, etc. When I was getting my DO letter I met with him and a few times and we just talked about the profession, chatted about life, and in general just got to know each other a little bit, and he happened to be an ER doc which I was interested in so I started shadowing him. I guess that can vary as this physician was very easy going and laid back about the whole thing, but they understand your need for a letter and have probably done it before, just don't be afraid to ask.

agreed 100%. (with everything)

 

[laurenem]

you tell them str8 up that i am shadowing you today, i want to learn about being a do, i am going to apply to do schools, and i would appreciate it if you can give me a LOR.
when you go there, give them your resume or cv. mention your gpa or mcat if you're proud of it. activities. things like that. similar to your aacomas. that will give them something to work with. couple that with 4 hours of shadowing, talking about med, why u want to be a dr. it will be fine.
a fellow do would most prob have to prob taking care of you, a person who will soon become a fellow do. if we're only 5% of the physicians out there, if we don't take care of one another, who will?

I did that as well, though I shadowed the doc for about 20 hrs. I'm sure it wasn't the most amazing LOR that I received, but at least it showed that I put the effort in to find out info about osteopathic medicine. It was extremely stressfull asking him to do the LOR for me when he barely knew me, but he didn't seem suprised at all when I asked him. I think most DO's know that DO schools now require/recommend LOR's from DO's... so they are prepared to help you out.

 

[Doc Henry]

I like to wait until after I shadow a while to ask for a letter. Bottom line is that they probably know you need a letter, so they wont be surprised. Just try to impress them. Research whatever field they are in so you have some clue what is going on. I was really up on meds for diabetes, heart problems etc. so the DO I shadowed (who was an internist) was really impressed

 

[Bacchus]

FWIW... I've shadowed a FP for about 60 hours and I'm still kind of uncomfortable about asking for a LOR. I know, that sounds silly. We talked about her profession, her alumnus, etc but I don't feel I talked to her enough about medicine. That being said, since I won't be shadowing again (you may have seen my other thread) I'm going to be upfront in a letter. I think establishing a relationship will be best. You said you had umpteen hundred hours of clinical volunteer work. Did you interact with any doctors during that time? A percentage of them were more than likely DOs. Look into that and good luck!

 

[gujusnike]

If we have shadowed a DO, do we list it under Extracurriculars/Volunteer/Community Service?