Letter of Rec - no real answer yet?

[SXCoronado]

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[dbd]

Since you're not applying this cycle, maybe you could ask him again after you take the DAT? It seems that his letter is contingent upon you doing well on it. It sucks that he's been evasive, but if he needs certain things in order to be comfortable w/ giving his recommendation, it might be a good idea to meet all of the requirements. It sounds stupid from the applicant point of view (especially since you've been working hard for him), but if he's a well-respected member of the dental community and his word is worth a lot (which it sounds like it is), you'd have to understand he won't just give out his recommendation to anyone. That being said, if you do do well on the DAT and he agrees to write you one, you can probably be assured that it'll be a great letter.

However, I've heard from many specialists I've shadowed and others that dental schools care more about general dentistry shadowing experience since all dental students must be qualified as a general before they do any specialization. So find a general to shadow anyway.

 

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[elhammy]

Great point. General dentist is next!

I'm taking the DAT in early August before I go back to school. What worried me was his tone of voice - it suggested that perhaps even after I get my DAT scores, he would give me the same sort of answer. If he keeps giving me evasive answers after working for him for free and giving him my DAT scores (which I hope will be impressive), I will have to stop asking because it will be a waste of my time.

Explain to him that you learned a lot but from your experience, you also wanted a letter to represent the hard work and effort you put into working with him. I've seen dentists do this but its just because they don't have time, or the shadower was really not dentist material. If you tried your best, honestly there should be no reason he shouldn't. Tell him that if he wants to include your DAT scores on your letter, that it would be a waste because I feel like he'd give you a good recommendation only if you did well on your DAT which isn't fair. Critiquing your DAT scores is not his job; besides its reflected on your application anyway.

 

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[doc toothache]

For the past 2 weeks I have been assisting/"interning" with an orthodontist who is a very well respected ortho on cleft palates specifically. I have been working hard, 8am-5pm every weekday for free basically and in his words, I have been a "big plus" and "very helpful" etc etc. He has good things to say about me. And his staff is great and like having me around to help
So, I have over 50 hours of working for this ortho, and when I approached the topic of getting a letter of rec for dental school, he was kind of evasive and said I should bug him later after I have taken my DAT. He said "what if you bomb the DAT?" but I don't see how that affects his letter of rec decision for me (he didn't say yes or no, which seemed strange to me). I have no clue why he is hesitant (I am going to the same undergrad as him, I want to go to the same d school as him, my GPA is good, he was friends with my dad back in the day, etc). I shadowed a podiatrist for the hell of it last summer and after 4 hours he said he would write me a letter with a big smile on his face and took me out to lunch.
Also - I am planning on applying to Dental School in 1 year's time! And I have been cheerful and done everything asked of me, including menial labor and prepping patient tables/sterilizing instruments/etc with a smile on my face. This letter is obviously very important to me since I need one to get in to Dental school.. Haha.

Let's see:

1. your contact has been roughly 2 weeks.
2. you have been "assisting/interning" for 50+ hours
3. you have not taken the DAT
4. you will not be applying for a year, but
you believe he "owes" you a good lor because you did all those menial tasks for him.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/shadowing-the-seven-stages.792000/

Explain to him that you learned a lot but from your experience, you also wanted a letter to represent the hard work and effort you put into working with him. I've seen dentists do this but its just because they don't have time, or the shadower was really not dentist material. If you tried your best, honestly there should be no reason he shouldn't. Tell him that if he wants to include your DAT scores on your letter, that it would be a waste because I feel like he'd give you a good recommendation only if you did well on your DAT which isn't fair. Critiquing your DAT scores is not his job; besides its reflected on your application anyway.

His/her duty/obligation is to write an lor worthy of a Nobel Prize nomination.

 

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[doc toothache]

I feel like I've done a good job. I thought his answer was strange.

You are confusing his assessment of the job you did in his office with his assessment of you entering the dental profession; he apparently did not.

 

[tendram]

One year ahead is a bit too early to ask someone for a LOR (unless it's someone you have known for some time or unless they offer it unsolicited) but that's just my opinion. Also, he may have been hesitant to agree to write you one since he's only really known you for 2 weeks which, no matter how long or how diligently you have worked for him, is not long enough to get to know someone well enough to give them a good reference. If you're not applying for another year I wouldn't worry about it. If he is indeed a very well known orthodontist whose opinion has a lot of weight I might just keep in touch with him and shadow some general dentists in the meantime. Then, once you have taken your DAT and it's closer to the application cycle, ask him if he would be willing to write you a letter. If you make a good impression on him and keep in touch from time to time I think you have a shot at getting a really good LOR come next cycle. Good luck 👍

 

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