Letter of Rec

[Melissa]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Some schools say they require a letter of recommendation from your pre-med advisory panel. I am confused as to what exactly this is. I have a pre-med advisor but we do not have a panel at my school. Also, to be honest I very rarely go to my pre-med advisor. I usually go to my advisor for my major. So if I do not have a pre-med panel what should I do? And if I could get a much better letter of rec from a professor or where I volunteer wouldn't it be better to get one from someone who knows me better? Thanks in advance for you help!

 

[biz]

You would think that the schools would want you to send them letter from people who know you, but almost all the schools I applied to asked specifically for pre-med committee or advisor letters, no exceptions. I didn't know my pre-med advisor well, but he was nice enough to write me a letter b/c he knew of (and disagreed with) the policies at most schools. So my advice is get to know the pre-med advisor, you will need them later.

 

[Doc Oc]

Melissa,
I notice that you are from East Lansing? Is your undergrad institution MSU, by any chance? If so, I can help, since I went there as well. MSU does not have a premedical advisory committee. Some schools have these committees, and what applicants generally do is get letters from profs, etc. and submit them to this committee. The committee then generates a "composite letter" and they send that to the schools you applied to. I am SO glad that MSU does not have a committee, because that type of letter sounds so impersonal. (DISCLAIMER: I've never read one though, so what do I know !) Anyway, I never went to any of the pre-med advisors at MSU. I had a professor that I knew well, who wasn't my actual advisor but advised me as if he was, write a letter for me. In his letter, he mentioned that he had me for three classes and was my advisor as well. Really, the schools don't know who your "pre-med advisor" actually was and I doubt they will launch an investigation. Most of the secondaries I got said to send the committee letter OR three prof letters. Let me know if you really are from MSU (ha, if not, my post was sort of a waste!!)

 

[Melissa]

Doc OC-
Yes I do go to MSU. Do you currently go there or did you graduate? I'm a fifth year student so I really do not have contact with my pre-med advisor. I know that if I called her and asked for one, she would give it to me but it would be very generic because I have not been in contact with her in almost 2 years. So you said that you can send 3 professor letters of rec instead. Do they have to be all science professors? This annoys me so much because I have so many wonderful volunteer experiences that I have had and had leadership positions in that I know would give me excellent letters of rec. So do you advise just getting a letter from my pre-med advisor and just kissing her butt alot to get a good letter or what? Thanks for you help and everyone else's!

 

[Doc Oc]

At Wayne State, they say they require the committee letter OR three faculty letters. But when I had my interview, my interviewer asked why I did not have a letter from a work or volunteer supervisor since I had done so much in that area. I told him that the secondary said to send three faculty letters so I did! Apparently it would have been okay if i had sent a letter from someone else.
At MSU-CHM, they ask for, and I quote "three letter from individuals". that's as specific as they got. I still sent three faculty letters. I got their secondary, but haven't heard about an interview.
At MSU-COM, they give you two forms, and ANYONE can fill them out except immediate family. They stress ANYONE too, because they want people who know you well.
At U of M, they ask for one non-science and two science letters.

So really, it depends on what they school stipulates. My self-appointed "advisor" ( I say this because I do not like my university-assigned advisor and I also do not like the pre-med advisors) happens to have taught me in three classes. He really was who has advised me on all pre-med type matters, so his letter served as a faculty and pre-med advisor letter for me. I didn't send any letters to any schools that were from an actual "pre-med" advisor.
I graduated from MSU in May of 1999. I stuck around for another year and took a few grad courses, TA'd for awhile, and retook the MCAT, then applied last June. I still live here, but I am moving to Maine in January. (Know anyone who is looking for an apt for next semester? If so, let me know, I need to sublet mine!!)