Letter of Recommendation Advice

[MSMsong]

Hey all, I just graduated from college this past June and have been working as a medical scribe in a small clinic. I plan on getting a letter of recommendation from the doctor who runs the clinic.

In undergrad I was involved in a research lab for 1 year and got a publication in an undergraduate research journal before graduating. The PI worked under was a post doc and I never worked with the professor who ran the lab directly.

I also taught yoga for a year and a half and developed a solid relationship with my manager.

I also do not have a science professor I can ask for a letter of recommendation from undergrad.

I don’t plan on sending in my application to medical school for at least 2 years, and I’m planning on working at the clinic I am at right now for a little over a year, so I might not get the chance to get an LOR from a different work experience, putting me at 3 LORs, with them not coming from a science professor, but the research lab LOR was neuro psychology.

I am also taking online classes right now, but the professor that’s teaching the organic chemistry class is super strange and does not allow emails, does not have office hours, does not show his face and only allows questions during the Zoom lecture. Hopefully, this COVID stuff starts to settle down by 2021 and I will be taking extra upper division classes (physio, anatomy, genetics, etc.) at my community college with face time with the professors.

Would a 2 year “outdated” letter of recommendation from my manager at the yoga studio and research lab PI be reasonable to send 2 years from now? Or would I be better off trying to find another job at a medical practice and try to get a LOR from a science professor?

Let me know, thanks in advance!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

Take a science class as continuing education and get a faculty LOR. While some med schools are strict about this, others also cut slack to non-trad students, like Drexel:

Applicants whose college or university has a pre-medical advisory committee should send a pre-professional committee letter or a composite letter of recommendation, which should include science and non-science professors. If this isn't possible, we encourage applicants to send letters from up to four individuals who hold college-level academic appointments from two science areas and one non-science areas.

If applicants are no longer able to secure the above letters (such as the applicant has been out of school for a few years), we will also accept letters from individuals who can provide objective evaluations and with whom the applicant has had a recent professional relationship.


Ditto Hofstra:
A Premedical Committee Letter. If your school does not have a Premedical Committee, or a considerable amount of time has passed since graduation, you may submit three individual letters of recommendation – two letters from individual professors (at least one in science), and one letter from a non-academic professional (included with AMCAS application).

Thus, you'll need to tailor your eventual list to those schools friendly to your situation.

 

[MSMsong]

Take a science class as continuing education and get a faculty LOR. While some med schools are strict about this, others also cut slack to non-trad students, like Drexel:

Applicants whose college or university has a pre-medical advisory committee should send a pre-professional committee letter or a composite letter of recommendation, which should include science and non-science professors. If this isn't possible, we encourage applicants to send letters from up to four individuals who hold college-level academic appointments from two science areas and one non-science areas.

If applicants are no longer able to secure the above letters (such as the applicant has been out of school for a few years), we will also accept letters from individuals who can provide objective evaluations and with whom the applicant has had a recent professional relationship.


Ditto Hofstra:
A Premedical Committee Letter. If your school does not have a Premedical Committee, or a considerable amount of time has passed since graduation, you may submit three individual letters of recommendation – two letters from individual professors (at least one in science), and one letter from a non-academic professional (included with AMCAS application).

Thus, you'll need to tailor your eventual list to those schools friendly to your situation.

Thank you for the advice. Luckily I plan on doing continuing education so I’ll secure an LOR on the way!

 

[Catalystik]

Would a 2 year “outdated” letter of recommendation from my manager at the yoga studio and research lab PI be reasonable to send 2 years from now?

A common strategy would be to collect those two LORs now (and store them with a free letter storage service since you must waive your right to read them), while their memory of you is strong, and then ask them to redate the same letter in the months before you submit your application so they don't look too old and maybe add your AMCAS ID#.