Letter of Recommendation from MD

[DrChandy]

Greetings All,

I've read that Osteopathic medical schools require one letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician as part of the application package. Would a letter of recommendation from an MD (someone who has known me very well for many years) be accepted?

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[Robz]

Most likely yes.

I think there was one or two schools that were particular about a DO letter though. If in doubt call the school. The main point of the letters is that is says you rock the house.

 

[DrChandy]

Thanks, Robz

 

[DrMom]

Even a school like OSU that does require a DO letter will accept an additional letter from an MD. I had 2 DO letters and an MD one. Don't overdo it, but if you have an MD that can write you a good letter, go ahead & have it sent in.

 

[DrChandy]

Thanks, DrMom

 

[simtech]

I was accepted into two DO schools with only a MD letter of rec. I decided that is was better to go with a MD that knew me well, as opposed to a DO that I had just met (or only knew as a patient).

This was never brought up in my interview.

 

[rescuetomm]

My experience has been a letter from someone who knows you well is much better than finding a DO that you hardly know just for his title. My letter for DMU was from a MD that I have known for the last 15 years, and I was accepted.

 

[(nicedream)]

Letter from MD = Automatic Rejection

 

[Richie Truxillo]

Dunno about the letter from MD thing. I had 17 letters of recommendation, 4 of which were from an M.D.

Now, you HAVE to have a letter from a D.O. Luckily I found a D.O. who just happened to have graduated from the same school I wanted to goto. Just hang in there and track one down. I paged mine at the hospital ;P Just step out and do it! Heck you're gonna be in alot of uncomfortable situations for the next 4 years. In fact, medicine is all about being comfortable with being uncomfortable. Look up a D.O. and go for it!

We're pulling for you

-Richie

 

[sherman1]

I had several letters from M.D.'s and no letter from a D.O. and I had no problem being accepted. The two M.D.'s I had letters from had worked with me and knew me well. I personally think a letter from an M.D. who knows you well is better than a letter from a D.O. who you have just met and shadowed. But be aware if you don't have a letter make sure you are able to clearly articuate your knowledge of Osteopathic medicine in your interview.

 

[Amy B]

Greetings All,

I've read that Osteopathic medical schools require one letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician as part of the application package. Would a letter of recommendation from an MD (someone who has known me very well for many years) be accepted?

Hi and welcome to SDN

Some schools will not waive the DO letter requirement. VCOM is one of those schools. I had a MD letter from a doc I worked with for 3 years at a free health clinic, but VCOM had to have a DO letter. I had NO luck with finding one to shadow in my area, so I finally ended up meeting with a DO who interviewed me for 45 minutes and wrote my letter based on that interview. I gave him a copy of my personal statement and some secondary essy questions I had been working on before I met with him so he could know a bit about me.

The best course is to get a DO letter. Good luck.

 

[WillowRose]

Get the MD letter as an additional letter of recommendation, but don't go over 5 letters to any single school. It won't make you look like you're the greatest thing to hit pre-med since DNA. It just looks like you're trying to hide something else in your app.

As Amy mentioned, VCOM won't budge on the DO letter. PCSOM strongly urges that your letter be from a DO, but they'll take an MD letter. Don't know (or don't remember) about the other schools!

Good luck to you!

Willow

 

[kristabel]

I used my DO letter at some of the allopathic schools I applied to!

 

[Amy B]

I don't think WVSOM will allow a MD letter in place of the DO letter. I can't remember.

Hey you West Va students correct me if I am in error here.

 

[Richie Truxillo]

Get the MD letter as an additional letter of recommendation, but don't go over 5 letters to any single school. It won't make you look like you're the greatest thing to hit pre-med since DNA. It just looks like you're trying to hide something else in your app.

This is true, however the D.O. school I got into didn't seem to mind while the M.D. school got pissed off about it. The told me, and I quote "you expect us to read all of this?" I did this though because some people forget to send in letters ;P My main issue wasn't my letters or interviews, but rather my craptastic 6 on the bio section of the MCAT. I retook the MCAT a 3rd time and got my 8

Willow's got a point, get your magic three recommendations and run with it.

-Richie

 

[Richie Truxillo]

Amy, you are right once again, WVSOM will accept no substitute. So if you want in ya gotta go with the D.O. recommendation!

Get on them phones and snag ya one!

 

[Amy B]

This is true, however the D.O. school I got into didn't seem to mind while the M.D. school got pissed off about it. The told me, and I quote "you expect us to read all of this?"-Richie

Geez, this is irritating. A doc is a doc and they should not have objected to that letter. ggrrrrrrrrr

 

[UCIgrad2002]

Greetings All,

I've read that Osteopathic medical schools require one letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician as part of the application package. Would a letter of recommendation from an MD (someone who has known me very well for many years) be accepted?

i applied to three DO schools late in the process, had no DO letter of rec, and got accepted to all three. i've heard that some specific schools do require a DO letter, but i guess the ones i applied to didn't require it, they did say though they "prefer" one, saying it would help you a lot. the schools i applied to were tucom, comp, and nycom. gluck to ya.

 

[Robz]

Geez, this is irritating. A doc is a doc and they should not have objected to that letter. ggrrrrrrrrr

I don't think he was talking about a DO letter at an MD school. I think he was talking about sending a lot of his 17 LOR to the school and the school hated getting that much paperwork.

 

[Amy B]

I don't think he was talking about a DO letter at an MD school. I think he was talking about sending a lot of his 17 LOR to the school and the school hated getting that much paperwork.

Ooops, my bad

 

[Richie Truxillo]

Yep, he nailed it heheehehe