Letter of Recommendations from DO docs

[Kliffmeister]

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Hey guys,

I recently shadowed a DO family physician who is willing to give me a LOR. However, I recently was invited by a attending hang surgeon who is willing to let me shadow to also provide me with another LOR.
The only problem is that I need to drive 2hrs one way to get to the clinic.
Would it be advantageous for me to have 2 DO LORs (assuming both are similar and decent quality LORs)? Or does it make any difference?

 

[Longshanks]

It is not necessary to have two.

I personally am in the "physician LOR's aren't special" camp (with the caveat unless you've worked with them for a significant period of time... and that doesn't include shadowing). If you have the opportunity to take advantage of this experience and learn something, go for it, but don't go in it with the mind set that this LOR is going to put your application at another level. A four hour commute is a long day for shadowing, what else could you be doing with those four hours that would supplement your application?

I think it sounds like a good experience, and something you should try at least once. It's always good to network and find potential mentors. If he writes you a letter, that's icing on the cake, but it's tough for a LOR to vouch for you or support your application to an adcom if it can't speak of a long-term experience, your work ethic, any relevant accomplishments, etc, and shadowing tends to just be a lot of following and listening - a very passive experience.