Letters of Recommendation -- Science (opinions please!)

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

carpediem22

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2015
Messages
791
Reaction score
1,041
Hi all!

I am struggling to decide the best course of action for my second 'science' letter, and would value opinions on which option would be the best out of the following. I am applying for Fall 2016 entry into MD/PhD programs in Epidemiology/public health (depending on the school). My first letter will be coming from my upper div Organic Chemistry II professor, and will undoubtedly be very strong -- I finished first in the class out of ~ 60 students, at an Ivy League school. Beyond that, I have a great relationship with my professor and have kept in touch with him since finishing his class (i.e. I know him well and it will be more personal than "She was the top student in my class").

The second letter, however, is giving me a bit of trouble because I don't know many of my other science professors that well, something which I really regret. I am left with the following options (if this matters, my science GPA is 4.0, so the grade I got in the class won't matter with respect to differentiating between them):

1) Organic Chemistry II LAB Professor: Lab courses and lecture courses are completely separate at my school. My course professor (a PhD) knows me well, and I often went in early to work on the lab. My TA also knows me well. I did very well in the class, and it was very recent (last semester) so I will be fresh in my professor's mind. Downsides are that it is a lab course not a lecture course, and that my first letter is also organic chemistry. However, I am applying to MD/PhD programs, so maybe this is OK?

2) Epidemiology TA/Professor cosign: I took a graduate level course in epidemiology at my school's public health school (we can cross-list, so it counted towards my undergraduate degree). My problem with this is that I am not sure that epidemiology will count as a science at all schools, even though I am applying for an epidemiology PhD program. Additionally I didn't know the professor, so my TA would likely have to write the letter with my professor cosigning (however I knew my TA really well -- she was a second-year MPH student).

3) Freshman Advanced Bio professor: I also worked in this professor's lab for a year and a half. I know this sounds most appealing, but even though I worked in his lab I don't think his letter would be as strong/personal as, say, my organic chem lab professor's letter. He was pretty hands-off. Plus, it was four years ago, so I doubt he remembers me that much. I transferred schools after my sophomore year, which is why I am no longer working in his lab.

My pre-med advisor has told me to go with whoever would write me the 'strongest' letter. If I had to pick one of these for the 'strongest' letter, it would be option 1. She says that the fact that the letter would be from a lab course professor and in the same field as my first letter doesn't matter, and also says that the Epi class would could as a science. But I wanted to get other opinions.

Any help/advice much appreciated!
 
Thanks, dr.One, for your input. I'll scratch the epi option. Do you think that having both letters be from the Orgo department (and one from a lab professor) will be a negative? If it makes a difference, all of my other letters will be very, very strong. Also, I see from your tag that you are not a proponent of shadowing letters. I have read elsewhere that a letter from a physician you have shadowed is borderline necessary. Why do you feel the way you do?
 
Your situation is not ideal and if I were in your position, I would try my best to go back to an older professor and ask if there's anything you'd be able to do to gain a strong LOR from them. You may need to TA, perhaps even do a semester of research, but whatever it maybe, you want to make sure your LOR is strong.

Only a small handful of schools specific what subjects they want the letter to come from, but for the most part two letters from Orgo shouldn't kill your application. Just make sure your numbers, ECs and everything else is solid.

Gyngyn is a practicing physician affiliated with his/her school of medicine admissions committee. He/she frequently posts on these forums and this was his/her opinion, which I hold in high regard.
Shadowing letters show that you can, for the most part, keep quiet, ask insightful questions here and there, and tail a doctor. It doesn't show intelligence, personality, compassion, etc. This is certainly true for MD schools.

DO or osteopathic schools are necessarily different and to show interest in DO over MD, shadowing a DO is helpful, if that's the route you want to take. It shows that you are more interested in osteopathy than allopathy and makes you a more serious candidate for DO schools than other applicants who don't know or don't care as to what osteopathy is.

Take this with a grain of salt. A shadowing letter won't kill your application and it's not bad to have at all, but think about it yourself-what does a shadowing letter mean and what would adcoms gain from reading it? Your best letters should come from faculty who have taught you (2 science, 1 non science), research PIs (with more weight given to clinician-scientists or MD/PhDs, in my opinion), clinical or volunteering positions, leadership or non medically related work.
 
Thanks for your reply -- that makes sense about physician letters. I wasn't really planning to get one anyway because I have too many people I'd like to ask as it is! Without going into too much detail, I'm very involved in global health work and intend to pursue this in my career, so my one "extra" letter (i.e. non-research and non-class) is going to come from someone who has overseen me in that capacity.

Unfortunately I'm out of time for doing research/TA-ing/etc. for another science professor. The one professor I was considering in addition to my orgo lab professor is the one who taught me 4 years ago. Not ideal, but I might try that...
 
Top