The most important thing to know is the quality of the letter, how well the letter writer knows you, and how much of an insightful and critical evaluation of you can be provided by the writer is, for the most part, much more important than the specific technical requirements of the letter, which usually can high a large range of flexibility. These are not call Letters of Recommendation but rather Letters of Evaluation. Medical schools are looking primarily at a critical evaluation of your intellectual and social skill set and abilities that are most important in an academic environment and beyond (see
https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/admissionsinitiative/letters/ ) Additionally, when you request a letter of evaluation, you should give the letter writer (or attach via email) the AAMC Letter Writers Guide (attached below)
There are three issues here:
1) What are the requirements for an LOR/LOE?
Each medical school has
specific requirements which
typically fall into
ONE of the following categories:
A) Individual Letters from 2 professors/instructors you have taken science classes with and 1 non-science professors/instructors you have taken a class with.
OR
B) Individual Letters from 2 science and 1 non-science faculty
OR
C) Prehealth Committee letter
This would mean, for example, that a professor you had a research job with wouldn't fill LOR requirement at schools which want
A (class) but would fill
B (faculty). Please note that these are typical requirements generally found at most schools; some schools have very specific and extensive letters required and it is up to you to know them.
2) For purposes of LOR/LOE, what is science?
Many applicants equate "science" with AMCAS "BCPM". This is not always accurate. Science for purposes LOR/LOE is what "normal" science would be at a college or university. This would include Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, certainty. But it would also include Oceanography, Geology, or even Computer Science and Materials Sciences. Under this general theme most health and medical science fields could be considered science. What about engineering and math generally? They can actually be framed either way, which usually depends more on the background of the candidate than anything else (ie what professors has the applicant worked with.). But more on this later. You should note that there are some schools that have very specific faculty/courses that they will consider science, even if BCPM as
CWRU shows
3)
How can I judge if a letter writer fits a science or non-science criteria?
Applicants who need to look at this issue must do something that few seem to do:
use their judgement. You can look at the degree the letter writer holds, the department to which they are faculty, and the title/position they hold within that department. Perhaps even more telling is the course that you may have taken So Dr. John Smith, PhD, Professor of Behavioral Neurosciences, Department of Psychology teaching a course -- PSYCH 402: Molecular Neurochemistry of Abnormal Psychology, would clearly be a sciences letter even though the professor and the course are from the psychology department. Another example would be Dr. Bob Jones, PhD, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies teaching a course -- EXPHYS 340: physiological responses in sports training. Again, certainly science work even though it is an Exercise Science course and department. So use your judgement on these.
In sum, getting a letter from a professor who knows you well and can write a critical evaluation of you is much more important than the strict interpretation science but it is up to the applicant to check that he/she is fulfilling specific requirements at each individual school they apply to
