LOR advice needed: Weird relationship with PI and supervisor

[baylafan]

Hi SDN. I'm stuck with my situation and would appreciate your help.

Reasons I should ask for a letter from this research experience:

• Mid-author on late breaking abstract published in high impact journal and a couple conferences
• The research supervisor, who is a DNP, and the PI said they wanted to put my name on it to help my application
• DNP and PI are genuinely rooting for me and are very supportive and giving
• Shadowed PI 24 hours, but didn’t ask many questions because he was so busy
• Said multiple times they would write me a letter

Reasons I shouldn't ask for a letter:

• 1 year since last interaction with either
• On full publication, name was removed, likely because I didn't work on it much.
• PI was disappointed I took 2 gap years. Told him I need to prepare more but in reality it was because of family issues and I was embarrassed to share that.
• PI doesn’t remember me too well
• Was an above average research assistant and volunteer. Not spectacular.
• Have 2 other research experiences (no letter from either)

Unless I know that this letter is really strong, I may only send it to Harvard because they "strongly recommend" a research letter and I have other stronger letters. If I do ask, I will be certain to say "strong letter"

Also, if I do ask, should I ask the research supervisor or the PI? I had minimal contact with the PI and a lot of good contact with the research supervisor. However, the supervisor is a lower author than me on the abstract while the PI is 1st author. Thanks.

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[Goro]

I can't recommend asking for a LOR.

The value of a LOR from a PI is vastly over-rated in the minds of pre-meds anyway.

 

[Wahkoon]

The value of a LOR from a PI is vastly over-rated in the minds of pre-meds anyway.

The idea that a lot of people have on here is that it seems out of place if you don’t have an LOR from a PI, especially if you have worked with them for a while. Do you disagree?

 

[Goro]

The idea that a lot of people have on here is that it seems out of place if you don’t have an LOR from a PI, especially if you have worked with them for a while. Do you disagree?

I disagree. Not everybody gets a long with their Pis, and I remember a time where NIH grants for post-docs didn't actually require one to get a LOR or some other info from the PhD thesis advisor, as they recognized that some studentI relationships were poisonous.

MD/PhD programs are the ones where PI LORs seem to count the most.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

so strong LOR from a PI won't carry extra weight with MD adcoms? my sophomore son has very good rapport with PI and hoping for a strong LOR.

 

[rx001]

Pardon me for my ignorance. Who are PI and DNP. Need full forms please.

 

[Wahkoon]

so strong LOR from a PI won't carry extra weight with MD adcoms? my sophomore son has very good rapport with PI and hoping for a strong LOR.

A strong LOR is still a strong LOR; it will carry weight because it’s a good letter, not because a PI wrote it. This is the point that I believe @Goro was making. I personally had 2 LORs from my PIs, but I included them because I had good relationships with my investigators and knew they would be good letters.

Pardon me for my ignorance. Who are PI and DNP. Need full forms please.

PI = Principal Investigator – the lead investigator, typically someone with a doctorate (MD, PhD, DNP, etc.)
DNP = Doctorate of Nursing Practice – a professional degree for nurses