LOR Advice

[Scholarly_Salmon]

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Hey y'all!

I will apply this cycle and have been putting together all the bits and pieces for my application and one particularly complicated part is my LOR situation.

I did three years of undergrad, then lived abroad for a few years for ecclesiastical purposes and then returned to the U.S. and began working at a rural all hazards fire department (We do EMS, Firefighting, Hazardous materials, and wildfire deployments) and I'm finishing my undergrad as a part time student and applying this cycle.

Because of this story I'm racking my brain as to who I should ask to write me a LOR. I have one science letter and one non-science letter locked in however I want y'all's advice on who I should ask for two other letters (One science and one work experience)


Science letter #2-

Most med schools seem to require 2 science letters... I have three professors I could ask

1- My bio professor from cc which has been like 4 years so probably not great lol

2- A university chem professor from about 2.5 years ago (Not sure he will remember me but we did have a good relationship)

3- A university prehealth profession advisor who I have a particularly good relationship with and happens to be an adjunct faculty and taught a bio class of mine regarding the application process to professional schools


EC/Work experience Letter

Being a firefighter means a lot to me and I spend countless hours a week doing it so I would like to submit a letter from someone at the department and I see 3 main options

1- My fire Captain or Lieutenant, both of whom I work with personally and run calls with consistently

2- My Battalion Chief who knows me decently well, although our personal interactions aren't as plentiful as with my field grade officers. He is also a practicing NP idk if that would help though lol

3- The Deputy Chief with whom I have extremely limited interactions with so his observations would all be indirect.

Any opinions are appreciated

 

[Z_C]

your letters should be from people who know you well, the closer the better. If i saw a letter of rec from the president it would hold less water than a letter of rec from the mail carrier you chatted with every day. That said, natural science faculty letters must be from PhD scientists who can speak to your natural science aptitude. I suggest option 3 (or 2 if 3 lacks a PhD) from the top half and option 1 from the lower.

 

[The OTC]

Option 2 on top half. Option 3 sounds like they taught a seminar regarding graduate school, not an actual science course. They wouldn't be able to speak to your abilities in a science class. (If I am wrong, do option 3) Option 2 is good and you can always hop on a zoom to jog their memories of previous interactions. Even if they don't remember you fully, most say yes if you had a good grade (just be ready to send over a CV and share what you have done since the class)

Bottom half option 1. Adcoms won't be too familiar with firehouse rank and Captain or Lieutenant sounds nice to my civilian ears. Your captain will be able to provide a meaningful letter and speak well to your ability to serve others.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Read

A Strategic Guide to Letters of Recommendation - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

Strategies To Obtain Strong Letters of Recommendations - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

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Preparing Letters of Evaluation for the 2020 AMCAS® Application - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[AJS59]

For science letter, go with #2

EC/Work - whoever is closest to you on the supervisory chain

 

[AsclepiusAdvisingLLC]

Hey y'all!

I will apply this cycle and have been putting together all the bits and pieces for my application and one particularly complicated part is my LOR situation.

I did three years of undergrad, then lived abroad for a few years for ecclesiastical purposes and then returned to the U.S. and began working at a rural all hazards fire department (We do EMS, Firefighting, Hazardous materials, and wildfire deployments) and I'm finishing my undergrad as a part time student and applying this cycle.

Because of this story I'm racking my brain as to who I should ask to write me a LOR. I have one science letter and one non-science letter locked in however I want y'all's advice on who I should ask for two other letters (One science and one work experience)


Science letter #2-

Most med schools seem to require 2 science letters... I have three professors I could ask

1- My bio professor from cc which has been like 4 years so probably not great lol

2- A university chem professor from about 2.5 years ago (Not sure he will remember me but we did have a good relationship)

3- A university prehealth profession advisor who I have a particularly good relationship with and happens to be an adjunct faculty and taught a bio class of mine regarding the application process to professional schools


EC/Work experience Letter

Being a firefighter means a lot to me and I spend countless hours a week doing it so I would like to submit a letter from someone at the department and I see 3 main options

1- My fire Captain or Lieutenant, both of whom I work with personally and run calls with consistently

2- My Battalion Chief who knows me decently well, although our personal interactions aren't as plentiful as with my field grade officers. He is also a practicing NP idk if that would help though lol

3- The Deputy Chief with whom I have extremely limited interactions with so his observations would all be indirect.

Any opinions are appreciated

Number 3) for your science sounds like your best bet. If unable to, then number 2. For either one, it's important to spend some time with them anew and discuss what your medical plans are, where you're looking to apply, etc. These brief conversations are essential and can help jog a recommender memory and, most importantly, allow them to write a specific and authentic letter rather than just "they want to go to medical school and they're a good student."

For EC/work, your Lt or Cpt are great choices. Someone who's seen you respond to the needy, take orders, give orders, make assessments, assist in treatment, work to maintain the safety of others on scene(!), etc. Your EC/work LOR is going to be your "team player" letter. This letter is meant to show that you can be in a tough situation and work with others to help those in need. As such, you'll want someone who can really speak to your time together. A direct superior is your best bet.

 

[PagingDrMe]

Your LOR situation makes sense given your unique path! For your second science letter, I’d go with your prehealth advisor if they actually taught your bio class—most schools will accept that as a science letter, and they can also speak to your journey as a premed. If you’re unsure, check a few school websites or email admissions to confirm. For your work letter, your fire Captain or Lieutenant sounds like the best choice since they work with you directly and can speak to your leadership, teamwork, and commitment. The Battalion Chief being an NP is interesting, but unless they know you well, I’d stick with the officers who can provide stronger, more personal details.