Most of the DO schools I am applying to (except for one) say they will accept either a letter by a MD or a DO, although many do say they prefer DO letters. I am currently a scribe for a MD that I think can write a pretty good letter, but also know a DO (that I do not scribe for) that can write a pretty generic letter. Should I just go with the DO? Most of the threads I have looked at in my search said that DO > MD letter when it comes to AACOMAS. Should I just do both? But then they might wonder why my MD letter is better than my DO one, and might think I'm not as interested in DO as I am in MD - which isn't true.
LOR: DO vs MD, or both
- Thread starter bngli
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I say both. DO letter to show that you are interested in osteopathic medicine by reaching out to the osteopathic community while simultaneously meeting some requirements. MD letter because it makes you look good.
Don't worry about the rest, prove you're interested in the DO route in secondaries.
Don't worry about the rest, prove you're interested in the DO route in secondaries.
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I have a very strong MD letter from a doc I shadowed a lot and then a DO letter which I am assuming is pretty generic. Get both letters. I have sent both of them to all of the schools I have applied to. The DO letter will show adcoms you actually have an interest in the field and have interacted with an osteopathic physician.
I agree with the above that both letters are best. Adcoms generally know that letters through shadowing experiences are very generic, simply because the nature of the experience does not give them so much insight as to how you would be as a doctor. DO schools want the DO letter simply because they want to know that you have looked into and understand what osteopathic medicine is.
The MD letter on the other hand is a letter provided to you by your employer. It would be a much stronger letter, but adcoms would understand that because it was a work opportunity that by nature your MD letter would be stronger.
In another completely made up scenario, if you were asking whether you should provide MD and DO letters, both from shadowing experiences, I would recommend supplying only the DO letter because in that case your MD letter would be generic as well and would not add much to your application.
