LOR from a professor who was recently dismissed

[CCMW]

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My friend asked a former professor to write a LOR on her behalf, but we just found out from a another friend, who is a research assistant in his lab, that said professor was recently terminated. I think my friend should find another professor to write a LOR, but her concern is whether or not it really matters. Will adcoms look at the letter unfavorably? Will they even know that the professor was terminated? I couldn't find any older posts on the subject. Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[wanderer]

I would be worried that the professor might have some bitter feelings in general. As such, asking that professor for a letter might be very risky. It depends on his/her personality though.

 

[heyyouyouyou]

have him/her send it to interfolio...

then send your interfolio letter to someone you know (use a company address)...

preview it, before you send it to schools...

 

[apumic]

I suppose that depends upon why he was terminated. Profs generally aren't fired b/c it's a incredibly difficult to get rid of them once they receive tenure, so something that was major enough to make the institution go through the necessary process to dismiss a faculty member could get around outside the school. I think it's hard to say. In most cases, I doubt a med school would ever know the prof had been dismissed but if he was affiliated w/ an institution in the same region as the med school (or same university system) and it was a major scandal (e.g., professor removed due to unethical sexual conduct with a student) it might put some questions on a reader's mind when reading a letter from the professor (i.e., judgment, character, etc. of the writer) which could weaken the LOR.

 

[JJMrK]

have him/her send it to interfolio...

then send your interfolio letter to someone you know (use a company address)...

preview it, before you send it to schools...

Do not do this if you waived your right to see your letters.

 

[pelliper]

Do not do this if you waived your right to see your letters.

on the contrary, i think his point here is that you can use this loophole to view your letters despite signing the waiver...though it's not a loophole in the real sense b/c if you got caught doing that there would be problems

 

[JJMrK]

on the contrary, i think his point here is that you can use this loophole to view your letters despite signing the waiver...though it's not a loophole in the real sense b/c if you got caught doing that there would be problems

It's not about getting caught. It's about the fact that if you waive your right, you don't look at them because it's wrong.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Unless the professor's dismissal made headlines, I think you're probably still okay. The chances that adcoms will probe your letter sources is slim to none.