LoR from a psychologist

[qtpai]

I'm interested in psychiatry and volunteered under a psychologist in a psychiatric hospital. Is this worth less because he has an MA instead of a PhD? I have six letters, which are all quite different, and I am trying to figure out which ones to use for the places that won't allow me to submit that many.

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[Kthanksbye]

I'm interested in psychiatry and volunteered under a psychologist in a psychiatric hospital. Is this worth less because he has an MA instead of a PhD? I have six letters, which are all quite different, and I am trying to figure out which ones to use for the places that won't allow me to submit that many.

I don't think they look that closely at "rank". If he supervised you in any sort of professional capacity, he's a valid recommender. It would be better to get one from him if he knows you well than from a PhD who barely remembers you and writes you the kiss of death recommendation, "This student got a ____ in my class. I believe he/she would make a very fine doctor."

 

[Adradr]

I had a letter from a clinical psychologist who supervised my research in psychiatry. She has a PhD, so it's a little different, granted, but the beauty of it is that her letter worked as a non-science or a science letter. Just something to consider...

And I don't think the MA is a concern.

Good luck!

 

[Nataliemay24]

I don't think they look that closely at "rank". If he supervised you in any sort of professional capacity, he's a valid recommender. It would be better to get one from him if he knows you well than from a PhD who barely remembers you and writes you the kiss of death recommendation, "This student got a ____ in my class. I believe he/she would make a very fine doctor."

I don't know how good the info from my premed advisor was, but she actually suggested I replace one of my perfectly good letters from a lecturer with a a letter from a full professor because she said that med schools care a lot about rank. I think that's weird, but I decided to trust my advisor with thirty years' experience getting her advisees into med school. Just something to consider if your other letters are just as good.

 

[Kthanksbye]

I don't know how good the info from my premed advisor was, but she actually suggested I replace one of my perfectly good letters from a lecturer with a a letter from a full professor because she said that med schools care a lot about rank. I think that's weird, but I decided to trust my advisor with thirty years' experience getting her advisees into med school. Just something to consider if your other letters are just as good.

Not sure how you know your other letters are "just as good". All my recommenders take LOR confidentiality very seriously. I have not seen any of them. I have read from numerous sources that it matters more how well the instructor knows you than what letters they have behind their name. They are essentially doing the same thing a PhD would do in the same position. Perhaps your pre-med adviser was merely conveying her own bias? At any rate, it's up to you who you get letters from. Get a book about it or call the school to see how they deal with LORs, if it makes you more comfortable. I decided to use someone with "merely" a masters, who taught me physics while she was working on her PhD, mostly because we had a stronger relationship than any professor I took classes from. If I find out that it hurt me, I'll let you know.

 

[Nataliemay24]

Not sure how you know your other letters are "just as good". All my recommenders take LOR confidentiality very seriously. I have not seen any of them. I have read from numerous sources that it matters more how well the instructor knows you than what letters they have behind their name.

I did see three out of my six letters. The professors/work supervisors just emailed them to me, I didn't request to see them or anything -- I didn't even try to delete them without opening them, that would require way more self-control than I have! I saw neither the lecturer's letter nor the full professor's letter, so I went on my advisor's word that they were both good.

I've read the same things as you about the importance of how well they know you. My advisor was pretty serious about this, though. And she of course may be wrong or biased or whatever, but she straight-out said several times that although she thinks it's a shame, med schools are more impressed by LOR writers who have fancier titles.

 

[Kthanksbye]

I've read the same things as you about the importance of how well they know you. My advisor was pretty serious about this, though. And she of course may be wrong or biased or whatever, but she straight-out said several times that although she thinks it's a shame, med schools are more impressed by LOR writers who have fancier titles.

This may be true, I really don't know. I'm happy to get a letter from anyone at this point, as this has been the most trying part of the entire process for me (which I have posted about elsewhere). I just can't bring myself to believe that LORs and their writers matter as much as people say they do anyway. Surely most just repeat the same old stuff, and adcoms have heard it all before. They say they want them, and I dutifully collect them, but for the life of me I can't understand it at all.

 

[LikeClockWork]

The composite letter my school put together included references from the Greek advisor and director of residence life, both with "only" MAs. I did work closely with them for an extended period, so they'll be able to speak very personally about my abilities. I think it's more important for the interviewer to know you well than to have credentials (unless they're a really notable individual that knows you).

I remember my pre-med advisor telling me about a student from long ago that got a form letter rec from a senator he had never met but his dad knew and was conviced he would get in because of it. The guy didn't get accepted that cycle, and my advisor had an opportunity a few years later to speak with an individual on an adcom that read that letter. Turns out they barely even read it. Adcoms want letters that are substantive, not fluff from a decorated recommender.

 

[ChiDoc27]

Honestly, when I saw this post, I thought you meant that you were seeing a psychologist for personal reasons and were going to have him/her write a LOR about how much you've improved since the beginning of your sessions. Hahaha

 

[Adradr]

Honestly, when I saw this post, I thought you meant that you were seeing a psychologist for personal reasons and were going to have him/her write a LOR about how much you've improved since the beginning of your sessions. Hahaha

HILARIOUS

 

[hawk I]

Not to nitpick, but the person is not a psychologist if they only have an MA. You must have a phd or psyd to be called a psychologist. I also have an MA in clinical psychology and can only call myself a therapist.

Other than that, I agree with the other posters, if the person knows you well from your work with them, go with their LOR.