LOR from parent physician?

[transposon]

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I have often volunteered at my mother's clinic and unfortunately that would be the bulk of my "volunteer experience" as of now.. would an LOR in this case be equally considered (or would it be looked-down upon since I am related to the recommender...)?

 

[jhug]

it's too bad that you are related-- i would say that they will definately look down on it-- even if she keeps it as unbiased as possible. An option is to work with a dr friend/partner of hers and then have that dr write a letter using input from you mom.

 

[DrMom]

I totally agree with jhug. An lor from mom would not look good. Isn't there a colleague of hers that knows you well enough to attest to your interest in and preparation for a career in osteopathic medicine?

 

[rpames]

Using a letter from mom as one of the required letters would not be a good idea. I would suggest you get other letters to fullfill the req. letters and then send one from your mom as an additional one. May be have the office manager of a nurse write one. The letter may not get as much attention as others, but at least it would mention your interest and again remind the committee you have a lot of experience.

 

[maysqrd]

Check the fine print for most schools and you will see that most of them require a letter, specifically, from a physician that is NOT related to you.

 

[jgrieco]

Just because your experience is with your mom, doesn't mean it is not a good one. List those hours on your application and talk about them in your interview.

The LOR on the other hand: Most schools state in their supplemental applications and on their website that LOR from family members are not accepted, "letter of recommendation from a DO other than a family member".

Don?t discredit your experiences, those are great, just have a friend of the family write the letter and it does not hurt if he/she is an alumni of the school to which you are applying.

 

[transposon]

Thanks for your comments everyone 🙂 I'll make sure to mention my experience there and I'll try to follow jhug's advice on finding another physician to use my mother's input for an LOR.