LOR from PI with a PhD

[SRK Jerk]

Hey,

Just wondering if a letter from a PI with a PhD, but not an MD, will carry weight for residency apps? A bit late, as I'm doing an HHMI year with a PhD scientist (fairly prominent up-and-coming lab), but just wondering. My chance of getting published is decent, though I might not be first author on the paper afterall. Further I do have a plan to obtain some RadOnc MD or MD/Phd LORs, and a letter from my 3rd yr medicine attending (knew me well).

Thanks

SRK Jerk

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[Gfunk6]

If you do a PhD/HHMI/DD then a LOR from your PI is essentially mandatory.

 

[SRK Jerk]

If you do a PhD/HHMI/DD then a LOR from your PI is essentially mandatory.

Thanks. That's what I assumed. I'm also, I guess, wondering just to quiet my mind, if it really matters that my mentor is a "PhD" only. Any basic mentor would essentially only be discussing creativity/work ethic, right, so I don't see why some people insist to do research with MD or MD/PhD, even if basic.

 

[G'ville Nole]

Thanks. That's what I assumed. I'm also, I guess, wondering just to quiet my mind, if it really matters that my mentor is a "PhD" only. Any basic mentor would essentially only be discussing creativity/work ethic, right, so I don't see why some people insist to do research with MD or MD/PhD, even if basic.

Put your mind at ease. There are PhDs out there from whom a good letter would trump all but the very top MD rad oncs. As GFunk alluded, if you're doing a HHMI or PhD and DON'T have a letter from your (mostly PhD) PI, it will be a pretty significant flag. Which is to say that pretty much every rad onc applicant with a strong basic science background will have such a letter.

 

[SRK Jerk]

THanks.