LOR from post-doc?

[ohhowiwish]

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[Sorry, I tried the search function and got through the first two pages before I gave up and decided to just make a new thread (i just know someone will now go search and find the answer to my question on page 3 of thread names)]

So I finally decided that yes I will apply for some md-phd programs this June. I'm going to start asking for LORs once I get back from spring break and had a question about my current lab situation. Would it be tacky to get a LOR from the post-doc in my lab who closely supervised me? I can try to just ask her and my PI to try to both write me a single LOR, but I think my PI will force the letter to be more conservative in terms of the descriptions (another undergrad in my lab asked for a joint pos-doc/PI letter to use for his job applications, and that post-doc informed me of this information). My PI has been really busy with her own work and does not know me nearly as well as the post-doc supervising me.

I'm assuming schools will want to see a letter from my PI no matter what, so would it be tacky to have 2 of my letters coming from the same lab?

I'll probably bite the bullet and get a joint letter but I was just wondering if anyone ran into this same situation? Thanks! (sorry for the essay-long post)

EDIT: NEVERMIND I FOUND THE ANSWER TO MY MAIN QUESTION IN ONE OF THE LINKS IN THE STICKIED POST (post 8 in http://74.202.11.228/showthread.php?t=488768 for anyone interested)- is it fine that my only letter from my lab come from a post-doc and not my PI or will I be grilled for this?

 

[QofQuimica]

Have the post doc write the LOR and the PI cosign it. This is what I used to do for my UG student workers. Make sure to give the post doc a copy of your PS and impress upon him/her that it is important for the LOR to comment on your ability and effort as a future physician and scientist. to you. 🙂

 

[Neuronix]

Have the post doc write the LOR and the PI cosign it.

This is a good idea. To be perfectly honest the schools want notes from THE PROFESSOR. I think the best route would be to get the post-doc to draft you a letter and have the PI put their name on it as if the PI was writing it or have the PI use it as a template for their own letter (changing any bits that don't make sense for the PI to have written). I've seen this happen a number of times. If that's not possible co-signing should be ok as well.

 

[QofQuimica]

This is a good idea. To be perfectly honest the schools want notes from THE PROFESSOR. I think the best route would be to get the post-doc to draft you a letter and have the PI put their name on it as if the PI was writing it or have the PI use it as a template for their own letter (changing any bits that don't make sense for the PI to have written). I've seen this happen a number of times. If that's not possible co-signing should be ok as well.

Yeah, it's the best of both worlds to have the post doc write the letter and then they both sign it (or at least have the post doc draft the letter for the PI like you suggested). That way, the LOR is written by someone who knows the OP well, but there is a name on there with more clout.

 

[Neuronix]

I'm worried that a cynic might say... Oh this letter was written by the post-doc so does the professor even know this person? Sure he signed it but it's obviously not his letter.

I mean maybe I'm making this all up, but you know how picky and ridiculous people can be behind closed doors.

 

[QofQuimica]

I'm worried that a cynic might say... Oh this letter was written by the post-doc so does the professor even know this person? Sure he signed it but it's obviously not his letter.

I mean maybe I'm making this all up, but you know how picky and ridiculous people can be behind closed doors.

I can see that working either way, particularly if the PI has a large lab with a a dozen plus grad students, post docs, techs, etc. How believable would it be that a PI like that was working one-on-one with some college kid? A lot of senior PIs almost never even grace the lab with their presence, in my experience. I used to call my PI on his cell phone when I needed him--he was running two labs in two different places, so who knew where he'd be at any given time.

Most labs that I've ever been associated with have UGs working with a senior lab person, either a grad student or post doc. This person is the one who gets to know the UG well and can really comment on that person's abilities, work ethic, etc. I think that research faculty on adcoms would be aware of that--heck, they're probably doing the same exact thing with their own UG student researchers. 😛 It's also not like the post doc is not a legitimate scientist in his/her own right, and that this person's opinion would carry no weight whatsoever. I was writing LORs for UGs and having the PI cosign them when I only had an MS at the time, and no one seemed to think I was underqualified to write the LOR with the PI. Maybe these things are field and institution-dependent though.

Anyway, OP, I think we are in agreement that you should talk to the post doc and see if you can do one of these two options rather than getting a separate letter from a PI who doesn't know you well.

 

[ohhowiwish]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I know to get my PI's signature on it will mean she will take the descriptions down a couple of notches from that other's undergrad's experience I mentioned earlier but I'd rather have that than not have her name on the letter at all

 

[violarocks]

One of my letters was from a post-doc. who got a job as a faculty member since I worked with her. I didn't bother to have the letter cosigned or anything.
I figured since she was now a professor at a school of medicine, that she would work because she knew me better and had all of the status of a professor.

 

[ohhowiwish]

and had all of the status of a professor.

🙁 unfortunately I don't have that luxury.

Oh well, I gave my post-doc my info and asked for a letter and my PI agreed to cosign (she also mentioned she would review it prior to that, which was a given to me), so its already in the process.

im now a little worried about the breadth of my LOR writers (i also don't have a pre-med committee at my school). So far I have a professor who taught a biology class and I ended up doing a brief stint in his lab, a biology lab teacher, and my post-doc/PI. I've gone through some of the general pre-med secondary app thread and skimmed through the hundreds of posts and began noticing that people mentioned some schools require a letter from each of the main 3 science subject or some require one non-science letter like harvard or some other specific req. 🙁

 

[QofQuimica]

🙁 unfortunately I don't have that luxury.

Oh well, I gave my post-doc my info and asked for a letter and my PI agreed to cosign (she also mentioned she would review it prior to that, which was a given to me), so its already in the process.

im now a little worried about the breadth of my LOR writers (i also don't have a pre-med committee at my school). So far I have a professor who taught a biology class and I ended up doing a brief stint in his lab, a biology lab teacher, and my post-doc/PI. I've gone through some of the general pre-med secondary app thread and skimmed through the hundreds of posts and began noticing that people mentioned some schools require a letter from each of the main 3 science subject or some require one non-science letter like harvard or some other specific req. 🙁

Check with the individual programs where you're applying--I'm not sure how it works for MD/PhD, but some MD-only programs definitely do want a non-science letter. You should probably get one just in case.