- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
- Messages
- 198
- Reaction score
- 62
1) When meeting with a professor to discuss them writing a letter for you, is it acceptable to screen share the AAMC guidelines and highlight areas that they could potentially write about? If I believe they could discuss 3 or 4 different points from these guidelines given my interactions with them and with classmates in office hours, would that make a sufficient letter? Or is it entirely up to them what it is they want to write?
2) I would like to discuss diversity in medicine heavily in my application. As lack of representation has been a challenge for me - half black with brown skin- I am eager to discuss ways to bring more black/brown skinned individuals into science and medicine. I will include that I am focused on this as a point in my notes to them. How might the professor incorporate my drive for greater diversity into their letter? Would a short discussion with me during this meeting be enough for them to write about this? I see there is a point in the guidelines about contributions to diversity and about obstacles overcome but am unsure how they would manage to write about this from their perspective.
3) The guidelines say to only discuss grades, GPA or MCAT if they provide context to help interpret them. I had a poor academic past, and was very on/off about school for years while working as a personal trainer and as a server...I've done much better academically since deciding officially to pursue medicine (3 years ago). I'm tempted to ask that they not focus on my grades and focus only on their experience with me. However, would it be helpful for them to mention my poor past grades and make the case that I am not that same student? Or would them reviewing my transcript risk them losing some of the respect they might have had for me?
Thanks.
2) I would like to discuss diversity in medicine heavily in my application. As lack of representation has been a challenge for me - half black with brown skin- I am eager to discuss ways to bring more black/brown skinned individuals into science and medicine. I will include that I am focused on this as a point in my notes to them. How might the professor incorporate my drive for greater diversity into their letter? Would a short discussion with me during this meeting be enough for them to write about this? I see there is a point in the guidelines about contributions to diversity and about obstacles overcome but am unsure how they would manage to write about this from their perspective.
3) The guidelines say to only discuss grades, GPA or MCAT if they provide context to help interpret them. I had a poor academic past, and was very on/off about school for years while working as a personal trainer and as a server...I've done much better academically since deciding officially to pursue medicine (3 years ago). I'm tempted to ask that they not focus on my grades and focus only on their experience with me. However, would it be helpful for them to mention my poor past grades and make the case that I am not that same student? Or would them reviewing my transcript risk them losing some of the respect they might have had for me?
Thanks.