LOR Question

[Winner32]

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Hi, sorry if this is a dumb question, but can I fulfil one of my LOR from a physician who does primarily research? Like say I volunteer or do research (indirectly shadow) a neurologist who is an MD. Would the letter count or does it have to be from a physician whose focus is primary care and doesn't do research.

Also, in regards to the academic science LOR, do the letters have to be from professors who taught the student or can it be profs you've worked with in lab who are in either bio, chem or physics. Some of the DO schools I've looked at just say science profs and don't specify if its academics or lab. I'm in the health science field so most of my science classes came in first year where class size was 400+, so it would make it hard for the prof to evaluate and write good letter if he doesn't remember me.

 

[missmd123]

A physician is a physician. It would still count 🙂
Similarly, a science professor is a science professor. You can, and should, get the letter from whichever science professor knows you best, whether that be a professor whose class you took or a professor whose lab you've worked in.

 

[ananasmed]

A physician is a physician. It would still count 🙂
Similarly, a science professor is a science professor. You can, and should, get the letter from whichever science professor knows you best, whether that be a professor whose class you took or a professor whose lab you've worked in.

Some schools actually do care that the letter comes from a professor who taught you in class. One school initially "rejected" one of my letters because they thought the professor hadn't taught me in class (not sure whether the letter was just unclear or they misread it initially). I'm pretty sure they hadn't specified that the letter needed to come from a professor whose class you took, but apparently that's what they wanted. If possible, get the mediocre letter from science prof who taught you AND the stronger letter from your lab professor, just to cover your butt for all your school choices! Having extra letters can't hurt, and it's better to do the leg work up front vs. trying to scramble for a letter later in the cycle when time is precious.

 

[Solving4gravity]

I also had a few problems getting letters accepted at quite a few schools who wanted letters from professors who had directly taught me in a class

 

[missmd123]

Some schools actually do care that the letter comes from a professor who taught you in class. One school initially "rejected" one of my letters because they thought the professor hadn't taught me in class (not sure whether the letter was just unclear or they misread it initially). I'm pretty sure they hadn't specified that the letter needed to come from a professor whose class you took, but apparently that's what they wanted. If possible, get the mediocre letter from science prof who taught you AND the stronger letter from your lab professor, just to cover your butt for all your school choices! Having extra letters can't hurt, and it's better to do the leg work up front vs. trying to scramble for a letter later in the cycle when time is precious.

I also had a few problems getting letters accepted at quite a few schools who wanted letters from professors who had directly taught me in a class

Interesting, I had never heard of that. Lucky for me, the professor whose lab I work in also taught me in a class. Phew 🙂

 

[Avicenna]

Not wanting to make start another thread, would a LOR from a mathematical biology professor count as one from a science prof? What about differential equations professor?
Mathematical Biology is considered "computational sciences" in my uni is part of the department of mathematics.
Also i know math classes are counted in sgpa so what about math profs?

 

[Winner32]

Not wanting to make start another thread, would a LOR from a mathematical biology professor count as one from a science prof? What about differential equations professor?
Mathematical Biology is considered "computational sciences" in my uni is part of the department of mathematics.
Also i know math classes are counted in sgpa so what about math profs?

Are math classes counted? I was under the impression the science gpa which includes BCP and the other sciences doesn't include math. Thee AMCAS system does include it (BCPM) but not AACOMAS. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Winner32]

Some schools actually do care that the letter comes from a professor who taught you in class. One school initially "rejected" one of my letters because they thought the professor hadn't taught me in class (not sure whether the letter was just unclear or they misread it initially). I'm pretty sure they hadn't specified that the letter needed to come from a professor whose class you took, but apparently that's what they wanted. If possible, get the mediocre letter from science prof who taught you AND the stronger letter from your lab professor, just to cover your butt for all your school choices! Having extra letters can't hurt, and it's better to do the leg work up front vs. trying to scramble for a letter later in the cycle when time is precious.

Yes I've heard this too. I guess you have to just call each school and confirm rather than depend on what's on the website. IMO science letter from prof you've worked with seems better than a letter from a prof who taught you in a huge intro class and doesn't even know you on a personal level (which is what really matters).