LOR question

[obog360]

First I wanted to get a phD, then MD/phD and now I am thinking just MD. However, the LORs from PIs at the labs that I have worked at are geared toward phD, one of them even talks about me being sucessful in graduate school and in earning a phD (professor let me read the letter). Can I use these research LORS when I apply to medical school or will it raise a red flag. i really don't want to go back and ask the professors to write a letter specifically for medical school I know that some of them would be upset that I am not going on to get a phD, they would feel like I betrayed them, its true.

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[mudphudwannabe]

Unless your professors are mean and horrible people, they will be proud of you for applying to med school. But seriously... They might have their own opinion of what you should do, but they probably want you to succeed in whatever you decide to do. It wouldn't be that much trouble for them to change a few lines in their letter - I say give your professors a chance and nicely ask them to rewrite their letters, and explain a few of the reasons why you've changed your mind.

Using letters that say you're going for a PhD for MD-only applications would be a pretty bad idea. For applying MD/PhD, the PhD-geared letters maybe wouldn't be quite so bad, but it would still be much better to have a letter that is tailored to MD/PhD specifically. If you use these letters, it will make it sound like these professors don't actually know you well enough to know what program you are applying to, which is pretty bad.

In my mind you have two options - either ask your profs to edit their letters, or try to round up letters from completely new people.

 

[Jorje286]

It will raise a red flag, and a very big one, and will likely get you rejected. I think you should tell your professors about your situation, and ask them if they can change a couple of things in the letters and remove the PhD reference.

 

[chemmastr]

you need to tell your PIs exactly the direction you want to take.

Ph.D - research
MD/Ph.D - clinical research
MD - clinical

If you apply for an MD program, you don't want to include any information about a PhD.

If you apply for a PhD, you shouldn't include any information about MD. This is because the program will feel that you are using them as a "fall back" option and deny you on the spot.

MD/PhD won't have to worry about this, but it is a very intensive program.