LOR Question.

[vickpick]

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If I am applying to a random sample of five medical schools in the US,
how many and what kinds of LOR would I need in general cases.

2,3,4? How many from professors, volunteer supervisors, research PI?

Just trying to figure out if I'll be able to get enough till the end of this school year, so that I can apply this coming cycle.

Thanks

Vick

 

[Caprica6]

Most of the requirements I've seen are 2 science, 1 non-science professor. PIs, volunteer coordinators, employers are at your discretion, and in addition to the required three.

But most schools require a committee letter packet and this often works in place of the requested letters.

 

[vickpick]

Gotcha, so I should look for three, at the least.

What if I'm done all my non-science classes and all I am gonna take from now in (including this semester) are science classes!?!

 

[Latuza]

Yeah, if your school provides a composite health committee letter, then you're all set.

If your school doesn't, and you have to submit individual letters, then 2 science professor and 1 non-science professor/faculty will suffice in almost every single case. Most of the times, a letter from a faculty (not necessary a prof title) for non-science letter is sufficient, but science letters should be from professors (at least cosigned by a prof if a TA is the main author).


But I think a strong applicant also provide a few optional research supervisor, clinical experience letters.

I think only Jefferson med school requires at least 3 science professor letter and 1 non-science. It's suggested 1 from bio, 1 from chem, 1 from physics prof. But I asked them and they said it's all right to have 2 bio prof and 1 chem prof.

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If you can't get a non-science letter, it should be all right b/c it will only rule out only a few schools, and you still have plenty of great choices.

You can ask for letters retroactively for classes you've taken in past few semesters, if they remember you. Or you just have to remind them by writing up something about the class. You should always give the writers your resume/CV, personal statement, and a cover letter of what you would like them to remember/mention about you, like some suggested pointers to help them get some ideas.

It's always a good idea to ask for letters right at the end of classes. I don't know about your school, but for my school my letter writers can write the letters and send them to my Career Center where my letters would be stored on a file until I need them and I can just tell them to send the letters to AMCAS.

If your school has no letter repository/storage service, you can always use the commercial letter service Interfolio. AMCAS accept letters from Interfolio, and almost all med schools too (but not now b/c most schools now require letters to be forwarded from AMCAS). There's some fee with Interfolio, and it saves a lot of hassle having to ask the letter writers to resend their confidential letters next year if you're reapplying.

 

[marele86]

What if I'm done all my non-science classes and all I am gonna take from now in (including this semester) are science classes!?!

Just don't apply to schools that require the non-science letter. 😀

Seriously, I was in the same position - I did all of my non-science classes my freshman year, and almost all of them were in giant lecture halls. There was literally no way for me to get a letter without doing the "Hi, you don't know me, you taught me, I need a letter, let's talk" talk.
Quite honestly, the letter would have been pointless even if I had gotten it. It would have been like, "marele86 demonstrated significant work ethic and dedication by achieving an A in my course. ... and, um, that's all I know about her."

That said, I encourage you to do the "Hi, you don't know me, you taught me, etc." talk/e-mail to your old professors. Some of them may offer to set up meetings/interviews with you so they can still write an informed letter. I just didn't really have time to do this because I had to get my secondaries together so quickly (not accepted EDP). Do as I say, not as I do and all that.

 

[vickpick]

okay, my U does not have a pre-med comittee, so no such luck.

For non-science LOR, most of the prof (maybe all of them) remember me since they wave at me, or I wave at them when I see them around campus. I never really thought med school will require non-science letters so I never really went up and asked for one...

Do you guys think I should look up a prof I had previously taken and take another class with her/him in order to get a LOR?

 

[Latuza]

No, you said the prof remembers you, right? If they greet you to this day, sounds like you guys are on very good terms. So just take the plunge and email, pop into their office and see if they remember you and is happy to write you a "strong" letter. From my experience, most prof are friendly. Can't you tell which ones are nice?

Try that first and it would save you the huge hassle of taking a non-science class.

What schools do you want to go to? Look up their LOR requirements and I bet you would only find 1 or 2 schools that require a non-science LOR, and you would find too many other great schools that you don't even have the resources to apply to that do not require a non-science letter.

Let say you provide 5 LORs and only 1 is not impressive, but neutral (the non-science LOR). Other 4 are great. Your chances at acceptance is only very marginally affected. The non-science letter is only for them to see how you perform outside a science class. I think you can more than impress them if you have great extracurricular letters, even if the non-science letter is just a filler.

 

[jgauger]

I don't mean to highjack this thread, but I have a similar question and don't want to make an etirely new one. Would a letter from a course coordinator who also teaches my lab section for bio be considered a science prof letter? And what about a PI that I am doing an ind. study with for credit? My other two letters I'm planning on getting from a soc. prof and a physician that I've shaddowed a ton. I might get another one from my major advisor. All of these seem borderline to me. Thanks and sorry for the thread theft.

 

[Latuza]

Also, vickpick, are you asking the science letters from prof you'll take classes with next semester?

Okay, you need to give them 1.5-2 months ideally for them to have the time to write good letters for you. So if you ask them to write at the end of the class next semester, I imagine they won't complete the LORs until June or later. If you rush them, they might not write thoughtful and good letters.

LORs take forever for the schools to mark them as received, like 3 weeks to 2 months, even though they're directly sent with your AMCAS, b/c the schools usu don't bother downloading the letters until you've submitted your 2ndaries and fees, and then you're put in line for them to download the letters. Draw up a timetable and see if LORs will be holding up your apps.

So I think you should ask letters from prof last semester or past semesters in classes you did well in. I'm pretty sure they'll remember you.

Rule of thumb about letters is this: it seems daunting when you got nothing yet, but it's not too hard in reality and you might end up with too many letters!

So gather your courage and go out and ask. Best of luck!

 

[Latuza]

I don't mean to highjack this thread, but I have a similar question and don't want to make an etirely new one. Would a letter from a course coordinator who also teaches my lab section for bio be considered a science prof letter? And what about a PI that I am doing an ind. study with for credit? My other two letters I'm planning on getting from a soc. prof and a physician that I've shaddowed a ton. I might get another one from my major advisor. All of these seem borderline to me. Thanks and sorry for the thread theft.

You have to do some searching with the schools you want to apply to and see if they want science "faculty" letters or "prof" letters, ie the title of author.

Is your course coordinator a faculty? Sounds more like a TA. If a TA, you have to get your letter cosigned by a prof, so just ask the TA to write the letter and prof to just cosign. I have my letters written by TAs and cosigned by prof, and no schools have disqualified them. Not sure if they make the strongest letter though.

Your PI is not a faculty, and I don't think that'll work, even you got credit with him/her. I've read several schools' detailed specifications of letters, and they want science letters to see how you do in a science class, where you learn difficult concepts and take tests and stuff.
If it's a research class, you must have a faculty sponsor right? If the PI writes the letter asks the prof sponsor to cosign it. Or does the PI have a prof friend?

Well, even if you have to get filler letters from science prof, I think it'll be all right if you submit other letters that are great in content. Most schools set no max on # of letters and those that do cap # at 5 or 6.

Your case is unusual, so I would say call the schools, they're usu not as stringent as they sound.

 

[jgauger]

Hey, Thanks for replying to my questions. The course coordinator that also teaches my lab is not a TA. He is in charge of intro bio courses and labs, he just happens to also be teaching my lab section (the only section he teaches out of 10 sections).

My PI is a professor as well. He is a professor in Opthamology, Immunology, and Microbio. He teaches one or two lectures a semester and I believe he also teaches a course at the med school every spring. I haven't taken a lecture with him though so you're probably right.

I suppose I could try to get my Bio lecturer to co-sign the letter from the coordinator but I doubt that will make a difference.

 

[Latuza]

sure, jgauger.

Well, as long as he's your bio lab instructor, that counts as a faculty I think (and it's better if he has a PhD). Just get that letter co-signed by a prof. Yeah, co-signing adds no value to the letter, but just allows your letter to be counted as a prof letter, so your app can be complete.

Or else you have ask some other prof...

Great, if your PI is a prof then that's a science prof letter and you're in good shape. Just watch out for some schools' specifications that say a research-only (and no lecture) science prof letter can't count.

Good luck with you! Ask for letters early, to give the writers plenty of time and so you can apply early!

 

[vickpick]

Also, vickpick, are you asking the science letters from prof you'll take classes with next semester?

Okay, you need to give them 1.5-2 months ideally for them to have the time to write good letters for you. So if you ask them to write at the end of the class next semester, I imagine they won't complete the LORs until June or later. If you rush them, they might not write thoughtful and good letters.

LORs take forever for the schools to mark them as received, like 3 weeks to 2 months, even though they're directly sent with your AMCAS, b/c the schools usu don't bother downloading the letters until you've submitted your 2ndaries and fees, and then you're put in line for them to download the letters. Draw up a timetable and see if LORs will be holding up your apps.

So I think you should ask letters from prof last semester or past semesters in classes you did well in. I'm pretty sure they'll remember you.

Rule of thumb about letters is this: it seems daunting when you got nothing yet, but it's not too hard in reality and you might end up with too many letters!

So gather your courage and go out and ask. Best of luck!

I have a professor who is willing to write me a letter this semester, and another professor from a class I'm going to take next semester. Then one more from my research PI.. those are the ones can I gaurantee myself.

Thank you for the thoughful replies.