LOR questions: Settling them once and for all

[obgyny]

I'm applying this next cycle (June 2010) to MD schools. I've tried searching the forums for answers to these LOR questions, but have either not found an answer or found mixed results (especially #1). So I will really appreciate any help you can give me!!!

1. Do we really need a LOR from a physician?
Some say yes, others say that a physician that you shadow might not know you well enough to write you a great LOR. Are there any MD schools that require a LOR from a physician?

2. If I'm applying this June, how soon should I start asking for LORs?

3. How do adcoms feel about LORs from community college instructors (non-PhDs)?
I have 2 community college instructors that I know would write me excellent LORs. I already have my 2 science faculty LORs in mind from my university, but I was considering using one of these community college profs (Physics and Botany) for an additional LOR. They both know me very well beyond the classroom. (I was pretty involved at my community college).

4. How many LORs do we really need to send in?
Most schools seem to require only 3 LORs, but allow a maximum of 6. Do we really need to send in 6?

5. About the non-science LOR... (my complicated situation)
Is the non-science LOR a requirement for MD schools or just a recommendation? I've looked at a few, and so far I've only seen the "2 science faculty LORs" requirement. Since I was a transfer student, I only took ONE humanities class while at the university (writing course), all the rest were science (I had a really tight schedule if I wanted to graduate in 2 more years). I only met the TA, who I really didn't like and I don't think she liked me. I took the rest of my humanities classes at community college. I was considering asking my English Comp instructor from my first year of college (5 years ago . This was when I was dual-enrolled in high school and community college full-time). She wrote me a LOR when I was applying to universities and knew me pretty well (I had her for 2 semesters of English Comp). Since it was so long ago and she's a community college professor, would that be a problem? I'm not sure how well she remembers me. I would visit her in person, but she lives across the country now.

Sorry for the really long post, but I really appreciate any advice!! Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MilkmanAl]

1. Do we really need a LOR from a physician?

Nope. Common sense dictates that you want to use letters from people who can attest, in detail, why you will be a good physician. A doctor you shadow won't be able to do that. I'm not aware of any MD schools that require a LOR from a physician. Many DO schools require one, some require one specifically from a DO, and others "strongly recommend" having a LOR from a physician but do not require it.

2. If I'm applying this June, how soon should I start asking for LORs?

I'd ask in mid-March or so. You want to leave plenty of time for hiccups in the process. Some professors are pretty absent-minded about recs, so account for that by requesting them early.

3. How do adcoms feel about LORs from community college instructors (non-PhDs)?

I'm honestly not sure, but I think I would use only letters from PhD's if I could help it. Use the other letters as your "personal" LOR's for schools that call for them. This issue is one you might consider calling a couple schools to see what they think before you start applying.

4. How many LORs do we really need to send in?

I'd send in as many as possible. If you do all 6, try to get a healthy mix of writers that represent all the activities you've participated in. For instance, I had one from a bio professor (bio major), one from a physics professor (physics major), one from a classics professor, one from my boss, one from the program director at my elementary school where I volunteered, and one from my high school English teacher, a good (and very eloquent) friend. If you've done research, you'll want a letter from your PI. Having more positive comments about you on file is always better than having fewer.

5. About the non-science LOR...

Many schools do require a non-science letter. It sounds like you're in a bit of a pinch, so I'd call the schools you're applying to with that requirement to see if they'll waive it. If not, you'll probably just have to deal with having a rather bland, uninformative letter in your application. As discussed above with the physician letter, many applicants handicap themselves voluntarily with such letters, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.

 

[TTigers70]

^^ do you mean try to avoid non-PhDs for science classes or classes in general?

 

[MilkmanAl]

In general. Like I said, I'm not sure if it's a big deal or not, but only using letters from PhD's makes it a non-issue.