LOR Questions

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I had 2 LORs from my computer science teachers. But then again, there wasn't a space on the LORs for any of the schools I applied to that asked what they taught.
 
hi you guys, i have some problems about asking 2 of my professors for Letter of Recommendation. I realize that my school is over in 2 weeks and pharmCAS has not open until beginning of June. So by the time pharmCAS opens for me to print out Letter of Rec pages for my professors to fill out, they won't be in their office anymore. Other way is I can tell them to wait for the email from pharmCAS that tells them to send their LOR to that email...But would that be a hassle for them? I'm so confused guys. Help me out!
 
uhmm..I don't think it should be a problem..You could ask them now, and probably they won't start working on it until finals are over..and when they're done..it'll be June already (let's hope)- then they could just submit it electronically..which is way easier.
So you can ask them to work on it now..and on June 1st when you open a pharmcas account, send them the link where it will guide them to the directions for the electronic submission.
Good luck 🙂
 
Most professors are great with email so contact them with email regularly - explain the situation with pharmcas and it should be fine. submitting electronically is really easy for you and them.
 
I didn't use any profs for my LOR. I used my current bosses (all three are pharmacists) and I got in, so I really don't think it matters.
 
I am volunteering in a hospital and looking for a pharmacist to write me a LOR for some Pharmacy schools that require. I know one guy would write a great letter if I asked him. However, he is retired. Does it really matter to schools I am planning to apply to?
 
Are you volunteering within the pharmacy or just within the hospital? If you are volunteering within the pharmacy I would recommend letting yourself known to the manager/director through hardwork and then towards the end of the summer you'd be a shoe in for asking for a letter of recommendation.
 
Ahh!!! If anything can go wrong, it happens to me!

I was wondering if schools always contact the writers of LORs? Or is it rarely? My teacher is willing to write me one but she will be on a 1.5 year sabbatical leave to Standford after the fall semester and she doesn't have her contact info for her new office/residence yet...so she doesnt know if she is the best person to write it...in case they call and no one/someone else picks up ather current line on campus, they might think it was a fake letter...I dunno what to do!!
 
I volunteer at a local hospital in their inpatient pharmacy. It's all they offer in terms of volunteering spots for pre-pharmacy students. I have pretty much zero interaction with any of the actual pharmacists and work mostly with the tech's, but there's no "person in charge" that I report to besides the overall volunteer coordinator.

Would a letter from the volunteer coordinator hold the same weight as a letter from a pharmacist in this case? I mean, I was interviewed by the pharmacy manager before I started, but haven't seen him since. I don't really feel like asking him for a letter would make any sense he has no knowledge of me outside of the interview/tour I got before I started.

The only schools I'm looking at that this even matters for are NOVA+Lecom B. Has anyone applied to nova without a letter from a pharmacist? Lecom B's website says to check back in july for fall 08 admission req's. Pharmcas has them both as CR on their LOR chart.

Thanks.
 
Hi,
I wanted to see if anyone had any opinions on a LOR dilemma I'm in.

I completed my undergrad ~10 years ago (B.a. in Marine Bio from UCSC), and have since been working continuously in drug-discovery research, specifically biochemistry and molecular biology in industry (currently at Gilead Sciences). I'm having some trouble finding a professor from my Bachelors who can really say anything in depth about me due to the length of time since I attended. I've retaken a lot of refresher courses over the last year at junior college, but don't really think that a letter from a JC professor is very compelling (note - that isn't a dig at their ability or toughness of the courses at JC, I just know that pre-conceived attitudes about where a professor is teaching or how much they've published, can play a large role in the academic arena and admissions).

I'll probably contact the schools I'm applying to directly to ask, but would a strong letter from a supervisor who is familiar with my research and aptitude and is an assistant professor of molecular biology at CU Boulder (and is extremely well published and known in the field), cover the recommendation for an academic LOR, even though I haven't taken a specific class under him?

My other two letters will be from scientists in industry who I've published with and know my research as well so on some level each letter will address aspects of academic integrity/ability.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

-Doug
 
dt30 said:
Hi,
I wanted to see if anyone had any opinions on a LOR dilemma I'm in.

I completed my undergrad ~10 years ago (B.a. in Marine Bio from UCSC), and have since been working continuously in drug-discovery research, specifically biochemistry and molecular biology in industry (currently at Gilead Sciences). I'm having some trouble finding a professor from my Bachelors who can really say anything in depth about me due to the length of time since I attended. I've retaken a lot of refresher courses over the last year at junior college, but don't really think that a letter from a JC professor is very compelling (note - that isn't a dig at their ability or toughness of the courses at JC, I just know that pre-conceived attitudes about where a professor is teaching or how much they've published, can play a large role in the academic arena and admissions).

I'll probably contact the schools I'm applying to directly to ask, but would a strong letter from a supervisor who is familiar with my research and aptitude and is an assistant professor of molecular biology at CU Boulder (and is extremely well published and known in the field), cover the recommendation for an academic LOR, even though I haven't taken a specific class under him?

My other two letters will be from scientists in industry who I've published with and know my research as well so on some level each letter will address aspects of academic integrity/ability.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

-Doug
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I would double check the PharmCAS instructions and the school's requirements for LORs before proceeding with this plan. Check PharmCAS instructions to see if their Academic LORs have to be from your instructors and/or employed by a university. You want to check the school's requirements to see if they allow empoyer LORs and whether or not they require a Pharmacist LOR. If everything checks out, you might just call the school to clear any reservations and then proceed as planned.
 
Hi---
I was reading a few of the posts below and realized many are having their LORs filled out in the traditional letter format. I had my 2 LORs filled out via the electronic form option on Pharmcas. Has anyone else done this too?

Thanks!
 
im about to get my LORs and im trying to decided paper or electronic...
 
I have two references doing their LORs via email and one doing it the traditional paper format.
 
If you're short on time do electronic. If not, do paper. Paper takes longer and gives the writer more time to put their thoughts on paper. Electronic is quick and easy but will most likely be shorter because people have a tendency to use the entire space provided so the small boxes on the electronic applications will not be filled. The paper applications have a big space provided and an additional option of attaching more sheets to it.
 
I have a question about LORs. Would it be better to have a professor write it for me (and fill out any evaluations) who does not know me very well at all, or to have my boss do it for me. I worked for her for four years and she knows me very well; I am pretty sure she would give me great evaluations and write a great letter. I worked for her in a retail (non-pharmacy) setting. I am just wondering if it would still look better to have a professor do it, even if she hardly knows me. Thanks!
 
🙂 Hi All, I am not sure who is it better to ask for a LOR? A professor status or coworkers with Pharm D?
I have an undergraduate in Business minor Science, took a few graduate courses, and worked 3+ years in a major pharmaceutical company. Should I get 2 LOR's from my professors (1 professor from Business Department & 1 professor from Bio department, then 1 from a Pharm D (Vice President in my department). Or 1 from my professor, 1 from the head guy in my dept and then just a fellow pharm D coworker? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
 
We had to have three letters of recommendation from either a math or science teacher or a pharmacist. My physics professor, my OCHEM lab instructor who was a PhD candidate, and the pharmacist in charge all wrote letters.
Supposedly, there was a person from my undergrad school who had an additional LOR and got in.
 
NJpharmgirl said:
🙂 Hi All, I am not sure who is it better to ask for a LOR? A professor status or coworkers with Pharm D?
I have an undergraduate in Business minor Science, took a few graduate courses, and worked 3+ years in a major pharmaceutical company. Should I get 2 LOR's from my professors (1 professor from Business Department & 1 professor from Bio department, then 1 from a Pharm D (Vice President in my department). Or 1 from my professor, 1 from the head guy in my dept and then just a fellow pharm D coworker? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
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Check what your LOR requirements are for the schools you are applying to. Each school requires something different.
 
Ask both the science professor and a pharmacist.
 
I submitted my application about a month ago through pharmcas and I was still waiting on an LOR. Well they just told me today they lost the email that was sent to them! So now I don't know what to do! From what I understand there is no way for me to send it again. If there please let me know! Thank you in advance!!!
 
Brandie28 said:
I submitted my application about a month ago through pharmcas and I was still waiting on an LOR. Well they just told me today they lost the email that was sent to them! So now I don't know what to do! From what I understand there is no way for me to send it again. If there please let me know! Thank you in advance!!!
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Good heavens, your life is just full of urgencies isn't it? What is it about your personal situation that makes you think that your problems are all urgent? And why do you have so little concern about others' priorities, assuming that whatever it is that you need is clearly more important than anything that anyone could be doing, so by god, we'd all better drop what we're doing to answer YOUR "urgent" question?
 
eelo said:
Good heavens, your life is just full of urgencies isn't it? What is it about your personal situation that makes you think that your problems are all urgent? And why do you have so little concern about others' priorities, assuming that whatever it is that you need is clearly more important than anything that anyone could be doing, so by god, we'd all better drop what we're doing to answer YOUR "urgent" question?
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Wow...sorry that you are blowing this way out of proportion. Didn't realize 1 word would cause such a problem. Anyway I am concerned that my application will now be pretty much voided by any school that I applied to that requires 3 LOR's. I just want to know if there is anything I can do so I can stop worrying about it.
 
eelo said:
Good heavens, your life is just full of urgencies isn't it? What is it about your personal situation that makes you think that your problems are all urgent? And why do you have so little concern about others' priorities, assuming that whatever it is that you need is clearly more important than anything that anyone could be doing, so by god, we'd all better drop what we're doing to answer YOUR "urgent" question?
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:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I was actually thinking the exact same thing......
 
Brandie28 said:
Wow...sorry that you are blowing this way out of proportion. Didn't realize 1 word would cause such a problem. Anyway I am concerned that my application will now be pretty much voided by any school that I applied to that requires 3 LOR's. I just want to know if there is anything I can do so I can stop worrying about it.
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You need to call PharmCAS. I wouldn't take anyone on here's word about it, especially if your app is considered incomplete without it.
 
They won't void it. All you have to do is set up another LOR on PharmCAS. PharmCAS will automatically forward the LOR to every school. You can do this at any time. The schools just won't consider your application complete until they've received everything. They'll continue collecting your supplemental stuff as usual.
 
binghamkid said:
They won't void it. All you have to do is set up another LOR on PharmCAS. PharmCAS will automatically forward the LOR to every school. You can do this at any time. The schools just won't consider your application complete until they've received everything. They'll continue collecting your supplemental stuff as usual.
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Oh okay...thank you!
 
Hehe you're welcome =)

Just a friendly word of advice though, so you don't get comments like above in future postings. Generally, there's no real need to put "urgent" in your postings because people like to sit here on SDN with no life (myself included) and answer these questions if we can. It will be a rare day when you don't get an answer within the day. Just pose the question normally and people will answer you normally =) otherwise, you open yourself up for flaming that you probably don't want.

*watches as he gets flamed*:corny:
 
cycloketocaine said:
You need to call PharmCAS. I wouldn't take anyone on here's word about it, especially if your app is considered incomplete without it.
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Gawd yes, because then we'll have another series of URGENT questions that are just SOOOOO much more important than anyone else's question could possibly be.

URGENT: Which shoes do I wear?

URGENT: Should I get a haircut?

URGENT: Which class do I take next?
 
binghamkid said:
Hehe you're welcome =)

Just a friendly word of advice though, so you don't get comments like above in future postings. Generally, there's no real need to put "urgent" in your postings because people like to sit here on SDN with no life (myself included) and answer these questions if we can. It will be a rare day when you don't get an answer within the day. Just pose the question normally and people will answer you normally =) otherwise, you open yourself up for flaming that you probably don't want.

*watches as he gets flamed*:corny:
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Thanks...I didn't see the big deal I guess but now I know that it is. I was not expecting comments like that nor did I mean to create them.
 
eelo said:
Gawd yes, because then we'll have another series of URGENT questions that are just SOOOOO much more important than anyone else's question could possibly be.

URGENT: Which shoes do I wear?

URGENT: Should I get a haircut?

URGENT: Which class do I take next?
Click to expand...
You really need to get a life...
 
Brandie28 said:
You really need to get a life...
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You really need to get an ability to use a search function or to do your own friggin research. Didn't we go over this about a month ago when you had a brazillion threads started asking questions that were easily answered via the search, or via various school/pharmcas websites?

In the grand scheme of things, your little needs just aren't that important.
 
eelo said:
You really need to get an ability to use a search function or to do your own friggin research. Didn't we go over this about a month ago when you had a brazillion threads started asking questions that were easily answered via the search, or via various school/pharmcas websites?

In the grand scheme of things, your little needs just aren't that important.
Click to expand...
I've tried and its actually not that simple to find exactly what your looking for. Actually it is important...to me...and I thouht that this was the point of this forum...to help people and give advice. If you would of just answered the question from the beginning it would have taken you what 30 seconds...whats the big deal?
 
Brandie28 said:
I've tried and its actually not that simple to find exactly what your looking for. Actually it is important...to me...and I thouht that this was the point of this forum...to help people and give advice. If you would of just answered the question from the beginning it would have taken you what 30 seconds...whats the big deal?
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The big deal is that this is YOUR problem, not the forum's. Therefore, it's not URGENT to anyone but you. To call it such is pretty self-centered. What did you find that was close to the answer when you searched? Did you get anything that was in the ballpark, but just needed a little clarification?

No, odds are you didn't even bother to search, and you want everyone in here to jump when you say jump. It's to your advantage to do as much of your own research as possible.

But again..... didn't we go over this about a month ago? Not real quick, eh?

Since June, you have two pages of threads that you've started on such 'difficult' topics as TOEFL testing, "Urgent PCAT question," "which school only accept in-state students," and other equally stimulating topics of discussion, ALL of which could have been answered by yourself if you had only done a minimal amount of research..... oh, and brushed up on the English comprehension, too. And now you've got yet another URGENT problem, that YOU could have and should have dealt with on your own instead of asking others to do your research.
 
Definitely get the one from the boss, since he is also a pharmacist. The main thing is, he is your supervisor - and that's a big factor. And check with your school - some require letters to be from science professors only, etc. 🙂 Are you applying to Rutgers?
 
Brandie28 said:
I've tried and its actually not that simple to find exactly what your looking for. Actually it is important...to me...and I thouht that this was the point of this forum...to help people and give advice. If you would of just answered the question from the beginning it would have taken you what 30 seconds...whats the big deal?
Click to expand...

I like to help those who first try to help themselves by looking for answers on their own. You could have easily called PharmCas right away, to me the solution to your problem would have seemed obvious but that is me.

Please don't try to tell me you can not figure out how to use a SEARCH function, it is very basic.
 
Brandie28 said:
I submitted my application about a month ago through pharmcas and I was still waiting on an LOR. Well they just told me today they lost the email that was sent to them! So now I don't know what to do! From what I understand there is no way for me to send it again. If there please let me know! Thank you in advance!!!
Click to expand...

What I used to do is to delete that reference list in the computer system and then I add it again? Letter of reference form will be automatically resent to the recommender via e-mail after you reentering your reference in the computer. 🙂 Hope this helps.
 
Welll.....to make that analogy equivalent, teeechnically it should be
you get flies with **** and bees with flowers. But that's just a super minor technicality:hardy:
 
no im not applying to rutgers. I sat down with the dean privately and basically if your not applying straight out of high school there is not chance of getting in. It sucks for people from NJ since we only have 1 pharmacy school and such a huge population! I am aiming to apply to a few of out of state schools and cross my fingers that i get in somewhere!!
Thanks for the responses, the process is quite long and a little overwhelming! 🙂
 
Wow, you guys are a tough crowd........and quite immature. I thought this forum was supposed to HELP people and provide a means to network with other pharmacy students and pharmacists who have gone through or are going through the same experiences. If a post bothers you that bad, ignore it, no need to carry on and personally attack someone. I hope you have a little more maturity and compassion for your patients.
 
nerv12345 said:
somewhat offtopic, but i think forcedentry is the most interesting person on this forum haha
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How you doin?

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