LORs for MD/PhD vs. MD

[MasterK]

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I applied to all MD/PhD + MD. I will have strong LORs. I got my BS and MS in Microbiology of Univ. of Hawaii. 2 letters are coming from profs that taught me undergrad and grad, and were both on my thesis committee. 1 letter is from neurosurgeon I shadowed. 1 letter is from my PI in undergrad and grad, who was a prof and thesis committee chair. 1 letter is from current PI, who is MD/MS doing cancer research. BIG QUESTION: should I be asking them to write 2 letters - 1 for MD and 1 for MD/PhD???

 

[K31]

Admissions committees will know you are applying MD/PhD. Your letter writers should discuss you in the context they know you--your research mentors should talk about you as a researcher, and the physician you shadowed should talk about you as a potential physician. If there are some schools where you are applying MD-only, you may want to consider getting two letters from some of them though.

As long as there is one letter talking about you from a clinical standpoint I don't think you should have an issue from an MD/PhD application standpoint--MD/PhD applicants aren't expected to have as extensive of a clinical background as MD applicants.

 

[erikreinertsen]

Agreed with K31.

Do you know you want to do MD/PhD? Why did you add in MD too? It helps the focus of your letter if you are a focused applicant yourself.

I had letters from several individuals who covered various aspects of my experiences and application: clinician, PIs for research, faculty from classes and extracurriculars, etc.