LORs

[am9451]

So my lab PI gave me his LOR to hand in, and it wasn't in an envelope, so naturally I read it.
It's a glowing LOR, but he mentions that he is disappointed to know that I will not be pursuing an MD/PhD, implying that research is not my primary focus.
Will this statement hurt my chances at the top med schools who are very research-based? Should I ask him to change that part if possible?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ferreed]

It's a glowing LOR, but he mentions that he is disappointed to know that I will not be pursuing an MD/PhD, implying that research is not my primary focus.
Will this statement hurt my chances at the top med schools who are very research-based?

Depends on how it's phrased. Is your PI saying that he regrets losing you to medicine because you are a talented researcher? I would consider that a high compliment. It will be obvious to your schools that you aren't interested in MD/PhD programs, so they should not expect research to be your primary focus. This doesn't preclude you doing research during med school since plenty of medical students work it into their programs without adding time. Maybe just touch on this in your PS? "Although I find research both interesting and fulfilling, my first love is direct patient involvement in the clinical setting. I would be interested in pursuing research during medical school but only if I can do so without incurring additional years of study. Blah blah."

 

[am9451]

Thanks ferreed! I certainly hope that adcoms will take it the same way.
Other opinions please? If it DOES have any shadow of a problem, I'm going to try and talk to him about it soon.