LORs

[minnow00]

I've been out of school for three years now and my old school lacks an official 'pre-med' committee. I'm doubting any of my profs will remember me after this long (huge classes and most of my sci classes taken in first 2 years, 6 yrs ago!). The ones that might were TAs and have probably graduated. I've got a few academic profs (including MDs) that would write great LORs for me, but they would be from working with me, not me taking a class from them. Will these count? I've thought about registering for research credit under the person I am working for now and using him as a science ref? Will that work? Has anyone else gone through this? After you've been out of school for awhile, are the academic refs as important? (Especially when I've been out almost as long as I was in!!) Ideas, anyone??

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ez073323]

minnow00,

Follow the link below... Hope this helps!

Brian Enriquez
[email protected]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67767

 

[DrInW8ing]

minnow00,

I have been in this boat. I would suggest taking action instead of worrying. This is a testing step. Some of the schools want to see if you can handle the humility of having to go back to old profs, who may not have a clue who you are, and request a LOR!

You can't say for sure if they will or will not write an LOR until you ask. Yes, it is an ackward situation, however, you will have times in med school where you will be much more humiliated than this. Ask your prof to sit down with you so that he/she can get some info to maybe jar the memory of you.

Just to give you some extra info, I was out of school for a few years and two of my LORs came from profs that I had 9 and 5 years previous to my LOR request.


Don't sweat this. Just get it done. Show the schools that you are willing to indulge in all challenges that will come your way.

 

[ShaylaFinn]

I totally agree with DrInW8ing's assessment. Only people who really have an interest will go to the trouble to get the LORs. And it IS totally uncomfortable asking for them. Have a resume ready to go, maybe your personal statement and transcripts/MCAT score report, and JUST ASK (I asked for my LORs by email, though most people suggest asking the profs/bosses for LORs in person).

This is what I did:
- got 1 from an undergrad science prof (hadn't seen him since 1995!)
- took biochem as a post-bacc at local univ to help with MCAT & to get a 2nd science LOR
- got 3rd letter from MD researcher at work


And you know what? It turned out fine.