Major LOR advise! PLEASE ADVISE

[bubblegum123]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am a reapplicant applying for EY2013. In my year that I was applying, I worked as a scribe and medical assistant for a private practice for a year and half. I received a LOR from the physician for the past cycle, but I believe my chances for acceptance are low from applyng late.
Now, the problem is I am intending to press charges against the physican who was also my mentor. He was a major support towards my career goals as I earned a stellar LOR. I am not quite sure if the previous LOR he wrote on my behalf can be reused for the EY2013 cycle.
Obviously, I would not ask for another LOR from the physician, but I refuse to let my effort go unoticed during the time I worked for him.
Any suggestions would be great. Thank you.

 

[scarshapedstar]

😕

AMCAS letters can't be used year-after-year, unless you're using that third-party letter service, the name of which escapes me. But it sounds like you aren't.

So... that's gonna be a problem. Especially as AMCAS now requires you to list a contact for all activities.

Your best option might be to just not mention this job at all. I know it's not fair but pressing harassment might make people nervous and get you blackballed. You're not obligated to disclose that and I would avoid doing so if at all possible, whatever you have to do.

 

[gman33]

Schools will have access to your app from last year.
Probably won't notice, but some may if you don't include info from this job again.

Think very carefully about pressing charges against this doc.
I'm not saying it's not warranted, I have no idea what happened.

Just people will be worried about bringing you into their fold.

Make sure you think about this in your decision process.

 

[bubblegum123]

Thank you for the responses. I used virtual eval services last time to submit the LOR's. Can that letter be reused without him being involved again? I read somewhere that LOR's are valid for three years. Is that accurate?
I think I should consult with a medical admissions officer prior to filing the lawsuit as I believe this is necessary and should be looked at in a positive way due to a female respecting her rights. Any takes?

 

[SDEM2012]

I think that you either need to do the lawsuit and not use the LOR, or use the LOR and not pursue the lawsuit. It would be hard to explain doing both IMO. Also, why is your application late? Depending on your response, consider reapplying next year as soon as the application opens; it makes a very big difference.

 

[Soilworkgmbh]

I really don't wanna stir the pot here -- But if your rights as a female have been violated then you should press charges (if that's what you also think is right in this scenario). Don't sacrifice your dignity because you're applying to medical school.

I think this is a classic whistle-blower scenario. You want to pursue your dream of medical school but you're afraid blowing the whistle on this physician you work for might hurt your chances. Its a tough dilemma indeed.

 

[bubblegum123]

If I used vital eval for the former LOR, can that be reused again?

Yes, my rights as a female have been violated and I hate to make the compromise on justice for medical school.
Unfortunately, I didn't do well on the MCATs and applied late in the cycle. So, now I'm left with this tough decision. Please please advise.....

 

[scarshapedstar]

Knowing so little about the situation, it's tough to give you any more meaningful advice. All I can say is that you're not 'pressing charges', this is a civil matter and thus your identity will not be kept secret. If history is any guide, you should be prepared for this to negatively impact your career. Match day might be more of a concern than admissions.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I agree with the above posts, sexual assault is a criminal act. Sexual harassment is not, a job can't fire or discriminate against you, but you can't throw someone in jail for it. Be VERY careful about doing this, having a lawsuit pending during a med school application cycle doesn't sound like a good thing to me, and people talk to other people, and people know people at schools, etc... I too worry that this could get you blacklisted. Without knowing specifics, I would say if you move forward with it that you should be very cautious about doing so

 

[dreamweaver1988]

I would get another LOR and pursue whatever legal action you think is necessary (upon consultation with an attorney, of course). I know you want a way for your hard work to be accounted for, but this is life. Using the LOR and pressing charges might get complicated.

I really don't think you will be "blacklisted." Doctors aren't a secretive, tightly-knit group of people who condone sexual misconduct (perhaps you're thinking of the Catholic Church?). An ADCOM a) won't have any idea of the lawsuit, and b) even if they knew, probably wouldn't care. Plus consider that many ADCOMs are faculty, staff, or just community members, and thus wouldn't participate in the physician sexual harrassment cult even if there were such a thing!

 

[pkwraith]

You don't need all new LoRs when you apply. In fact, it doesn't make any sense to get a new letter for the same activity if you haven't done the activity since last year.

You just can't use all the same letters. At the minimum, you need one new letter. Usually, to reflect whatever new activity you are doing at the time off. If you have your good combination of old and new letters and this letter fits in, then it could work perfectly fine.

The only problem is obviously if the adcom calls the doctor, and he tries to bomb your application. The chances of that is extremely small, but it technically is there. In the end, it's your call.

On the other point, since it's a doctor letter, it fits in one of the random activitiy/elective/character letters. If you do something during your gap year, whatever that is will typically replace your letter. Since, you'll likely be re-using your old professor letters. They obviously expect you to switch some of your letters around, so that won't be a problem.

Practically, there's really no difference in what you do. It's likely that you'll probably replace the letter anyway, just by the very nature of reapplication process.

 

[Soilworkgmbh]

Yes, my rights as a female have been violated and I hate to make the compromise on justice for medical school.
Unfortunately, I didn't do well on the MCATs and applied late in the cycle. So, now I'm left with this tough decision. Please please advise.....

Well it sounds like you've made up your mind really

 

[bubblegum123]

Does anyone have an idea if I'm able to use the LOR from last year (submitted through virtual eval) for the next cycle without the recommenders consent? This I believe is the only way I am able to file the lawsuit and have his LOR on file. Your thoughts?

 

[Buzz Me]

I would not use a letter from someone you're suing. What if they tried to contact that person? What does that say about your application (one of your strongest letters, and one you're not willing or able to replace, is from someone you're suing?!)?

 

[scarshapedstar]

Yeah... I hate to say it, but it is kinda like you're saying 'He's a sexist pig, but please value his opinion of me.'

 

[Buzz Me]

Yeah, exactly. Unless I'm missing something (and many of the details surrounding this case are vague, for good reason), that's the kind of mixed message I'd try to avoid.

If you can't get an equally strong letter from someone else...well, then that's a whole 'nother problem.

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

Do what you need to do for justice. Continue to keep scribing as an activity on AMCAS. Avoid using his letter since academic letters matter a lot too. Get a letter from somewhere else if required. Academic letters should get you by. If asked during the admissions interview to describe why you don't have a letter from that job, do so in a professional, honest manner.

You could also ask this question in the confidential consult forum, just in the sense that they have more experienced people over there. Re-write your post since it is a little confusing at the moment.

 

[bubblegum123]

Do what you need to do for justice. Continue to keep scribing as an activity on AMCAS. Avoid using his letter since academic letters matter a lot too. Get a letter from somewhere else if required. Academic letters should get you by. If asked during the admissions interview to describe why you don't have a letter from that job, do so in a professional, honest manner.

You could also ask this question in the confidential consult forum, just in the sense that they have more experienced people over there. Re-write your post since it is a little confusing at the moment.

Will do! Thank you for the great advise..

 

[KaseyA]

Are you still on good terms with the doctor?
Just forget about lawsuits and apply to med school. Making a scene now might come back to bite you later on.

 

[dragonfly99]

You absolutely should not use a LOR from someone against whom you plan to file a lawsuit. What if the admissions committee phones that person? If your application is OK, you should be able to get or find another LOR, even if it is not easy.