*must* i have more than 1 science lor?

[Doctor~Detroit]

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i can easily get one science lor, but a second one will be a real pain and not be as good as one of the non-science lors it would otherwise replace. i could probably get a "non-science" lor from a teacher in public health. i know it varies by school, but what do you guys think of a situation in which only 1 "true" science lor was sent to medical school adcoms that

1) don't require, or don't specify requiring, two science lors?

or

2) require 2 science lors?

thanks for the advice.

 

[diosa428]

I only had one science LOR but I has a premed committee letter and apparently you don't need two if you have one of those.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

You *must* have two science LORs at many schools. Not all, but I'd say at least a third, maybe up to half of the schools I applied to specified that they required two science LORs.

 

[bamf7]

A few of mine wanted 3 science LORs without a committee letter.

 

[Mister Pie]

A few of mine wanted 3 science LORs without a committee letter.

Yikes... do you remember which ones?

 

[jbrice1639]

1) don't require, or don't specify requiring, two science lors?

or

2) require 2 science lors?

thanks for the advice.

if they don't require it and you think you have a better letter from someone else, then go with that.

if they do require it, then you have to send them what they require.

 

[kenmc3]

Public health is not considered a science? I am not positive but I would have assumed it is. I think that it is important for you to have 2 science letters. I know, I struggled with this when I applied. Especially since these letters are supposed to be from professors who had you in a class. Actually, I think my science letters were probably the weakest in my portfolio – here is what I had:

1) Letter from research mentor
2) Letter from a neuroscience professor but since he was in the department of psychology it counted as a non-science letter.
3) Letter from a chemistry professor – whom probably didn’t remember me and most likely wrote a form letter.
4) Letter from a professor I took a 1 credit MRI course with – but hey it was a science letter
5) Letter from a physician I shadowed.

They key is to have 3 academic letters from professors you took classes with (2 science 1 non). Then 2 other letters. The problem is, some secondaries actually asked me to match the letter with the course I took – so it is tough call.

So if you don’t have 2 science letters I would say, make sure your other letters are strong and then just get some BS letter from a professor in a class you received an A in.

 

[HemaOncoDoc]

i can easily get one science lor, but a second one will be a real pain and not be as good as one of the non-science lors it would otherwise replace. i could probably get a "non-science" lor from a teacher in public health. i know it varies by school, but what do you guys think of a situation in which only 1 "true" science lor was sent to medical school adcoms that

1) don't require, or don't specify requiring, two science lors?

or

2) require 2 science lors?

thanks for the advice.

Many require 2 science professors. My college's premed board wrote a committee letter, and required two science recs and one non-science rec. It seems like an overhaul, but the statistics speak for itself.

 

[stherling]

if they don't require it and you think you have a better letter from someone else, then go with that.

if they do require it, then you have to send them what they require.

👍 👍 👍

As for schools that don't specify, call and make them specify. End of story. It's not complicated.

Also keep in mind that while some people may say that "all their schools required X" or something along those lines, you may not be applying to the same schools. Do your own research and you'll be fine.

 

[Sophie]

I only had one true science LOR, and had an LOR from a surgery prof that I tried to pass off as a 2nd science LOR. Every school I applied to was fine with that, except NYMC, who told me they wouldn't look at my application until I submitted another science LOR.

 

[etf]

i had 2 science LORs, and NYMC made me get a third, since my major was bio and none of those letters were from bio teachers. then they rejected my @$$

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

thanks for the advice. is public health/epidemiology considered a "science" for lors?

 

[HemaOncoDoc]

thanks for the advice. is public health/epidemiology considered a "science" for lors?

I consider "science" LORs to be what AMCAS designates as BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math) for your GPA. As for the AACOMAS, it doesn't include math.

 

[HemaOncoDoc]

i had 2 science LORs, and NYMC made me get a third, since my major was bio and none of those letters were from bio teachers. then they rejected my @$$

3 science LORs from NYMC? I never heard that. Hope it paid off.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

I consider "science" LORs to be what AMCAS designates as BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math) for your GPA. As for the AACOMAS, it doesn't include math.

i just checked out some threads from 2+ years ago, and a couple folks thought public health definitely does qualify. fingers crossed.

 

[blahhalb]

I had only 1 science LOR this past cycle and had no problems. It wasn't even really a science teacher, it was my research mentor. There are schools that said they were sticklers about it, but then in a couple weeks they ended up offering me an interview anyway. Just make sure your other LORs are awesome.

 

[ShoalinStyle7]

Is math considered a science for most schools? If so then I will have 2 science letters, but it will be hard to find another one if it is not.