Hey Snoops, what's up. I used to advise for our pre-med advising office, so I'll try my best at giving you some advice. I have also gone through the painstaking process of asking for LORs.....
I feel like none of my teachers know me all that well.
You're probably right. Nonetheless, this is where you're PR skills come into place. They don't have time to get to know you, so you need to avoid being annoying and convey an interest in them. Go to office hours, ask questions IN class (believe me, they'll be stoked that you actually had the guts to raise your hand and that you're not sleeping through their lecture)
There is my advisor (I don't think he knows me all that well, but this will be his 2nd year advising me and he writes a lot of recommendations for pre-meds).
BAM! Advisors are there for many reasons, and one of them is to be the advocate of students like yourself. Approach your advisor with this problem and blatently ask how he/she determines for whom he/she will write letters.
Another person that springs to mind is the microbiology lab TA that I had last semester (I only knew him for 4 months, he's a PhD candidate, but I think I did impress him with my motivation in the class....coming in after class hours, going to his office to ask questions, showing interest in the subject). I don't know if he's ever written one though.
I have been given the following advice by a notable liaison at my univerisyt: This would be an opportune time to explain the following.... you are applying for medical school and because you feel that this particular TA knows your work and your performance best, you would be honored to have him/her write it. However, as you and I know, credibility is key. This TA is most likely more than competent to write this letter, but you really should be getting your letters from individuals who have their doctorate. Call it "shady" or even "hierarchial" if you will, but medical schools would rather see PhD, MD, EdD, DO, or a letter from an advisor. So, following suit, ask that the TA write the letter, but that it be signed by the professor. Request a meeting with you and the teacher and have the TA present. If you question the TAs ability to write a good letter, provide him/her with your resume, personal statement (whatever draft it may be in), and some points you would like addressed. It also helps to provide a transcript and the grade you got in the class.
I would like to get a doctor to write me one, but I haven't shadowed any for an extended period of time.
Cool! Next time you shadow, you need to latch on. Doctors can seem kinda scary I know. Usually it's not because they're rude, they're just busy. Introduce yourself and let them know you're interested in going to medical school. Ask about their past and what they do. Make it a point to say hello. I've gone as far as just calling them up and asking if I can interview them over the phone or meet them in person. Then I ask about their experience in medical school. After that, don't be discouraged if they ask you to compose a letter and have them sign it. Give them some pointers and they will be happy that their effort has to be minimal. I think deep down inside, they'd like to help you, but in terms of priorities, you are probably not that high up.
When do you need to send these if you are appying to get in 2006?
You won't need to send these for a while. Does your school have a letter service? In other words, does your school collect your LORs. If so, get them turned in early. Otherwise, you won't need to send them out until you get secondaries back from schools after you have submitted the AMCAS and/or AACOMAS (for osteopathic schools). If you submit AMCAS on time you probably will start getting secondaries back as early as July of 2005.
Good Luck to you and PM me if you have any other questions.
