Non Science LOR

[hidanmed]

Hey all! I have a LOR form a professor in the psychiatry and biobehavioral science department at my university where I took a class about language pathways in the brain. Is this considered a non science LOR? Kinda banking on it as I don't have any other that could fit that category. Thanks!

I also took a class at my university that prepares students for teaching/tutoring others in stem classes. Since I didn't directly learn science related stuff, and rather like techniques for becoming a better teacher, does it count as a non Science LOR? Also how would med schools even know if I don't indicate otherwise?

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[deleted1162863]

Is there like a pre-health advisor at your school you can ask?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You can ask the admissions professionals from the school list you are considering.

The rules about "science" and "nonscience" LOR's have carried since the "stone age" of American medical school admissions, so the easiest delineation was the course subject or department affiliation of the course/professor. It's more challenging now with more interdisciplinary tracks and education. It's safest to presume "science" means courses usually covered in BCPM. I'm not sure language processing and pathways automatically gets thrown to "non-science," but I would lean that way myself. But every admissions team's rubrics may differ, especially with the psychological/neuroscience space.

Now for the course to be a better STEM tutor or teacher, that would be non-science LOR, but I don't consider this as valuable of a letter. Ask the schools. I'd rather ask the professor whose class you TA'ed for to know how effective of a teacher/tutor you were, not the coach that taught you how to.