Non-Traditonal LOR

[wzue542]

Hey y’all

I decided to apply for vet school again. Long story short I’m having trouble finding a LOR from a vet.
I’ve been out of the field since summer of 2022 and switched to human med-it pay super well and my husband and I started the Dave Ramsey baby steps to pay off debt. I can’t justify taking a step back from my job, even partially, for a 50% pay cut. I have plenty of experience so I’m not worried about that part.
I reached out to my 2022 mentor twice via email and no response. I have three other vets that wrote me LOR in 2019-2021. It’s been years since I’ve worked with or spoken to them though. I believe one is retired, another now has two little kids, and the third I’m unsure of. I friended the two working vets on LinkedIn and am waiting on a response. Back in 2016-2018 I shadowed them/had coffee dates/ etc to pick their minds on school and the field.
Should I just be honest and say I need a LOR? I don’t want to be rude. Maybe I ask them out for coffee and explain why I want to try again and maybe get their feedback?

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[thenontraveler]

I have asked for LORs from Vets I haven't worked with in 5 years. I think it is totally appropriate to politely ask for one if you think they will be able to give a great recommendation. The ones I asked, I worked with for an extended period of time, so while it's been a while, they definitely know my work/communication/learning styles and can attest to that. I also tried to make sure one of my LORs is from someone in my current job. So you could definitely ask someone where you currently work as well to give an updated view of who you are as a person.

 

[wzue542]

I have asked for LORs from Vets I haven't worked with in 5 years. I think it is totally appropriate to politely ask for one if you think they will be able to give a great recommendation. The ones I asked, I worked with for an extended period of time, so while it's been a while, they definitely know my work/communication/learning styles and can attest to that. I also tried to make sure one of my LORs is from someone in my current job. So you could definitely ask someone where you currently work as well to give an updated view of who you are as a person.

Thank you, that helps me narrow down who to ask first!
Yes totally planning on getting more recent ones from people that aren’t DVMs

 

[battie]

It really depends on the circumstances and relationship to me. There are multiple techs/assistants at my previous job (been gone for 17 months now), who I would write a letter for if we had a conversation about it (not even necessarily in person either cause toddler life). But there are definitely some that I would decline our the gate as well. So it never hurts to ask, but don't be surprised if they say no as well.

I also totally get not going back to vet med part time to get a recent LOR. I didn't work in vet med at all during my third cycle and my LOR was from the job I left immediately prior, but there was only about 8-12 months difference in time between asking that doc and the letter submission.

The alternative is spending free time shadowing or volunteering with a vet. Not changing hours at work or anything like that. But treating that time spent as a hobby almost to get a recent relationship. Obviously not ideal and can be difficult to do. But it is a backup plan.

Not for nothing, staying in human med is never wrong. Ultrasound technicians in the human hospital I go to make more per hour than what I made in my semi-dysfunctional GP.

 

[joanzmo]

Totally agree with what 'battie' said. It sounds like you can get a really good LOR from someone in your current human-med job. That can never be a bad thing. It is medical related and shows you have diverse skills. I had a similar situation when applying. I was making a great deal more working as PT assistant rather then vet met part time. However, you need at least one DVM LOR so I would find a way to get your foot in the door. Volunteer on the weekends, take some random shifts, do whatever it takes to make yourself stand out and be valuable to the doctor. It is only temporary. Remember that the DVM has been thru this too. So it can be a Win Win situation.

 

[JaynaAli]

If you haven’t interacted with these veterinarians in several years, I question how strong of a letter they can/will write you. It certainly doesn’t hurt to reach out and let them know what you’re wanting and see if they’d be able to write you a strong letter. I agree with Bat’s sentiments that there are some techs I worked with I’d happily write letters for even 8 years out, some I’d maybe do but not be able to write a super strong letter for, and many I’d decline. But I would also potentially consider delaying your application another year until you have more recent experience and a good new letter writer. It doesn’t have to be a full time job, maybe something on weekends on your days off from your “real” job.

I also echo Bats statements that, if you’re enjoying your current work, maybe you should just stay in human med, take the better paycheck/no debt, and find another avenue to work with animals such as volunteerism.

 

[VeggieTrex]

Crows keep leaving food in one of my trees for dog to find. She's found a taquito this time, normally it's pizza.

 

[SkiOtter]

Crows keep leaving food in one of my trees for dog to find. She's found a taquito this time, normally it's pizza.

I don’t know what thread you meant this for but I am enjoying it nonetheless 😂 hopefully they stop leaving things for her

 

[VeggieTrex]

I don’t know what thread you meant this for but I am enjoying it nonetheless 😂 hopefully they stop leaving things for her

I was definitely not on this thread! It was supposed to go to the Random Stuffs thread.