Nontraditional Letters of Recommendation from Alma Mater

[Contradition]

I'm curious what the conventional wisdom is for letters as a nontraditional student who graduated several years ago. I know for traditional students the usual package is (if they don't have a committee letter) 2 science and 1 non-science professor letters, and then professional letters from physicians etc. if possible.
For me, I graduated in 2020 in a liberal arts (i.e., non-science) program and am wondering if I need to get a letter from one of those professors. I don't really have any non-science professors I could ask from my postbac. I asked one of my professors that I took several classes with in undergrad for a letter and he basically said he didn't remember me but might be able to look at my course assignments and make a generic letter based on how well I did in his classes. If I can't get better from the other professors I took classes with, should I take this just to make sure I meet the requirement for one non-science professor letter, or is this requirement less strict for nontraditional students? I also worry if it would look bad to not have any letter from my alma mater, especially when I graduated with honors.

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[Goro]

Start taking some classes now and get letters from the professors teaching you. Be sure to make good friends with them so they get to know you, and can write good letters for you

 

[impetuskrampetus]

I'm curious what the conventional wisdom is for letters as a nontraditional student who graduated several years ago. I know for traditional students the usual package is (if they don't have a committee letter) 2 science and 1 non-science professor letters, and then professional letters from physicians etc. if possible.
For me, I graduated in 2020 in a liberal arts (i.e., non-science) program and am wondering if I need to get a letter from one of those professors. I don't really have any non-science professors I could ask from my postbac. I asked one of my professors that I took several classes with in undergrad for a letter and he basically said he didn't remember me but might be able to look at my course assignments and make a generic letter based on how well I did in his classes. If I can't get better from the other professors I took classes with, should I take this just to make sure I meet the requirement for one non-science professor letter, or is this requirement less strict for nontraditional students? I also worry if it would look bad to not have any letter from my alma mater, especially when I graduated with honors.

With gap years becoming more common, many medical schools have become less strict with their letter requirements, often stating something like "if professor letters are not available for XYZ reason, professional letters may be submitted in their lieu". It's worth it to go through meticulously and check on the websites (or email the admissions office) to see what the requirements are. Making a spreadsheet will help you to keep track.

If schools require professor letters but also allow optional, extra letters, then consider asking the professors from your post-bac for letters just to fulfill the requirement. Then submit 2-3 ADDITIONAL letters of high quality (the ones you are actually proud of). You might have to read between the lines to see if this is a viable strategy. These schools tend to be "non-trad friendly".