Not using a committee letter, a problem?

[aspiring20]

I graduated from a liberal arts college 2 years ago, and I am applying to DO schools right now. All the DO schools I've applied to requires either a committee letter or a science (or 2) letter. Not a single DO school on my list said anything along the lines of: "if your school offers a committee letter service, you must use it". In fact, other than PCOM, none of the schools on my list even said that they prefer a committee letter.

I have 5+ letters (science, humanity, physician, etc.) all uploaded to interfolio.

Will the fact that I didn't use my school's committee letter be a problem at all?

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[Fedxup]

You will be fine. Just send the letters you have. Committee letters just make it easier for ADCOMs to go through your LOR because it compiles everything and they don't have to read you resume on each letter.

 

[aspiring20]

You will be fine. Just send the letters you have. Committee letters just make it easier for ADCOMs to go through your LOR because it compiles everything and they don't have to read you resume on each letter.

Thanks!

 

[keels99]

I applied without one. You should be good

 

[aspiring20]

I applied without one. You should be good

But did your school offer one?

 

[GreyF0X]

I remember reading that if you cannot get a committee letter then you can get letters from 2 sci profs and 1 non-sci.

 

[BPMED]

just an FYI; some schools require you to explain why you are not using a committee letter if your school has a committee

 

[keels99]

But did your school offer one?

No, my school doesn't "offer" anyone one, you have to go through a committee. I applied in February, which was way past time to go through the committee

 

[aspiring20]

No, my school doesn't "offer" anyone one, you have to go through a committee. I applied in February, which was way past time to go through the committee

I meant that your school provides a committee letter to people. It has such a thing called committee.

What reassures me is that almost none of the DO schools say that they even prefer committee letters. It is simply a choice. Love it.

Unlike certain MD schools out there...

 

[GreyF0X]

From NSU:

• a letter of recommendation from the preprofessional committee, or if such a committee does not exist, three letters of evaluation are necessary (two from science professors and one from a non-science professor)

 

[keels99]

I meant that your school provides a committee letter to people. It has such a thing called committee.

What reassures me is that almost none of the DO schools say that they even prefer committee letters. It is simply a choice. Love it.

Unlike certain MD schools out there...

I think you will be fine. A lot of schools don't even have a pre-med committee. I just substituted with 2 science professors and avoided applying schools that required a non-science professor recommendation. If you have any more questions feel free to message me and I will help you out to the best of my ability

 

[Fargofargo]

Ya go ahead and just do individual letters, the choice is yours.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I graduated from a liberal arts college 2 years ago, and I am applying to DO schools right now. All the DO schools I've applied to requires either a committee letter or a science (or 2) letter. Not a single DO school on my list said anything along the lines of: "if your school offers a committee letter service, you must use it". In fact, other than PCOM, none of the schools on my list even said that they prefer a committee letter.

I have 5+ letters (science, humanity, physician, etc.) all uploaded to interfolio.

Will the fact that I didn't use my school's committee letter be a problem at all?

The only school that will really give you trouble is PCOM, most other schools don't care. You can search the forums about how people with no pre-med committee in their university struggled to get past the letter of rec. screening for PCOM.

 

[JacobLMDorDO]

If you don't get a committee letter, then schools require different numbers of letters in the place of the committee letter. NSU requires two science one non-science, whereas CCOM requires just one letter. You can always supply more letters though! Just don't go crazy

 

[aspiring20]

From NSU:

• a letter of recommendation from the preprofessional committee, or if such a committee does not exist, three letters of evaluation are necessary (two from science professors and one from a non-science professor)

If a school doesn't have a committee, then of course a committee letter isn't needed. But my school DOES have a committee, and I am not using it. That's where some picky schools like NSU might have an issue. Fortunately, I didn't apply to NSU, and none of the schools I applied to mentions anything like the bolded statement.

 

[aspiring20]

https://www.midwestern.edu/programs-and-admission/az-osteopathic-medicine.html

For example, AZCOM simply states either a committee letter or a science letter, with no suggestion that if your school offers a committee service, you'll have to use it. To me, AZCOM doesn't care about there your letters come from.

 

[keels99]

There are many people who have access to committee letters but don't use them.

 

[Mehd School]

You'll be completely fine. I chose to not use my committee because they're a bunch of jealous asshats, and things went wonderfully for me. It never came up at interviews.

 

[Mad Jack]

Didn't have one, did fine.