Optometrist is dragging his feet with writing my LOR

[Stirling]

His LOR is the very last thing I need for my application to be finalized. I asked him back in May if he would be willing to write my LOR for this cycle, and he was definitely willing. I gave him a deadline of late July. When I asked him this week if he was working on it, he said he wasn't in a rush to write it and hasn't really thought about it. I explained (tactfully) that my schools were waiting for it, and with rolling admissions, the sooner the better. He started going off about how he doesn't believe for a second that sooner applicants will be given preference over stronger applicants that apply later in the cycle. "I could wait a few months to write your letter and you'd still have the same chances of getting in." He's an honest guy, and if he felt like I didn't deserve a good LOR, he would've told me. I don't think he's waiting for more info from me.

Unfortunately, I've submitted my application through OptomCAS already, so I can't remove him as an evaluator and request someone else. I did shadow a different optometrist that was willing to write my LOR, but I guess it's too late for that.

Should I just wait and not mention anything to my optometrist about his LOR? Are there other ways that I can try to push him to writing it sooner?

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[Armyhealth]

I see 2 options-

Either you bother him every day and be persistent until you get your letter.

Or write your own from his perspective, take it to him as a "rough draft" tell him to edit anyway he likes and sign it. Seen this many times working with pre-health majors.

 

[Stirling]

Okay, I drafted a letter for him to use as he sees fit and sent it to him last week. This was after speaking with my supervisor (they are close with the optometrist) and having them try to nudge him along with submitting a letter. They came back and said that didn’t help at all.

So I drafted a letter and basically said in my email “please use this or decline so I can have someone else submit a letter.” It’s been a week, and I haven’t heard anything. OptomCAS still says requested. Should I ask him in person about it?


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[waapo2018]

I understand how you feel. One optometrist i shadowed was a real ass. He said that it doesn't matter whether u get the letter from an optometrist or professor but UAB specifically wants two letters from optometrists. I suggest you that you just wait now and then maybe after a few more days then just email him again. If not, then find someone else to write the LOR

 

[Stirling]

Thanks guys. He didn’t take me up on the offer. He felt that waiting until I had worked for a year or two would come off as a much stronger letter of recommendation (I’ve only worked with him for half a year so far). That, and he felt it was way too early to submit my application. This timeline was way too long for me and the schools I’m applying to, so I went to another optometrist that I shadowed and asked. He submitted his evaluation over the weekend! Now just waiting to hear back!


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