pharm recc

[prlester]

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How important is it to get a lor from a pharmacist you volunteer/work with?
I will be volunteering about 100hrs during a three month period before applications this year.
Some schools require it and others don't want one. What's the deal? If you have a mediocre pharm rec and two good academic rec, a good work rec, which one should be the third choice, the pharm or the second academic? Thanks.

 

[JerryPharmD]

How important is it to get a lor from a pharmacist you volunteer/work with?
I will be volunteering about 100hrs during a three month period before applications this year.
Some schools require it and others don't want one. What's the deal? If you have a mediocre pharm rec and two good academic rec, a good work rec, which one should be the third choice, the pharm or the second academic? Thanks.

One of you letters should be from a pharmacist that you have worked/volunteered. This shows that you can work well in the environment that you want to go to school for. Just brown nose and work your butt off during your volunteer experience and you should get a good letter out of it.

 

[prlester]

One of you letters should be from a pharmacist that you have worked/volunteered. This shows that you can work well in the environment that you want to go to school for. Just brown nose and work your butt off during your volunteer experience and you should get a good letter out of it.

Right, but the pharm rec is critical or an extra? Will the experience look false if it is only a few months in summer? I am also a non-traditional applicant, been working for the past three years since graduation.

 

[JerryPharmD]

Right, but the pharm rec is critical or an extra? Will the experience look false if it is only a few months in summer? I am also a non-traditional applicant, been working for the past three years since graduation.

If I was on an ADCOM and the applicant didn't have a letter from a pharmacist, they better darn well make up for it in other areas. Just my dos pesetas 😉

 

[prlester]

If I was on an ADCOM and the applicant didn't have a letter from a pharmacist, they better darn well make up for it in other areas. Just my dos pesetas 😉

what's a good experience? What hours are good to accumulate, what task is one supposed to perform for say, a hospital vol experience?

 

[twester]

If I was on an ADCOM and the applicant didn't have a letter from a pharmacist, they better darn well make up for it in other areas. Just my dos pesetas 😉

I think LORs can be from any source (within the quidelines of the school's adcom). The strongest letters indicate knowledge of the student's qualifications and potential. The LORs that mention positive specifics stand out whether they are from a chemistry professor, an MD, a volunteer coordinator or your supervisor at the bank (the source of one of mine). I think it's the quality of the recommendation that makes it the most valuable.

Don't focus overly on LORs. Don't forget to study for that final. 😉

 

[AznGTOi3oi]

I think LORs can be from any source (within the quidelines of the school's adcom). The strongest letters indicate knowledge of the student's qualifications and potential. The LORs that mention positive specifics stand out whether they are from a chemistry professor, an MD, a volunteer coordinator or your supervisor at the bank (the source of one of mine). I think it's the quality of the recommendation that makes it the most valuable.

Don't focus overly on LORs. Don't forget to study for that final. 😉

Yea i have the same question though, what is better though to have a letter of rec from a teacher or from a pharmacist even if you know they are both good.

 

[twester]

Yea i have the same question though, what is better though to have a letter of rec from a teacher or from a pharmacist even if you know they are both good.

You're fast!

I asked myself, "Who knows me best all-around?" and "Who have I had the best relationship with?" I had a list of five potential recommendors and narrowed it down to three based on those two questions. Perhaps you could ask for an LOR from both the prof and the pharmacist? Maybe one of your other recommendors doesn't satisfy one of the questions as well as another would?

But if I was only looking for one reference from two equals - I'd go for the pharmacist.