Physician LOR requirement

[Long Way to Go]

I know that a good number of DO schools require a letter of recommendation from a D.O. The rest of them will accept a letter of recommendation from an M.D. Do most applicants obtain this letter of recommendation from a physician whom they shadowed or interacted with while volunteering? Or is it also acceptable to obtain a letter from an academic physician with whom you did research? The purpose behind of the requirement (making sure you know what you are getting yourself into?) makes me think that schools want the former, but I just wanted to clarify.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I think typically the goal of the letter is to have the physician describe why they feel you would make a good physician. I don't know that it matters what sense the person knows you, just that they know your character

 

[Longshanks]

It can be from whomever. I had a letter from an MD I shadowed and who was also my attending when I was a clerk, a letter from my PI who was an MD, and for the one school that wanted specifically a DO LOR my family doc just wrote one for me and he was more than happy to once he knew I was setting on this path and offered to assist me in any way.

Ask around. It seems like a foolish requirement for the DO schools, as most physician LORs will be pure rubbish unless you actually worked for them. They aren't even that important it seems, as the one school that wanted the DO letter sent my acceptance immediately upon receiving it, as that letter came far after my interview and adcom review, so it gives me the impression that they are unimportant. So it's not something to stress over.


However, if you want a good strong LOR that you can use to actually supplement your application and not be part of the DO adcom checklist, then get a letter from a physician you've worked for or volunteered with in some capacity. If that isn't possible, then hopefully someone you had a significant shadowing experience with and is someone who likes you and can vouch for you.

 

[ManBroDude]

Here's a list of which schools require a DO letter and which don't.