Physician LOR

[WhizoMD]

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I'm working on getting my LOR's together, and my school's premed committee requires an LOR from a physician before they'll write a committee letter. But, I don't really know any physicians that well (apart from those who've treated me); the longest I've shadowed one for is 13 hours, and we didn't really talk that much. I'm unsure of what to do here....should I just ask him for a letter? I don't think he would turn me down, but it just seems a bit awkward asking someone who barely knows me for an LOR.

 

[deleted357625]

I'm working on getting my LOR's together, and my school's premed committee requires an LOR from a physician before they'll write a committee letter. But, I don't really know any physicians that well (apart from those who've treated me); the longest I've shadowed one for is 13 hours, and we didn't really talk that much. I'm unsure of what to do here....should I just ask him for a letter? I don't think he would turn me down, but it just seems a bit awkward asking someone who barely knows me for an LOR.

Yea just ask, i would give the physician your resume/copy of transcript to maybe help with the LOR since you only shadowed for 13 hours.

 

[IHOPness]

Yea just ask, i would give the physician your resume/copy of transcript to maybe help with the LOR since you only shadowed for 13 hours.

👍

 

[UpQuark]

Just adding onto this thread. Is a committee letter required?

 

[alwaysaangel]

Just adding onto this thread. Is a committee letter required?

If your school offers a committee letter then its basically required. Schools will wonder why you didn't use the committee if you don't.

However, if your school doesn't have one then you are fine to not use a committee letter.

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

Yea just ask, i would give the physician your resume/copy of transcript to maybe help with the LOR since you only shadowed for 13 hours.

Agree. Asking someone you don't really know can be awkward for both parties. I'm sure if you explain the situation to that physician, he will be more understanding and less likely to reject you. Be sure to offer to sit down and chat with him about your interests. This will at least allow him the opportunity to get to know you and he can at least make an effort to personalize the letter a bit. Fix up your CV/resume for that physician. And most important, make sure you specify STRONG LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION. Anyone can write you an LOR but you'll want/need a strong one.

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

make sure you specify STRONG LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION. Anyone can write you an LOR but you'll want/need a strong one.

👍 agreed. I use the same exact wording every time. "Would you be able to write me a strong letter of recommendation?"

But if you've shadowed only 13 hours, are you really sure that you belong in medical school? I'm not trying to be rude, but before you embark on 4 years of medical school, plus many more years in residency, couldn't you at least put in a few more hours into shadowing? I recommend you beef up your shadowing hours then do what the committee requests.

 

[da8s0859q]

👍 agreed. I use the same exact wording every time. "Would you be able to write me a strong letter of recommendation?"

But if you've shadowed only 13 hours, are you really sure that you belong in medical school? I'm not trying to be rude, but before you embark on 4 years of medical school, plus many more years in residency, couldn't you at least put in a few more hours into shadowing? I recommend you beef up your shadowing hours then do what the committee requests.

Not for nothing, and I don't disagree, but even for people who spent 800 hours shadowing, applying to medical school is still something of a calculated risk. This includes many of the "oh but I KNEW I wanted to be a doctor" types.

But anyway, I'd be careful with how you ask. I did something similar -- along the lines of "Dr. so-and-so, I really want to ____, and I wanted to ask if you'd be comfortable writing a letter in my support, ..." -- but the wording can make the difference between a perfectly fine solicitation for a letter and some snotty request from yet another premed kid who thinks he wants to play doctor and is verbally twisting arms to get someone to sing his virtues from the mountaintops.