PI won’t write letter of rec

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Wats pl guys?

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[Robin-jay]

Wats pl guys?

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Research adviser

 

[masnerj]

Wats pl guys?

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PI stands for Principal Investigator, usually a MD or PhD or MD/PhD that is in charge of a lab or research group.

 

[LabLover44]

When I was collecting letters, I actually got ghosted by one professor whom I thought would definitely write me a great one. It was unbelievably frustrating. I tried for weeks to get in touch with him, but he wouldn’t reply to emails or anything. It would have been nice (and painless) for him to at least say “no, sorry” instead of just ignoring me. Eventually, I let it go and got a letter from another professor. I figured I didn’t want a letter from someone who didn’t want to write me one anyway, and, fortunately, it all worked in the end.

This is currently happening to me right now! I've been emailing my senior year undergrad PI for about a month and a half now and have called the office numerous times. I've even reached out to the PhD student, but she's currently not on campus for medical issues. I'm applying MD/PhD and I'm really nervous this is going to make my application have a huge red flag. (I am a post bacc now and will have letters from my current PI as well as my sophomore year PI and summer PI). How do you suggest I explain this to schools if I can't get a letter?

 

[Batracho]

Hey! I'm a current MD/PhD student and I am very sorry this is happening to you.
I agree that not having a PI LoR is a big red flag for admissions, so I think your best course of action is really to at least try to repair the relationship with your PI, even if it involves changing your plans. You spent a considerable amount of time in his lab, published and he is a big wig. You really want his letter. The problem is, seeing that he is an ass (not uncommon trait among talented researchers btw), that I wouldn't be comfortable with what he writes even if decides to go through with it. You don't just want a letter, you want a great letter, and if he's behaving like that I don't think you can be confident he will write it.

If this doesn't work, I guess a letter from a senior postdoc coupled with someone in an allied lab (someone you maybe have joint lab meetings with?..) who knows your work fairly well is the best you can do, plus write something in the MD/PhD statement about this situation, but yeah, I agree with others that it must be a carefully written story.

On a more personal note — something similar happened to me when I was getting my Master's, I did not get a letter from a PI I worked with for 3 years. He was an ass and your PI sounds very similar to him. I didn't get his letter for Master's (I asked a postdoc to write me one) but I came back after 2 years, explained my situation and helped him with some administrative troubles, and he agreed to write me a letter. I don't know what he wrote, but hey, I am in an MSTP program.

Again, very sorry this is happening to you. This is unfair, but so is life.

 

[ellia]

This is currently happening to me right now! I've been emailing my senior year undergrad PI for about a month and a half now and have called the office numerous times. I've even reached out to the PhD student, but she's currently not on campus for medical issues. I'm applying MD/PhD and I'm really nervous this is going to make my application have a huge red flag. (I am a post bacc now and will have letters from my current PI as well as my sophomore year PI and summer PI). How do you suggest I explain this to schools if I can't get a letter?

Have you tried visiting in person? I would just explain it as you did here. It says a lot if she is *choosing* to not answer you though. I would perhaps reconsider this letter of recommendation.

 

[LabLover44]

Have you tried visiting in person? I would just explain it as you did here. It says a lot if she is *choosing* to not answer you though. I would perhaps reconsider this letter of recommendation.

I no longer live near my undergrad institution, so it's not feasible for me to visit in person. I would be completely shocked if she was choosing to not answer me because we did have a good relationship. I have her cell phone, but am hesistant to use it. Do you think this is appropriate?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You would think that someone who is a Nobel laureate would actually be a decent human being and not a petty ass.


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Many a Nobel laureate seem to be dinguses.

 

[ellia]

I no longer live near my undergrad institution, so it's not feasible for me to visit in person. I would be completely shocked if she was choosing to not answer me because we did have a good relationship. I have her cell phone, but am hesistant to use it. Do you think this is appropriate?

I would try first calling her office phone during office hours (you can call the department office to ask when they are as I am sure they would have that information). If you're still unable to reach her I would give it one last try with the cell phone. You can judge from her tone how she feels about writing a letter for you.