Question about recommendation letters

[trixtherabbit1]

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I am conflicted about how I should go about getting my last letter of recommendation for Pharmacy school. I have talked with my counselor and she suggested getting at least two professors and one from another source. However, I have three pharmacists for whom I have worked for for years at this point. I believe they could give me the best possible letter of recommendation because they have seen my work ethic first hand, my interest in pharmacy, and they know me on a personal level. I have one professor that I do research for that I am going to ask, but even that letter will not be incredibly personal or strong because I am mostly working with his technicians. I attend University at Buffalo so all of my classes are very, very large and I really have got to know a professor on a personal level, or even to the point where they would know my name.

So, do I go with the pharmacists and one research professor? Or, do I ask around for any teacher which I got an A in their class.

I would hate to not take the advice of the counselor but I personally don't see how going that route would help me or my application.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Skrumpy]

I am conflicted about how I should go about getting my last letter of recommendation for Pharmacy school. I have talked with my counselor and she suggested getting at least two professors and one from another source. However, I have three pharmacists for whom I have worked for for years at this point. I believe they could give me the best possible letter of recommendation because they have seen my work ethic first hand, my interest in pharmacy, and they know me on a personal level. I have one professor that I do research for that I am going to ask, but even that letter will not be incredibly personal or strong because I am mostly working with his technicians. I attend University at Buffalo so all of my classes are very, very large and I really have got to know a professor on a personal level, or even to the point where they would know my name.

So, do I go with the pharmacists and one research professor? Or, do I ask around for any teacher which I got an A in their class.

I would hate to not take the advice of the counselor but I personally don't see how going that route would help me or my application.

Thanks in advance.

IMO go with whoever will give you the best LoRs. Ideally you want to vary your sources a little. Having all of your LoRs coming from one source may make you seem a bit 1 dimensional and the adcom may question why you weren't able to get at least 1 LoR from an aspect of your life outside of work. That being said I wouldn't say you are required to have a professor do your LoR. I didn't have a professor write a LoR for me and I got into a top school. I did have 3 strong LoRs from varied sources though (2 from work and one from another source). If you honestly can't find someone whom you trust to write a good LoR for you outside of those 3 pharmacists I would say go with them. 3 stellar LoRs are better than 2 stellar and 1 mediocre LoR IMO, even if it is at the expense of some variation in your sources.