Recommedation letters

[rippa]

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Hey everybody, I am new to this forum, but I wish I had this link before I took my June PCAT! it would help me a lot....anyway, better now then never. I am applying for a pharmacy school this fall and have a little problem - I can't decide what recommendation letters to submit. I already have to of them from my chemistry teacher and director of pharmacy at the hospital I volunteer. However I need the third one! should it be from teacher, pharmacist, or maybe even preacher???? or maybe adcom don't even care who wrote those letters just as long they are good?
thanks for your help guys^)))))

 

[rippa]

Sorry, I tried to post this thread at pre-pharmacy discussion. It will never happen again! I promiss😀

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Don't use letters from people who are preachers, family members, close friends, or politicians. You need to use people you have a professional relationship with. I think most schools specify this. Since you already have the science professor and pharmacist (which a lot of schools want) you are covered there. Go with anyone else you think will write you a good letter. Try to pick another pharmacist before someone else, but if you don't have another pharmacist it won't hurt you.

 

[omnione]

Preacher - probably not, as this is more personal

I would pick the pharmacist over the teacher if that you believe that the letters won't be rendundant. You may go with the teacher if your GPA is average or below. This way, it helps balance that out a little.

 

[timbutt2]

deleted

 

[rippa]

thanks for the fast replies!
I have 3.86 GPA and 89 composite on PCAT. I am sure that if I ask my biology teacher to wright the third recommendation, it would be really good. in addition, aside from the hospital pharmacy I've been volunteering for 9 months, I also started volunteering in retail pharmacy just a month ago. so I was planning to wait for another 2 months and ask for recommendation from there. Unfortunatelly, this retail pharmacy droped the volunteer program. do you gyus think that one month of volunteering for 4 hours once a week is enough to get the recommendation. or better ask my biology teacher

thank you 😀

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Go with the one you feel knows you better; only you can decide that. You have a really strong app so you have a good chance of getting in!

 

[40wada]

Sorry if I am a little naive, but why is it not good to get a letter of recommendation from a preacher. For my situation, I volunteer at my church by serving as a Sunday school teacher for the children from ages 6-12 yrs., and I was planning on asking for a letter from my preacher because he knows how reliable and trustworthy I am. He knows my volunteer work ethics. I have not volunteered anywhere else, but I am hoping to be able to volunteer in a hospital in the near future. If you could please shine some light on my question, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, and sorry for posting in your thread rippa.

 

[nerv12345]

i asked someone at my temple to write my letter...i have over 500 hours of community service there over the past couple of years

i think it's a good idea to have a professor and/or a pharmacist to write the other two though

the 3rd one shows that you have other commitments besides pharmacy

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Sorry if I am a little naive, but why is it not good to get a letter of recommendation from a preacher. For my situation, I volunteer at my church by serving as a Sunday school teacher for the children from ages 6-12 yrs., and I was planning on asking for a letter from my preacher because he knows how reliable and trustworthy I am. He knows my volunteer work ethics. I have not volunteered anywhere else, but I am hoping to be able to volunteer in a hospital in the near future. If you could please shine some light on my question, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, and sorry for posting in your thread rippa.

I've seen a lot of pharm schools that specifically won't accept letters from religious leaders. I don't know the exact reason, but I'm guessing adcoms believe they won't get an objective letter from something like that. Look at the requirements for the schools you are applying to, and to be safe call them and explain your situation.

 

[nerv12345]

^that's interesting

perhaps 40wada, you can ask someone other than your preacher...like a sunday school, or youth supervisor or something

 

[40wada]

Thank you for your responses! I guess I am going to ask the pre-pharm advisors, and see what they say. Thanks again!

 

[candita505]

Does anyone know what it means when a LOR from a pharmacist is "Conditionally required"?? What are the conditions? I'm in a bit of a bind because I'm a "career changer" and have spent the past eight years working in banking and finance while I finished my BS in Applied Math. It's only know, at 27, that I realize I hate it all and have decided that pharmacy is the way to go. I worked briefly as a pharmacy tech several years ago but I'm having a really hard time getting in touch with the pharmacist I worked for. Unfortunately for me, Campbell University conditionally requires a LOR from a pharmacist... any suggestions?

 

[binghamkid]

Moved to Pre-pharmacy section.

 

[cimdy]

I am highly wonder how some people can acquire the opportunity to volunteer in a hospital pharmacy. I cannot even find a position in retail stores.
What are the procedures?😕

 

[thanawalt]

Would a letter from the owner of the dog ranch I volunteer at be a good one?

 

[Sparda29]

Don't use letters from people who are preachers, family members, close friends, or politicians. You need to use people you have a professional relationship with. I think most schools specify this. Since you already have the science professor and pharmacist (which a lot of schools want) you are covered there. Go with anyone else you think will write you a good letter. Try to pick another pharmacist before someone else, but if you don't have another pharmacist it won't hurt you.

No politicians? I'm pretty sure a letter from Obama is a guarantee to get you into any school you want.

 

[Schrutebeetfarm]

I knew this girl that was in band camp and she played the flute, could she write me a letter of recommendation?

 

[PrepharmKID]

I've seen a lot of pharm schools that specifically won't accept letters from religious leaders. I don't know the exact reason, but I'm guessing adcoms believe they won't get an objective letter from something like that. Look at the requirements for the schools you are applying to, and to be safe call them and explain your situation.

I spoke with admissions at my schools that i am applying about whom they would prefer you have write your LOR's. I asked them specifically about church and if i am a youth leader and they said that it's not the best idea. She asked me straight up if i would consider teaching a bible study/sunday school class volunteer work, and if you think about it, it's not. You are helping out at your church for religious reasons cause you feel it as being your obligation and right to help others to grow spiritually. You are a sunday school "teacher" not a volunteer. Just think about that, now would you consider that to be volunteer work? Definitely not.

She did say that they prefer professors that you have known longer. She said they especially like O-chem professors. Or even teachers you had for multiple classes. So maybe get your genetics professor over your Biology I professor, or even your o-chem teacher trumps any of the lower level chemistry courses. I know i said "she" through this whole answer, but that's cause I got this same general answer from admissions at 3 schools and they were all female. 😀

 

[ilovePharmD2]

Does a LOR from a pharmacist have to be one that you have worked with? What about a pharmacist that is like a mentor to you, but you never worked with him/her, or even worked in a pharmacist before?