Recommendation letter from Postdoc advisor?

[EUpremed]

Hi,
I finished my PhD last year and am in my first year of postdoc. I am planning to apply for Med School this year but am not sure if I should ask my postdoc advisor for a letter. He doesn't know me well and may not be thrilled about my choice to go into medicine.

Would it be detrimental to not have a letter from him? I will of course, get a letter from my PhD supervisor and others who have known me for many years. I am just not sure if it will look bad that I don't have a letter from my current employer.

Any thoughts?

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[mspeedwagon]

The conventional wisdom is NO, don't get a letter from him. Recommendation letters should ONLY come from people that know you well, know why you desire medicine and would very strongly recommend you. You are much better of not having a letter from your current letter than having a mediocre one.

Hi,
I finished my PhD last year and am in my first year of postdoc. I am planning to apply for Med School this year but am not sure if I should ask my postdoc advisor for a letter. He doesn't know me well and may not be thrilled about my choice to go into medicine.

Would it be detrimental to not have a letter from him? I will of course, get a letter from my PhD supervisor and others who have known me for many years. I am just not sure if it will look bad that I don't have a letter from my current employer.

Any thoughts?

 

[QofQuimica]

Hi,
I finished my PhD last year and am in my first year of postdoc. I am planning to apply for Med School this year but am not sure if I should ask my postdoc advisor for a letter. He doesn't know me well and may not be thrilled about my choice to go into medicine.

Would it be detrimental to not have a letter from him? I will of course, get a letter from my PhD supervisor and others who have known me for many years. I am just not sure if it will look bad that I don't have a letter from my current employer.

Any thoughts?

Having a letter from your grad school PI will be fine. If an interviewer ever asked about it, which I doubt one would, you should just say exactly what you said here: your post doc PI doesn't know you as well as your grad school PI does.

 

[KD1655]

May I ask what your PhD is in and what your thesis topic what? Also, where are you doing your postdoc and in what type of lab? I am very interested in pursuing your route to medical school; I am currently a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineer and should hopefully defend in ~2 years. I would then like to do a 1-2 year postdoc in membrane biophysics, possibly at Max Planck in Deutschland or somewhere else abroad. I would just like to get your input on applying via this route....thanks

 

[Scottish Chap]

Hi,
I finished my PhD last year and am in my first year of postdoc. I am planning to apply for Med School this year but am not sure if I should ask my postdoc advisor for a letter. He doesn't know me well and may not be thrilled about my choice to go into medicine.

Would it be detrimental to not have a letter from him? I will of course, get a letter from my PhD supervisor and others who have known me for many years. I am just not sure if it will look bad that I don't have a letter from my current employer.

Any thoughts?

I got a letter from my postdoc. mentor when I applied. He is a physician and he knew me well. Sounds like your person is neither. Pass, and move onto someone who knows you well.

 

[GatorPhD]

I got a letter from my postdoc. mentor when I applied. He is a physician and he knew me well. Sounds like your person is neither. Pass, and move onto someone who knows you well.

Ditto for me 👍