Recommendation letter from work??? Please help!

[Fastidious]

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My friend (who is a programmer) wants to go to Medical School in two years. There is a very big chance that he will be fired from his present job so he worries how that's going to affect his chances of getting into Med School. Have any of you been asked for a recommendation letter from non-science related job or have been asked on an interview why you were fired (if you were)? Do you think he should worry about it? I have no clue whether admission offices have any access to a person's job history files. Thank you guys.

 

[carrigallen]

no worries. they wouldn't do that.

 

[mefistofel]

I'm that friend Fastidious was talking about.... thanks for the reply... but how do you know? Do they check credit history? work history? Thanks again.

 

[zzeyfzz]

Med school admissions committees have no reason to check your work or credit history.

The financial aid office, however, will check your credit history when they consider you for loans (unless you are paying for med school totally out of pocket). And having a bad credit rating will not prevent you from being accepted. It may impact your ability to receive good loans.

 

[mefistofel]

True.... but getting fired does not affect the credit history.... so if one's fired... will it somehow influence the admission?

 

[Fermi]

Originally posted by mefistofel
.... so if one's fired... will it somehow influence the admission?

In my experience, admissions interviews do not go into the details of your employment and how you were terminated. They concentrate more on the experiences you had in your post-college work, what you learned, how well you used your time, and most importantly, what made you decide to apply to med school and leave a job/career behind.

The only reason a firing might come up in admissions is if you don't find another job for several months. They will probably ask why you left your job when you had no other work/school for a long period of time.

Best of luck to you--getting laid off can be a pretty stressful time.

 

[mefistofel]

Thanks 🙂

 

[thackl]

Are you being fired or laid off? There is a HUGE difference. I asked for a layoff pkg and got it, plus a great LOR from my boss and unemployment. If you are non-trad, the ADCOM's will want a letter from a proffesor and one from a boss/mentor.

 

[mefistofel]

quote:
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If you are non-trad, the ADCOM's will want a letter from a proffesor and one from a boss/mentor.
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Thanks... what's non-trad and ADCOM?

 

[Fastidious]

Traditional applicant: high school, college, up to 2 years of research (optional) then Medical School. Traditional applicants are usually 20-25 years old.

Non-traditional: people who pursued another career in college and later on worked in a field not related to medicine, or applicants older than ~25.

ADCOM is Admission Committee.

 

[OtoNerd]

What you specify in your application with regard to your work experience is at your discretion. You may be asked about it in interview, and it's not a good practice to lie. Still, there will be no background check into your previous employment. The major factor is your scholastic performance, MCAT, LORs and to some degree, how you present at interview.

If your story is not a negative one, ie "My boss accused me of stealing," or "My boss always hated me," then you may be able to honestly tell the story during interview without trouble.

If you are really concerned you MIGHT be fired, you should find a new job ASAP and "move on."

Remember that your applications and interview is your chance to put yourself in the best light possible without being dishonest. It is not a lie if you choose not to include why you left a job any more than it is to omit speeding tickets or a misdemeanor drunk in public violation from freshman year.

Don't worry yourself too much about it. Unless someone on the admissions committee knows your (former) boss, there will be no deep looks into employment. BUT DON'T LIE, YOU WILL GET CAUGHT.

OtoNerd B)