RECOMMENDATION LETTERS - question

[drgroovespace]

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Hi there,
Well, I have to apply to med school this year and will need three recommendation letters. I have a few professors in mind, whose classes I've done well in. I'm also applying for this internship this summer and will need letters for that as well. I just wanted to know if it was appropriate to ask a professor for more than one recommendation letter. i.e. one for med school, and one for my internship. I'd really appreciate it if someone can help me out with this. Thanks guys.

 

[Dodge This]

I don't see why this would even be a problem, unless the prof doesn't know you well at all. Personally, if I didn't know a prof well enough to ask him/her for two letters for two different thigns, I'd *seriously* question how postive and strong his/her reference would be even for one letter.

 

[Mossjoh]

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with asking the same professor for two letters. I recently asked a professor for two recommendation letters in one week. One was for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship another for a research opportunity. He gladly wrote both letters. A lot of the time, profs will just alter their first letter so that it meets the needs of the 2nd. My professor said it best when I mentioned that I was keeping him busy by writing letters, he said, "It's part of the job!" He couldn't be more right.
As for asking professors who don't know you well, I wouldn't recommend it. I tend to pick profs who I have had a couple of classes with and have spent some time talking to them. I go to a small college, so I know my profs very well, but I would stick to asking the ones who think highly of me and can write a good letter.

 

[drgroovespace]

thanks guys,
that was helpful, but see I go to a very big school. And most of my classes have more than 500 people in them, and I'm being serious. It was hard for me to actually get to know them, because I hardly had any questions about the class. I did do well in those classes though.

 

[Deoxynando]

I won't be the first to tell you this but you need strong letters from professors to be a successful applicant for medical school and your internship. You mentioned "very big school" and "not knowing your professor very well" -- thats a problem since the professor may not know enough about you to write a strong letter. I suggest offering a resume and statement of purpose so some of that stuff can be incorporated in the letters. Doing very well in a class does not imply a strong letter. I have directly heard medical school admissions officers emphasize the point of getting to know your professors, because they find that professors that don't know you will write letters that say "XZY student got an 'A' in my class and I recommend them to your school. Prof ABC" -- short and useless. You have time, so go set up an appointment with this professor to discuss your future goals and how he/she can help you.