Refused to write reference letter

[nrumy]

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Dear fellow students,

I applied to OT last year got rejected , this year trying again. I think my main weakness is volunteer hours. I did 100 hours at a rehab last time. And 50 hours this time in a pediatric setting. Today my OT informed me that she can write a letter but will not be able to recommend me highly . the reasons she showed , I was late in some sessions, I did not ask too many questions, I was not really present during the sessions, I chit chatted with the receptionist ( untrue)

Last year the geriatric OT did the manual letters but refused to do a digital version she said it is too much work.

I am starting a hospital setting soon but really feel beat up as the deadlines are looming and I don't have reference from a OT.

My background I have a masters from Columbia university in architecture. My bachelors is from India. pre req gpa 3.64 . volunteer hours geriatrics 100. Pediatrics 50 .

Do u have any suggestions for me ? Did anyone have similar experience with reference letters?

Thank you.

 

[OTtoB]

I didn't have such experiences with reference letters. All of my recomenders were enthusiastic about writing me an LOR.

LORs by they way, are very important in the application process. Giving "faint praise" can really hurt an application. If you can't get in this year, I suggest that you work really hard on establishing a network with many OTs, and than solicit a letter from the person that you have great rapport with.

You want observation hours in multiple settings to quantifiably demonstrate knowledge of the profession.

There are multiple variables affecting the decisions of the admissions committee. If you already have a masters degree for example, they may give priority to people who don't (out of fairness).

 

[nrumy]

Thank you OTB . I guess it's just my bad luck. I must have ticked her off with something.

Also I am applying to add many as 10 places . do you think asking one person to do all 10 will be a problem . some of then are OtCAS some not.

 

[OTWannabe15]

It sounds like you are smart and dedicated to becoming an OT. So, after spending 100 hours with one OT, and 50 with another, they would not write you strong letters of recommendation? I am sorry to hear that, I know that must have been a lot of free time spent learning about the profession. Something that I would recommend is to consider whether or not such an interaction-driven career is right for you. I do not mean to sound harsh by any means, but it sounds as though you might be coming across as though you do not care or are not dedicated, despite the fact that you do care and are dedicated. I do not mean to discourage you from seeking a career as an OT, but people skills are a crucial part of the job. If you are late for the sessions, this indirectly indicates that you do not care about the experience or respecting the time of the therapist. Be sure you are on time, even a few minutes early to ensure that you are not inconveniencing the therapist. The OT I observed was very happy to write a reference, and I even ended up getting a job as a therapy tech at the same facility where I observed. I believe this is because I engaged (when appropriate) with the patients, asked questions, and was genuinely interested in learning all that I could. I see now, working as the therapists' second set of hands, that being able to make patients feel at ease and comfortable is very important in providing good care.

If you feel that you do have good people skills and perhaps these observation experiences were exceptionally bad, I would work on making sure that you show the next OT how interested you are in the career and prove to them that you can work well with people. Think of some good questions to ask before you go, and have a list of them to refer to at any time. Be sure that you show that you are eager to learn and love working with people.

 

[nrumy]

Thank you !! This suggestion is really helpful. It is true I could find very few questions to ask. Next time I will make sure to show more eagerness.

 

[nrumy]

Had another question... What is the probability of getting admission if I don't get a letter from an OT? If they do not require that I need a letter from a OT . my other 2 ( non ot )references are really strong.

 

[OTtoB]

Thank you OTB . I guess it's just my bad luck. I must have ticked her off with something.

Also I am applying to add many as 10 places . do you think asking one person to do all 10 will be a problem . some of then are OtCAS some not.

Having to write that many might irk a person. They could possibly write one LOR and send it to all 10. You should focus on being as conveniant as possible. Supply them with stamped and addressed envelopes, give them several weeks to write the letter, have things pre-filled, give them a portfolio with your curriculum vitae, trancsript, awards, courses that you've taken related to OT (if the situation calls for it), etc.

 

[OTtoB]

Had another question... What is the probability of getting admission if I don't get a letter from an OT? If they do not require that I need a letter from a OT . my other 2 ( non ot )references are really strong.

They're typically going to look at you as an overall applicant. If they don't require an LOR from an OT, then you have a chance to apply. It shouldn't hurt, but remember that this is a competitive process, and you want to beat the competition (avoid the "minimalist" mentality). Having an excellent LOR from an OT will strengthen your application because it is coming from someone directly in the field.

The LOR allows the admissions committees to get to know you from the perspective of professionals, (i.e., whether or not you possess the qualities that are necessary for graduate school and the OT profession: your maturity, how well you interact with patients, your interest and enthusiam for OT, your initiative to learn, etc). They look at the strength of the relationship between the LOR writer and student, how creditable the information is by looking at the recommender's experience and credentials, whether or not if the LOR was written by someone in a profession that is relevant to OT and academics, etc.

If an LOR does not accomplish the aforementioned purpose, gives faint praise, or warns of negative qualities, it will reflect negatively on the applicant and can be grounds for rejection.

As OTwannabe15 stated, interpersonal skills are crucial to your efficacy as an OT. Inability to solicit an appropriate letter may lead one to assume that the applicant does not have the necessary interpersonal skills.

 

[nrumy]

Thank you, great advice!

 

[alansda]

You should be thankful that the OT was candid with you about the letter. Imagine if you think she'll write a good one and she ends up writing a very mediocre one and it potentially cancels out all of your other attributes at the time of admissions decision.

Sometimes there's no chemistry between the OT and the shadower, even entire facilities may have therapists that just don't mesh well with you. Even entire settings (SNF, Peds, Acute, etc)!

I recommend that you do some deep thinking about why it is that you'd like to become an OT, think about what interests you the most, and come up with a bunch of questions. Make it your goal to come up with more questions every day, do your own research, read about experiences through OT blogs, OT newsletters, and just be really proactive in your approach to volunteering. Think of it less as a requirement and more like an opportunity for you to find out if this is truly what you want to be doing as a career. So many people (med and phd students come to mind) embark in long and expensive careers just to find out "Huh, I really don't like this at all."

Try again with all your might.

 

[nrumy]

Thank you... Wondering any OT blogs that anyone knows of ?

 

[OTtoB]

Not sure about OT blogs, but the AOTA website is a good resource. You could also take an intro to OT course or buy an intro to OT book. I read one while I was observing, so that I could understand what it was that I was observing and ask questions. I brought it with me while observing, and the OT that wrote me an LOR was able to write about the my interest and initiative to learn about OT in. the letter. I was also engaged with everything that was going on.

Observation is an opportunity to learn about the profession. It is required by admissions committees so that candidates would know exactly what it is they are getting into. OT isn't for everyone, in fact burn out is likely, and you will run into clients with difficult behavior. I witnessed stress, difficult clients, and difficult coworkers during my observations. A frequent complaint by OTs during my observations was that they were often swamped by paperwork and high caseloads.

Along with learning about the profession, observing also helps you to figure out if you are a good match for the profession. During a graduate school interview, they will most likely ask "why OT?" Observation can help reaffirm your decision to pursue OT, and you can speak about that during an interview.

If you never appear engaged, don't ask questions, are late, and don't interact with patients, the OT can't say anything about you that would sound positive enough to convince the admissions committee that you are the write candidate.

(Sorry about the spelling and grammer, the autocorrect on my smartphone is making it painful to write).