Science LOR

[Mdcsmitty]

Just wondering if anybody else has been in this current situation. Some schools that i am looking at require a LOR from a Science faculty but i am non trad and a couple of years out of science pre reqs and so it may be possible to reach out and get some letters but it wont be anything from a professor i had recently so I dont know how comfortable they would be doing this if they even remember me at this point. As my degree is in Nursing, and not a natural science I never got close to any of those faculty. I am definitely going to reach out to some schools and ask them directly what they would recommend but was just looking for some insight from others who have had a similar situation.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Just wondering if anybody else has been in this current situation. Some schools that i am looking at require a LOR from a Science faculty but i am non trad and a couple of years out of science pre reqs and so it may be possible to reach out and get some letters but it wont be anything from a professor i had recently so I dont know how comfortable they would be doing this if they even remember me at this point. As my degree is in Nursing, and not a natural science I never got close to any of those faculty. I am definitely going to reach out to some schools and ask them directly what they would recommend but was just looking for some insight from others who have had a similar situation.

Nontrads are sometimes given leeway with these requirements by medical schools. Many programs will allow you to substitute something like work supervisors' letters for faculty letters. It is usually on a case-by-case basis, though, so you'll unfortunately need to check the MSAR or all your target programs' websites, or call up the admissions office if you can't find information online.

As an aside, don't worry too much about reaching out to former faculty, especially if you had good relationships with them. The PI of my research gets requests all the time from former students - some several years out - for LORs for various graduate programs. Sometimes he doesn't remember the former students well, so he'll ask for a brief meeting to jog his memory and discuss the letter. The worst that your former professors can say is "no", and it really will make your life a lot easier if you can secure a few science letters. It beats having to seek exceptions from most of the schools to which you'll apply.