Science or Non-science rec letter?

[Bull1212]

Hello everyone,

I'm in the midst of preparing to apply this cycle and I'm currently emailing for rec letters from professors. I have a course I took back in fall of 2020 known as Survey of Human Diseases (HSC 4551). It's labeled as a health science course and the professor is affiliated with the College of Public Health at my university. The course was primarily learning about human diseases and treatments and was even taught by an MD.

My questions:
1. If I get a rec letter from this professor, would it fall under a science or non-science rec letter?
1b. If non-science, should I inform him that this rec letter would be my non-science one?
2. Is the fact that I took him in 2020 going to look bad when I apply?


Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

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[Doctor-S]

Hello everyone,

I'm in the midst of preparing to apply this cycle and I'm currently emailing for rec letters from professors. I have a course I took back in fall of 2020 known as Survey of Human Diseases (HSC 4551). It's labeled as a health science course and the professor is affiliated with the College of Public Health at my university. The course was primarily learning about human diseases and treatments and was even taught by an MD.

My questions:
1. If I get a rec letter from this professor, would it fall under a science or non-science rec letter?
1b. If non-science, should I inform him that this rec letter would be my non-science one?
2. Is the fact that I took him in 2020 going to look bad when I apply?


Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

1. Non-science letter because the professor taught you in a graded course that is not a BCPM course, according to the AMCAS Course Classification Guide.

2. It's fine; but make sure to ask the professor if he would be willing to write a strong and positive LOR for you because he was your professor for a graded non-science course.

3. Absent any communication to the contrary, it's fine, assuming the professor is fully prepared to write a strong and positive LOR for you. Reach out and ask him: is he prepared to write a strong and positive LOR for you for a class in 2020? Feel free to ask another non-science professor for a letter if you're not comfortable with his response. Be proactive. By now, it's likely that you've completed other non-science graded classes with other professors since 2020. It's your choice.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I think the biggest question which you don't address is why do you want a letter from this professor? If it's simply because it sounds like course that is relevant to medicine, or was taught by an MD, then I think those are bad reasons for asking for this LOR. You need letters from professors who really know you and can speak to how you will be an excellent physician. Maybe that applies to this professor... but it's a little hard to believe that is the case if you took their class 3 years ago and likely in an online learning environment.

If after accounting for all of these questions you still think this person would write you a stronger letter than your other options, I would suggest this is a non-science letter.

 

[Bull1212]

I think the biggest question which you don't address is why do you want a letter from this professor? If it's simply because it sounds like course that is relevant to medicine, or was taught by an MD, then I think those are bad reasons for asking for this LOR. You need letters from professors who really know you and can speak to how you will be an excellent physician. Maybe that applies to this professor... but it's a little hard to believe that is the case if you took their class 3 years ago and likely in an online learning environment.

If after accounting for all of these questions you still think this person would write you a stronger letter than your other options, I would suggest this is a non-science letter.

Whoa, you're a smart guy or gal, it was an online environment! I honestly am not the type of person to randomly ask for rec letters unless I feel like the individuals truly know who I am as a person. However, in this certain case, I just randomly asked for any of my non-science professors from previously taken courses because I only need one non-science rec letter left to obtain. I started taking all my non-science courses out of the way during my first two years of college and the courses were just general education requirements so they bore me half the time. The remainder of my degree was all science so after Fall 2020, all courses were only science (BCP).
I am in the midst of my post bacc and taking three courses: developmental biology, organic evolution, and medical botany - which all fall under BCPM. I was planning on taking a non-science course this summer that ends in July and possibly getting a rec letter from that professor. My only concern would be that it is during the time we can submit applications and without my non-science letter, my app would be incomplete. What is your opinion on taking that route?

 

[LizzyM]

Did you engage in classroom discussions or oral presentations as part of the course?
Did you has essays, papers or other written assignments as part of this course?

Those are two things I'm interested in hearing about in a non-science letter.

Who are you as a student? How will you contribute to the learning environment? Do you take a leadership role in class discussions? Are you often quiet but demonstrating deep understanding or a creativeness or curiosity that goes beyond the material when you do speak?

Did the faculty member get to know you during office hours? Did they get to know you outside of the academic environment (harder online than when students and faculty mingle after invited lectures and similar campus events).

These are just a few of my thoughts about what I expect from a strong (and not cookie-cutter) letter of recommendation.