Should I ask the physician that I am shadowing for a lor?

[omegaz]

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I know it doesn't hurt to get a lor on interfolio but I've only shadowed her for 2 days. Also, do you even need a lor from a physician that you shadowed when you have professors that know you better?

 

[mvenus929]

Unless you are applying to a school that specifically asks for a physician LOR or you have done extensive work beyond shadowing with the physician, a LOR is worthless.

 

[baxt1412]

i would be hesitant that they would be able to give you a strong letter if you only have 2 days with her.

 

[NickNaylor]

In general, no. Unless you have worked with them in another context (e.g., research), physicians you have shadowed - particularly for only 2 days - cannot offer any information that is useful for the purposes of admissions. You would be better served getting a letter from a professor or research supervisor.

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

In general, no. Unless you have worked with them in another context (e.g., research), physicians you have shadowed - particularly for only 2 days - cannot offer any information that is useful for the purposes of admissions. You would be better served getting a letter from a professor or research supervisor.

See, I get this, but then I wonder how a one hour interview is sufficient for determining if you are fit for medical school.

 

[NickNaylor]

See, I get this, but then I wonder how a one hour interview is sufficient for determining if you are fit for medical school.

Because if you're so socially inadequate that you can't make at least a passable impression during the interview, why on earth would a university want to expose you to their patients?

Schools "get to know you" through your application and the experiences you discuss there. The interview is to make sure you're somewhat normal and to ask any follow-up questions in relation to the information provided on your application. If you haven't had the chance in a secondary application, it also frequently serves as an opportunity to directly express your interest in the school and your reasons for applying there.

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

Because if you're so socially inadequate that you can't make at least a passable impression during the interview, why on earth would a university want to expose you to their patients?

Schools "get to know you" through your application and the experiences you discuss there. The interview is to make sure you're somewhat normal and to ask any follow-up questions in relation to the information provided on your application. If you haven't had the chance in a secondary application, it also frequently serves as an opportunity to directly express your interest in the school and your reasons for applying there.

I'm saying that if they can gauge that in an hour, the doctor you shadow for 20-40 hours certainly could gauge that as well. The doctors I shadowed read my CV and then got to know me, I think they could tell if I was good for med school or not...

 

[mvenus929]

I'm saying that if they can gauge that in an hour, the doctor you shadow for 20-40 hours certainly could gauge that as well. The doctors I shadowed read my CV and then got to know me, I think they could tell if I was good for med school or not...

Interviews are a lot of back and forth. Shadowing is you sitting there watching the physician do his or her job, and maybe occasionally getting you involved. It's a much more passive experience.

Also, to further emphasize what Nick is saying... The interview is the culmination of your application. They judge you based on letters from people who have worked with you extensively, your grades, what you've done, how well you articulate your thoughts on paper, etc. In general, the interview isn't going to change the schools mind about you--unless you are wickedly charismatic or a social bore or do something egregious, like insult the secretary.

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

Interviews are a lot of back and forth. Shadowing is you sitting there watching the physician do his or her job, and maybe occasionally getting you involved. It's a much more passive experience.

Also, to further emphasize what Nick is saying... The interview is the culmination of your application. They judge you based on letters from people who have worked with you extensively, your grades, what you've done, how well you articulate your thoughts on paper, etc. In general, the interview isn't going to change the schools mind about you--unless you are wickedly charismatic or a social bore or do something egregious, like insult the secretary.

To be clear, I'm not diminishing the value of the interview, I'm using it to try and elevate the value of a physician letter. Maybe I had a unique experience shadowing, but I talked with the physician a lot and we spent time discussing my interests, personal life, and goals as well.

 

[NickNaylor]

I'm saying that if they can gauge that in an hour, the doctor you shadow for 20-40 hours certainly could gauge that as well. The doctors I shadowed read my CV and then got to know me, I think they could tell if I was good for med school or not...

While this is true in a basic sense, a physician that knows you only through shadowing really can't offer any useful information. Admissions committees aren't interested in whether random people think an applicant is "good for med school or not." The admissions committees will decide that - that's their job. Instead, the committees are interested in knowing about the qualities that make this applicant a strong (whatever context you knew that person in), comment on their personal characteristics, and their relative "ranking" in terms of other students they've worked with.

Sitting there and shadowing someone really doesn't really give anyone the opportunity to learn anything about you. It shows that you're at least not completely incompetent since you managed to not fail at watching someone do their work. It doesn't really get at anything that is actually of interest to admissions committees, which is why applicants are, in general, better served getting LORs from just about anyone else.

 

[mvenus929]

Maybe I had a unique experience shadowing, but I talked with the physician a lot and we spent time discussing my interests, personal life, and goals as well.

So the physician can say that you are a nice person and seem eloquent. What they can't say is that you are hard working, that you can problem solve, that you can handle a stressful load...unless you provide them with a CV, and then they can say "well, this person is very nice and their cv shows that they can do this, this, and this", which is different from someone actually seeing you do that.

In essence, your physician LOR won't give the application committee anything that they won't already see on the rest of your application. There is minimal personal connection, and usually the physicians don't know your whole backstory, while adcoms do. Can it provide some minimal character reference that may be more useful than an interview? Sure. But, again, the interview usually doesn't change whether the adcom wants you or not. That's why these letters aren't useful....they don't enhance the application.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

I know it doesn't hurt to get a lor on interfolio but I've only shadowed her for 2 days. Also, do you even need a lor from a physician that you shadowed when you have professors that know you better?

No.