Specialization of Letters of Recommendation

[jankanator]

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For those who have applied to MD/PhD programs, how did you arrange your letters of recommendation? I'm wondering how much they should discuss medicine and research.

So lets say I will have 2-3 science professors, 1 non-science professor, and 4-5 research mentor letters. Should every letter mention my potential to be in an MD/PhD program, or should some just discuss my potential in medical school? If, for example, at one school I make it to be considered as a potential MD/PhD candidate, it would be great for all of my letters to talk about medicine and research and the combined degree program. On the other hand, if I don't make it to the MD/PhD level at a school and am put in with the MD applicant pool, won't it look bad if every letter mentions research and a combined degree program? It seems like my recommendations would be out of place in that situation.

So should I try to get two versions of the letters or tell some people to just talk about medicine and others to talk about the combined degree? At my school we don't have a pre-med committee, but we do have a service that keeps our recommendations on file and we can then choose which letters to send where.

Thanks for any help.

 

[DarkChild]

i wouldnt worry about getting two different letters. just get your LOR writers to write about your intention to apply to MD/PhD programs. I applied to a combination of MD and MD/PhD programs. All my letters talked about my applying MD/PhD and for the schools that I applied MD only I really emphasized that I wanted to work in academic medicine and do research. So I dont think having MD/PhD specific recs hurt me there. Schools understand that your first priority is getting in somewhere and as long as your consistent in your interest in medicine then you'll be fine.
Cheers.

 

[Neuronix]

I had this same question last year, and in retrospect it's not a big deal. You don't need separate letters. For things like clinial experience, let them address your potential to be a physician. On the other hand, PI recommendations should address the extent of your relationship with them, how well you performed, and your potential to become a reseacher. For professor recommendations, it doesn't matter that much. If you want to say academic medicine or biomedical research, it's fine.

I had 9 LORs when I applied. Just let the programs get what they want out of them. Remember that the best MD programs are also interested in producing academic physicians, so having letters that address research potential or MD/PhD aren't a negative thing for them.

 

[Habari]

hey jankanator,
here is what i did - and i didn't get any complaints:

i sent every medschool/mstp the same set of 7 (!) letters and a committee letter, and every single one of them addressed my potential to be a 'medical scientist' as well as personal aspects. the key was that there was enough personal information in addittion to academic so it would be relevant to an md-only committee as well. for example, at ucsf, the med admissions is done completely seperately, and they had the same set of letters - and it wasn't a problem.

 

[Nuel]

I thought these programs required only about three of four letters of recommendation. So you have to send 7 up to 9?
Rather queer, but I have no problem with it. Next year is my application cycle

 

[Neuronix]

Originally posted by Nuel
I thought these programs required only about three of four letters of recommendation. So you have to send 7 up to 9?
Rather queer, but I have no problem with it. Next year is my application cycle

MD programs require 2 LORs from science professors and 1 LOR from a non-science professor. MSTPs generally require several additional LORs from all the PIs you have worked with. I was fortunate to have 3 PhDs that I worked with, so I sent 3 LORs. It is also recommended that you send at least one recommendation addressing your clinical experience, so that will be at least one LOR.

For me, I had extensive work experience before and during my first two years of college. So, I included 2 letters of recommendation from my old bosses.

So I sent all that AND my committee's recommendation as a cover. I am something of a special case since I had so many PIs that I worked with and because I included those 2 LORs from my old bosses. Still, you should have a minimum of 5 LORs (3 profs, at least 1 PI, at least 1 clinical), and remember that it's pretty hard to have too many good LORs!

 

[Sonya]

I doubt you should have tons of LORs, because i think there is such thing as too many good recs. I think it would be better to have 5 to 6 excellent LORs, rather then 9 good ones. Nonetheless, if they one from each lab, give it. What if you would rather NOT have a certain PI write a letter? do they require it?

You don't want to dilute good letters with okay letters from PIs that don't know you well. I would limit the science professors if you are getting so many research letters, because I think 9 is excessive. Nonetheless, one class letter is good.
Don't many schools cap you at 6 letters? are some of these letters getting sent only to schools you applied md/phd?

I will use two PIs, 1 science professor, 1 non-science professor, and 1 Extra-activity advisor.
Here's what i think i choosing mines, they will see i have good grades(~3.8), so, why do i need LORs saying she scored in the top 5 % or 10% in so and so class? or, she knows how to think about concepts... or more academic stuff? I worked in three labs, and don't want to used a rec letter from one of them, so i'm using the other two. And one non-science letter, b/c schools want that, and then, i figured someone i worked with in ECs can say more about personality (she's also the dean and pre-med advisor for the entire school, so she knows what to say).

Sonya

 

[bailey39]

Many schools require letters from ALL of your PIs. My pre-med advisor has told me to pick one or two(plus a bunch of other science, etc) and I ended up having to ask the other PI in July. That was embarrassing because I had to explain why I didn't ask him in the first place.

 

[Neuronix]

Originally posted by Sonya
I doubt you should have tons of LORs, because i think there is such thing as too many good recs. I think it would be better to have 5 to 6 excellent LORs, rather then 9 good ones. Nonetheless, if they one from each lab, give it. What if you would rather NOT have a certain PI write a letter? do they require it?

Several interviewers, on both the MD and MD/PhD side, commented to me about the strength of my LORs. Nobody once said I had too many. Though I do agree, don't try to just pile on more LORs if you can't get excellent ones. Because I worked with so many PIs and worked in the computer industry for so many years, I just had alot of LORs. My point is not to be scared to send them if you have them.

It's unfortunate that you will need a letter from every PI you worked with, unless you just omit that experience from your application. That's the way it is in research, so don't piss too many people off like I do 😉

You don't want to dilute good letters with okay letters from PIs that don't know you well. I would limit the science professors if you are getting so many research letters, because I think 9 is excessive. Nonetheless, one class letter is good.
Don't many schools cap you at 6 letters? are some of these letters getting sent only to schools you applied md/phd?

The only school I've ever heard of that caps letters at all is the MD program at Tulane. But, I know they're not MSTP and I don't know if they even have a MD/PhD program. So no, there's no cap. Yes, I think some of my class LORs were excessive, however, that helped me to cover all my bases. When the MD programs wanted to see specifically letters from my professors, they were in the packet. This is at the heart of the debate... Can you just not include those for the MD/PhD program? I argue that it's not important, so don't worry about sending some letters some places, and other some places.

I will use two PIs, 1 science professor, 1 non-science professor, and 1 Extra-activity advisor.

That's fine--I just hope that you don't run into any problems completing your application at certain schools that specifically want to see professor LORs. I don't know if you can subsitute PI LORs in these cases, but it's really to satisfy the MD programs at some schools. At some schools, your secondary won't be marked complete without those 2 science profs and 1 non-science prof.

Here's what i think i choosing mines, they will see i have good grades(~3.8), so, why do i need LORs saying she scored in the top 5 % or 10% in so and so class? or, she knows how to think about concepts... or more academic stuff? I worked in three labs, and don't want to used a rec letter from one of them, so i'm using the other two. And one non-science letter, b/c schools want that, and then, i figured someone i worked with in ECs can say more about personality (she's also the dean and pre-med advisor for the entire school, so she knows what to say).

You're right, LORs should address the things that can't be gleaned from your application. Honesty, personal skills, work habit, potential, etc...