Texas Crew: TMDSAS Letters of Recommendation

[daaarn]

I tried looking through the TMDSAS site and other threads, but I couldn't really get a clear enough answer for my questions, so here goes:

*Note: For whatever reason, I did not qualify to be evaluated by my school's Pre-Health Committee, so I will not be able to use them for this.*

1.) How many Letters of Recommendation do TX schools require?

2.) Who should/can I get these required LoR's from? (ie- as part of the "required" LoRs, can I get one from a research adviser/volunteer adviser? or does it have to be from like 2 science profs?)

3.) Will it be too "late" to wait till after this Spring semester is over to ask one of my current professors for a recommendation? [the class in question is co-taught by 2 different professors, and unfortunately, I did not get to know the first teacher, so I'm hoping to do better with the 2nd teacher]

4.) How important/how much emphasis is put on LoRs in terms of the overall admissions process? [I am applying as a postbacc, but I took many of my prereqs in my freshman/soph years at a different school, so it has been a long time since I've been in touch with some of those teachers, and if I were to ask them for a LoR, I don't know how strong they would be.]

5.) One of my science classes that I did well in, and got to know the teacher, was taught by a grad student. Should/can I ask her for a LoR?

6.) When should I have these LoRs sent in by?


Thank you to all that answer.

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[dd128]

1) 2 or a committee letter
2) Pretty much anyone one you want for one and a premedical advisor the other
3) Ask them whenever, I'd go in and start talking to them sooner rather than later and maybe talking about med school, and maybe hint down the line you'd like a recomendation, tmdsas has to receive it by oct. 1
4) Probably depends on the school. Important enough to get good ones 🙂
5) I don't see why not, though you only need two, so there may be no point.
6) see number 3

whew...did I get it all? Anyone feel free to correct anything I mussed up...

 

[Jolie South]

all this info is explained on the TMDSAS website.

Here ya go.

 

[TheRealMD]

1) All require 2, most recommend 3: 2 science, 1 non-science.

2) Faculty are preferred (anyone with a PhD). I would not include non-PhD letter writers in the 2-3 LORs that are strictly required.

3) Talk to them now about what they need to do to get a strong letter from them, then ask them as the semester is about to close to write one for you.

Note: you need to have this done BEFORE summer break if you aren't going to be near the school itself during summer. It should be an absolute no-no to wait until Fall semester to ask. They will have forgotten you, and in Texas, you will pay a very serious price for waiting so long.

4) No clue. We never see them, so I can't make any inferences on that.

5) See #2. Med schools would highly prefer that letters come from members of faculty from your school. If the actual class was taught by a graduate student, I'm sure that person has someone overseeing them (a faculty member). Have the graduate student write the actual letter and get the faculty member to sign it for you. That'll work best to your advantage.

6) ASAP. They ARE the one thing in this app process you a) have no control over and b) will hold up your application forever if poorly planned.

 

[daaarn]

all this info is explained on the TMDSAS website.

Here ya go.

Thank you, and as a matter of interest, did they change the LoR requirements in the last few years?

Maybe I just mis-remembered something or got it mixed up with something else, but I was always under the impression that TMDSAS required like 2 LoRs from science teachers and 1 from a physician. But reading the website leads me to conclude (and please correct me if I am wrong) that TX schools only require 2 recs from teachers in any discipline?

Likewise, I assume (for the required 2 LoR) I would not be advised to use a teacher whom I have done research for, for credit since there was no actual academic work done (it was pass/fail based on whether or not you helped or not).

 

[Jolie South]

Thank you, and as a matter of interest, did they change the LoR requirements in the last few years?

Maybe I just mis-remembered something or got it mixed up with something else, but I was always under the impression that TMDSAS required like 2 LoRs from science teachers and 1 from a physician. But reading the website leads me to conclude (and please correct me if I am wrong) that TX schools only require 2 recs from teachers in any discipline?

Likewise, I assume (for the required 2 LoR) I would not be advised to use a teacher whom I have done research for, for credit since there was no actual academic work done (it was pass/fail based on whether or not you helped or not).

you are right about the 2 science LORs. also, about the academic work with them being necessary.

i would submit a research professor or doctor or volunteer supervisor letter as the extra letter that you're allowed. that's what i did.

 

[daaarn]

1) All require 2, most recommend 3: 2 science, 1 non-science.

2) Faculty are preferred (anyone with a PhD). I would not include non-PhD letter writers in the 2-3 LORs that are strictly required.

3) Talk to them now about what they need to do to get a strong letter from them, then ask them as the semester is about to close to write one for you.

Note: you need to have this done BEFORE summer break if you aren't going to be near the school itself during summer. It should be an absolute no-no to wait until Fall semester to ask. They will have forgotten you, and in Texas, you will pay a very serious price for waiting so long.

4) No clue. We never see them, so I can't make any inferences on that.

5) See #2. Med schools would highly prefer that letters come from members of faculty from your school. If the actual class was taught by a graduate student, I'm sure that person has someone overseeing them (a faculty member). Have the graduate student write the actual letter and get the faculty member to sign it for you. That'll work best to your advantage.

6) ASAP. They ARE the one thing in this app process you a) have no control over and b) will hold up your application forever if poorly planned.

Thank you so much for your post! I know this is speculative (as you've already noted on #4), but how much of a disadvantage would I be at if my LoRs weren't from the "recommended" teachers (like, I only get 1 from a science and 1 from a nonsci or just 2 sciences and no nonsci). Argh, I am so mad at myself for not having made more bonds w/ teachers while I was in undergrad.

 

[daaarn]

you are right about the 2 science LORs. also, about the academic work with them being necessary.

i would submit a research professor or doctor or volunteer supervisor letter as the extra letter that you're allowed. that's what i did.

Okay, cool and thanks for the clarification.

But just to get this all straightened out, I should be "fine" if I have 3 LoR (2 science + 1 physician/other)?

 

[Jolie South]

Okay, cool and thanks for the clarification.

But just to get this all straightened out, I should be "fine" if I have 3 LoR (2 science + 1 physician/other)?

sorry, i'm getting confused.

i completed a graduate program and have also been out of school for a number of years so my requirements were different. if you are in the same situation, it would change for you as well.

EDIT: i just reread the requirements for people in undergrad and they do not specify 2 science letters. that's what i would go with though. then, add the other letter from someone that knows you through a non-academic avenue (research, volunteering).

if you want to send more letters than that, you will have to contact schools individually and verify that they will accept them. tmdsas will not forward them on. your recommenders will have to submit them directly. in short, i would go with the 3 letters as described above.

 

[daaarn]

sorry, i'm getting confused.

i completed a graduate program and have also been out of school for a number of years so my requirements were different. if you are in the same situation, it would change for you as well.

Oh. I'm just a regular postbacc. Thanks to taking college courses during high school, I actually graduated college 2 years early and applied to law school (I got in, but didn't attend). Right now, I'm back in school for what should of originally been my Junior year, finishing the TMDSAS prereq classes (as a result, I've only been taking like 2-3 classes a semester this year).

 

[Jolie South]

Oh. I'm just a regular postbacc. Thanks to taking college courses during high school, I actually graduated college 2 years early and applied to law school (I got in, but didn't attend). Right now, I'm back in school for what should of originally been my Junior year, finishing the TMDSAS prereq classes (as a result, I've only been taking like 2-3 classes a semester this year).

ok, then you would fall under the regular letter requirements. does your school have a committee?

they mentioned that the committee packet is preferred, but if your school doesn't have one maximum of 3 letters can be sent instead (2 are required).

 

[daaarn]

ok, then you would fall under the regular letter requirements. does your school have a committee?

they mentioned that the committee packet is preferred, but if your school doesn't have one maximum of 3 letters can be sent instead (2 are required).

My current school does have a committee, but under their guidelines, I am not qualified due to a confluence of reasons. 🙁 I am looking at my old school to see whether or not it is possible to use their committee, but I fear I may be too late/too far to make it reasonably work (since I would have to get recs/interviews from there).

 

[DrZaius]

all this info is explained on the TMDSAS website.

Here ya go.

Just wanted to point out that for Texas it sounds like they want TWO letters TOTAL. From the link:

"The participating schools prefer to receive only the required evaluation letters. Additional letters are not encouraged. "

 

[Jolie South]

Just wanted to point out that for Texas it sounds like they want TWO letters TOTAL. From the link:

"The participating schools prefer to receive only the required evaluation letters. Additional letters are not encouraged. "

I know, but I really wanted to send a non-academic letter since those people knew me the best.

I'd suggest the OP do the same. TMDSAS will forward one extra letter. If the schools want to trash it once they get it, you can't really do anything about it, but I doubt it would count against you.

 

[daaarn]

I figure I'd bump my thread instead of making a new one since the question I have now is pertinent to the subject matter of LoRs.

First off, I'd like to clarify that I am applying to med school for Fall 2009. I am also a postbacc and am NOT sending a committee letter, so I'll be doing the individual letters of rec with the TMDSAS LoR Form.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, on to my questions (sorry if it's long):

1.) When exactly should I give my profs the TMDSAS LoR form? Since apps don't even come out till April/May, I won't have a PIN to put down for awhile (much less a file for them to send the LoR to).

2.) Does AMCAS also have some kind of official LoR form that needs to be used?

3.) Here's a real newb question, but, For AMCAS schools, when are LoR generally needed? For the primary or the secondary application?

4.) And how/when do ask my profs to send in those AMCAS LoRs?

Basically, I started thinking about these questions b/c next week (spring break) I will be going back to my alma mater to visit some friends and talk w/ one of the profs who agreed to write me a LoR before I graduated (about a year ago). Since the school is far from where I live now, I don't know how many opportunities I will have to go back there inbetween now and when apps start up. Therefore, I don't know if I should give him the LoR form now or wait until later.

 

[armybound]

I would give them the LOR form now. some professors take 6-8 weeks to finally get a LOR done.

no, they don't have an official form (as far as I know)

LORs are part of the primary application

have them sent in as soon as you get your PIN.

if I were you, I'd set up an account on interfolio (www.interfolio.com) to handle your LORs

 

[armybound]

Just wanted to point out that for Texas it sounds like they want TWO letters TOTAL. From the link:

"The participating schools prefer to receive only the required evaluation letters. Additional letters are not encouraged. "

Dr Kellaway at UTH told me they prefer to get one from a PhD and one from an MD (if you have one as a professor). she also told me I should/could send in up to 2 individual letters directly to the school in addition to the TMDSAS letters.

 

[BearsDoc]

Hello,
My university has a Letter Service, all letters from my professors have been sent to the Letter Service using my university letter form and waiver form, can I use these letters instead of TMDSAS's? Thank you very much for your help.