Too early to ask for LoR from physician?

[tdod]

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I am a freshmen in college, and am going to begin shadowing for 40hours total tomorrow.
Given my distance from applying to medical school, is it too early for me to be asking for a recommendation?

Also, what would I do with the letter? I looked on my school's (UCSB) website and couldn't find anything about a file for keeping my LoRs. I'm assuming I wouldn't ask for a direct copy of the LoR, as I am assuming the physician wouldn't want me to see it.
Would it be permissible to ask her for a sealed envelope that I would later make use of?

 

[BrandNewDay]

I am a freshmen in college, and am going to begin shadowing for 40hours total tomorrow.

Given my distance from applying to medical school, is it too early for me to be asking for a recommendation?

Personally, I don't think that a letter for only 40 hrs of shadowing would be so strong that you'd want to save it for years, but if you do, use Interfolio. They'll let you store that letter and send it to AMCAS when you apply.

 

[pfaction]

If you're going to ask you should probably make sure the date is near your application and you continue to shadow. if you're going to shadow there for a long time, then you can ask at any time, they'll know you better. i thought LOR's from MD's weren't really useful though.

 

[Ismet]

It won't hurt to get the letter and put it on Interfolio. Try to get the bulk of your letters from closer to when you apply, but you'll have this letter to fall back on if you find yourself a letter short.

 

[235788]

What could he possibly write about from your experience? About how great of an observer you are?

 

[RookTookIt]

This letter will be useless. You have years left before you submit applications. In that time, make sure to develop relationships with mentors/professors who a) will know you for more than 40 hours and b) can talk about how great you are.

 

[scarshapedstar]

This is basically a filler letter. Which is hardly the end of the world, most people have at least one LOR from a professor who they don't know all that well.

But really, since this is an MD letter, you want someone who will vouch for your ability to comport yourself professionally and be useful in a clinical setting. Think more clinical volunteering than shadowing, because right now you're just trying to stay out of the way while keeping a clear line of sight. (sounds like a perfect med student! - the peanut gallery) That'll come in future years.

There's really no reason at all to ask this doctor for a letter, especially because the first thing he'll ask is "what's the deadline?" 🙄