Too late to send another LoR?

[xc_stallion92]

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I've been lucky enough to get 6 MD/PhD interviews so far, but no acceptances yet. Going into the application cycle, I didn't have much basic science research (tons of behavioral and clinical), and have been told that was a serious knock on my application. Since early summer I have been working in drug discovery at a pharma company for 40 hrs/week, including a molecular bio project that I have designed and carried out by myself (hopefully ending in at least an abstract by Q1 next year). Would it be alright to ask my PI to send a letter of recommendation to schools that I've already interviewed at as an update? I've told them in the interviews about what I'm doing, and what sorts of wet lab techniques I've used, but that's all coming from me and isn't in any of the LoR's that were originally sent with my application, so I don't know if it carries any weight.

 

[Penguin33]

So I have a slightly similar situation in which I started a job after submitting secondaries (it's a full-time research position). When I interviewed I just made sure to update my interviewers on what I was doing this year and what techniques, etc. I was exploring. And that seemed to be enough for my interviewers? I think some of them made it a special note in my application so that the committee would see it later. I think if you already have great LoRs and experiences (which you do, since you interviewed!) they'll trust you when you describe what you're working on now. But I guess in my case I already did basic research in three labs so this fourth one isn't necessarily proving something the rest of my application didn't. Therefore, if you're worried, I'd just make sure to look at whether they accept updates before you send them(some schools say they only want updates on things like publications, etc.)

 

[Fencer]

You can, but ... updates are typically when you have accomplished something such as acceptance of a poster or publication. If you send an update email, do it specifically to schools who interviewed you and with individual elements of the school to make clear that you are interested into that particular school and/or mentors.