Using Med School LORs for Scholarships

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jehrdoc

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Hi all. What is everyone's opinion on using med school LORs for a scholarship application. The scholarships I am applying for are for post-graduate study...part of me thinks it makes sense to have their support for my intended degree (for which I will use the scholarship money) and part of me feels like I am being lazy and they will hold it against me.

So I emailed the scholarship people and basically asked them if this was okay. I got this response:


It’s up to you to decide if they provide good recommendations for this scholarship.


When I again asked them, this time more specifically, they replied:



Yes and if you think the committee wouldn’t mind seeing the letters addressed that way, you may submit them. The guidelines contain all the restrictions that are applicable. If it’s not stated in the guidelines, then it’s the applicant’s discretion.


These answers didn't really answer my question. So I thought I'd ask for your opinions. Thanks.

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So I emailed the scholarship people and basically asked them if this was okay. I got this response:


It’s up to you to decide if they provide good recommendations for this scholarship.


When I again asked them, this time more specifically, they replied:



Yes and if you think the committee wouldn’t mind seeing the letters addressed that way, you may submit them. The guidelines contain all the restrictions that are applicable. If it’s not stated in the guidelines, then it’s the applicant’s discretion.


when someone writes you a LOR for the med school app, it covers specific information about you as to why the author believes that you would make a successful doctor. these letters are therefore structured in a particular way: "i know this and that about this guy, and he does whatever. these are good assets for doctors to have and i know these traits will allow him to excel in medical school."

now, for scholarship applications, the reviewing committees want to see the same thing: a letter specifically tailored to whatever you are applying for. example: "this dude exhibits these great qualities, and therefore is a worthy potential recipient of this award."

it would be strange for you to submit letters which expound on the reasons why you should be admitted to med school to a committee that is not determining whether or not you are qualified for med school. that is why the person wrote "for this scholarship" and to have letters "addressed that way." he is suggesting that you submit letters which are tailored to this scholarship.

you can use the same recommenders, and they will probably only have to do some minor editing.
 
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