Volunteer LORs = useless?

[orthomyxo]

My hospital volunteer coordinator lady person told me that the hospital writes LORs for their volunteers if requested. I'm assuming this type of thing wouldn't be worth jack to med schools, unless you did something really awesome, like saved 50 elderly patients from a burning building. Amirite? Has anyone used one of these things for anything useful, other than hanging it up on the fridge next to your spelling test?

Yes, I searched.

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[duress]

I asked for one from mine and it probably didn't hurt. I picked mine because I developed a pretty good relationship with the coordinator and my school's premed office suggested it. I suppose if what you've written is truly how you see the LOR/activity though, it's probably best to not get it.

 

[BiopsychStudent]

I think one of the main reasons isn't that they won't say good things about you so much as they don't know "how" to write a medical school letter. Whereas professors and principle investigators do that sort of thing more often and know what other academics are looking for.

 

[ppappui]

Are you kidding me? Of course you should get it. Medical schools are looking for something outside of academic setting, and this is a perfect way to prove that you've been dedicating yourself volunteering in clinical setting. It's not just you telling them that you did it, but the hospital backing you up, that you were a sincere worker, etc. If you seriously think that the only thing that matters is your academics, go ahead and waste the opportunity. Why waste something that potentially has nice upsides with no downsides?

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

It might be useful. My in-state school requires a letter of recommendation from a service supervisor so I needed one. But that's the only one I've needed it for.

 

[orthomyxo]

If you seriously think that the only thing that matters is your academics, go ahead and waste the opportunity. Why waste something that potentially has nice upsides with no downsides?

I think some people are misinterpreting my post. I'm not saying that volunteering is stupid or anything like that. I was just assuming that a LOR written by a volunteer coordinator wouldn't necessarily hold as much weight as a LOR written by a professor, based on some of the things I've read on SDN. I didn't think anyone actually used these things, but apparently I was wrong.

 

[kduck]

I can kind of see your point, especially if you are in a situation where you can only have a limited number of letters - for example, my school does letter packets that have a max of 6 letters. It's surprising how quickly those get used up by profs and research mentors. However, if you have space for it I don't think it can hurt. 🙂

 

[music2doc]

Better to get one from a physician who has directly supervised you during your volunteer experience (even if cosigned/cowritten by a nurse). The volunteer coordinator is unlikely to have much to say as they do not work directly with you at most facilities and medical schools are well aware of this.

 

[ppappui]

Dude, of course academic letters are better. But you're required to get those, so I'm talking as if you already have them and considering other letters. It's always better to have more than less, assuming the quality is good

 

[sector9]

Hmm I guess it depends on how much your volunteer coordinator knows about you.

If she only has a log of your hours, then a LOR isn't likely to provide an adcom with any useful info (unless that adcom member was going to call all of your contacts, in which case you probably saved him/her a few minutes)

However, if you know the coordinator well, then it could be much more important. I know a guy who would stop by the hospital to chat with the volunteer coordinator (and he recommended that I do the same but I haven't, uh, found the time...). He got a LOR from her

So I guess my answer is that, in general, it doesn't seem like they'd be too useful

 

[orthomyxo]

Better to get one from a physician who has directly supervised you during your volunteer experience (even if cosigned/cowritten by a nurse). The volunteer coordinator is unlikely to have much to say as they do not work directly with you at most facilities and medical schools are well aware of this.

This is what I meant when I said I assumed volunteer LORs would be useless based on what I've read on SDN.

Because, on multiple occasions, I've read that letters from physicians are worthless (at least those from shadowing). Besides, how many volunteer positions involve extensive physician supervision, so much so that this physician has enough to say about you to make up an entire LOR? My guess is not many.

 

[music2doc]

This is what I meant when I said I assumed volunteer LORs would be useless based on what I've read on SDN.

Because, on multiple occasions, I've read that letters from physicians are worthless (at least those from shadowing). Besides, how many volunteer positions involve extensive physician supervision, so much so that this physician has enough to say about you to make up an entire LOR? My guess is not many.

Those where you serve in a small, free clinic... Or perhaps in a small, rural ER.

 

[Knocked Up]

My hospital volunteer coordinator lady person told me that the hospital writes LORs for their volunteers if requested. I'm assuming this type of thing wouldn't be worth jack to med schools, unless you did something really awesome, like saved 50 elderly patients from a burning building. Amirite? Has anyone used one of these things for anything useful, other than hanging it up on the fridge next to your spelling test?

Yes, I searched.

Wait, isn't this true for everything in medical school applications

Plus remember order of importance here:

1) MCAT
2) Individual MCAT



36) GPA



52) ECs



107) Rec letters

 

[chiapet874]

Wait, isn't this true for everything in medical school applications

Plus remember order of importance here:

1) MCAT
2) Individual MCAT



36) GPA



52) ECs



107) Rec letters

I'm not sure where you got this order of significance. You're giving people the wrong impression. Everything is important, MCATs and GPA merely come up first to the plate. Even if you have the best MCATs and GPA scores, while having crappy ECs, you aren't considered a "good" candidate. This can be seen every year off of AMCA's admissions charts.

Back to the OP's question: generally volunteer LORs are only worthwhile if your writer can offer real details on your work and contributions. Your writer should be able to offer 1-2 stories involving you, if he/she can't, I recommend finding someone else.

 

[gmcguitar4]

Wait, isn't this true for everything in medical school applications

Plus remember order of importance here:

1) MCAT
2) Individual MCAT



36) GPA



52) ECs



107) Rec letters

This is wrong.

 

[gettheleadout]

Wait, isn't this true for everything in medical school applications

Plus remember order of importance here:

1) MCAT
2) Individual MCAT



36) GPA



52) ECs



107) Rec letters

This ranking is misleading and incorrect. Please see the many applicants who get rejected pre-interview from top schools despite their 3.9+ GPA's and 40+ MCAT scores.

 

[chiapet874]

Basically ignore anything Knocked Up says, a brief glance at his post history reveals someone who doesn't actually know how the process works.

 

[LizzyM]

Rec letters are usually most helpful when they tell us something that makes us not interview someone. We don't get many of those.

Some rec letters will sing your praises better than you can yourself and those are excellent.

Most volunteer coordinator letters are bare bones: Name was a volunteer at Institution Name from date to date and served xx hours. Then there might be a boilerplate paragraph about the institution and the volunteer program.

If you must submit one, do so, but otherwise, they aren't worth the time it takes to write them.

 

[Drogo]

Rec letters are usually most helpful when they tell us something that makes us not interview someone. We don't get many of those.

Some rec letters will sing your praises better than you can yourself and those are excellent.

Most volunteer coordinator letters are bare bones: Name was a volunteer at Institution Name from date to date and served xx hours. Then there might be a boilerplate paragraph about the institution and the volunteer program.

If you must submit one, do so, but otherwise, they aren't worth the time it takes to write them.

I'm getting to know a lot of the RN's and I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to ask one of them for a LOR (just to have some extra LOR's just incase) . I'm building up enough rapport I'm sure I could pick one whom would write out in great detail a lot about me and how I'm always eager to help and learn in the EC. I barely see my volunteer coordinator and I rarely interact with the physicians. Mostly just deal with the nurses and patients and I'm always complimented for my volunteering and how I bust out the work.

Yet to answer the OP, I would say most volunteer LOR's are probably boring and mundane and probably not even worth the hassle. I'm thinking my aforementioned idea would hold more weight as these nurses have seen me in action and know me on a more personal level. It just makes logical sense to me at this point.

 

[mrwesticles]

It can't hurt if the person has something insightful to say about you that isn't mentioned in other letters.

For each of my letters, each person had a "theme" to speak to - my volunteer efforts, my research efforts, and my academic abilities.

 

[LizzyM]

That you are willing to work hard as a volunteer isn't what medical schools are looking for so much. They do want to know if you have the academic horsepower to do well in the required coursework, if you are able to communicate clearly verbally and in written assignments, if you are outgoing and engaged in classroom discussion (particularly important in schools that put an emphasis on small group learning), and they want to know that you have had some idea of the work of a physician, and that you have tested your interest in a career in medicine through volunteer efforts and/or employment plus shadowing and/or household experience (with a parent or spouse who practices medicine). None of this relates to how hard you worked as a volunteer.

 

[Drogo]

That you are willing to work hard as a volunteer isn't what medical schools are looking for so much. They do want to know if you have the academic horsepower to do well in the required coursework, if you are able to communicate clearly verbally and in written assignments, if you are outgoing and engaged in classroom discussion (particularly important in schools that put an emphasis on small group learning), and they want to know that you have had some idea of the work of a physician, and that you have tested your interest in a career in medicine through volunteer efforts and/or employment plus shadowing and/or household experience (with a parent or spouse who practices medicine). None of this relates to how hard you worked as a volunteer.

LizzyM, thanks for the feedback.

 

[coyotelime]

I already asked a teacher at a hospital day care that I volunteered at for a letter. She was able to see how I worked with 3 special needs children and I'm sure will write me a splendid rec. Since I have worked with children extensively in my ECs, I really feel like this rec will prove to medical schools that I actually enjoy and am capable of working with children. Should I go ahead and have her write me one? Certainly it won't hurt, but I really don't want to waste her time if it's not a huge help.

 

[Morsetlis]

Rec letters are usually most helpful when they tell us something that makes us not interview someone. We don't get many of those.

Some rec letters will sing your praises better than you can yourself and those are excellent.

Most volunteer coordinator letters are bare bones: Name was a volunteer at Institution Name from date to date and served xx hours. Then there might be a boilerplate paragraph about the institution and the volunteer program.

If you must submit one, do so, but otherwise, they aren't worth the time it takes to write them.

Somehow I don't think those kind of letters are likely to come from the "volunteer coordinator lady person" either...