Was told to write my own LOR?

[Montisumo]

Writing an LoR about yourself that claims to have been written by the person it actually wasn't written by is one of the most outrageous things I've ever heard but this is SDN and I guess you gotta do whatever you need to do in order to impress the adcoms.

AHAHAHAHAHA you funny man

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Montisumo]

LOL. I can't believe I'm reading this. It is completely wrong to write your own Letter of Recommendation. It ruins the entire point of the letter and the adcoms who read it should reject you (and probably would) if they found out. There is no reason for me to even explain why it is wrong. It is simply wrong in every single context unless the person cannot physically write the letter and needs you to transcribe it in their own words.

you will likely do the same if you go into academia

 

[premedprincess26]

I used the AMCAS general guidelines for letter writers to find my main talking points and followed the general structure of:

1. Who I am (BRIEF)
2. How I know the applicant
3. Why I recommend them, including a few specific examples.

What kind of examples did you include? i'm in the same situation and i'm just not sure what kind of examples to use for shadowing. I mean I pretty much just followed the physician around. I can't think of anything that stands out and is a unique anecdote.

 

[gyngyn]

What kind of examples did you include? i'm in the same situation and i'm just not sure what kind of examples to use for shadowing. I mean I pretty much just followed the physician around. I can't think of anything that stands out and is a unique anecdote.

Nobody really wants a shadowing letter (except DO).

 

[premedprincess26]

Nobody really wants a shadowing letter (except DO).

yes, that's exactly the one I am working on. I am just not sure how to personalize. I can talk about the basic stuff but I think it's mostly stuff everyone does while shadowing. The specifics I can give are how I used to come a while before I was supposed to and give the exact time to kind of make an example. Other than that I am not sure how to exactly give anecdotes. Is it ok for these letters to be more about rehashing qualities?

 

[gyngyn]

yes, that's exactly the one I am working on. I am just not sure how to personalize. I can talk about the basic stuff but I think it's mostly stuff everyone does while shadowing. The specifics I can give are how I used to come a while before I was supposed to and give the exact time to kind of make an example. Other than that I am not sure how to exactly give anecdotes. Is it ok for these letters to be more about rehashing qualities?

Shadowing letters add nothing to an application.
Thank him for offering.

 

[premedprincess26]

Shadowing letters add nothing to an application.
Thank him for offering.

It's for D.O. schools and some of the schools that I am applying to require a letter or strongly recommend it, so I need to have it, but I am just trying to figure out how to write it well. Thanks!

 

[gyngyn]

It's for D.O. schools and some of the schools that I am applying to require a letter or strongly recommend it, so I need to have it, but I am just trying to figure out how to write it well. Thanks!

That is right. DO schools do love a DO letter!
Use these guidelines: https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/admissionsinitiative/letters/

 

[premedprincess26]

That is right. DO schools do love a DO letter!
Use these guidelines: https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/admissionsinitiative/letters/

Thank you!! These are actually the ones I was using. I just wasn't sure if it was ok to just go over characteristics instead of giving specific stories since we don't have too many unique stories to go over.

 

[gyngyn]

Thank you!! These are actually the ones I was using. I just wasn't sure if it was ok to just go over characteristics instead of giving specific stories since we don't have too many unique stories to go over.

This is the crux of the shadowing letter dilemma.
There is no opportunity to observe evidence of important characteristics.