What if PI is an adcom member?

[IFLS]

I have been doing research at an institution that is closely affiliated with a med school in the area. I just found out that my PI happens to be an adcom for the MTSP program and though Im not sure if she is still currently actively involved, she used to sit on the committee for several years... She is also quite well known in the field and has a strong presence at the institution. If I continue to stay here until I apply to med school, how much of an advantage could I gain from her LOR? I would pursue my PhD at her lab too if ever given the chance...

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[Mr Avante]

I have been doing research at an institution that is closely affiliated with a med school in the area. I just found out that my PI happens to be an adcom for the MTSP program and though Im not sure if she is still currently actively involved, she used to sit on the committee for several years... She is also quite well known in the field and has a strong presence at the institution. If I continue to stay here until I apply to med school, how much of an advantage could I gain from her LOR? I would pursue my PhD at her lab too if ever given the chance...

Cool. Do it!

 

[Ismet]

I have been doing research at an institution that is closely affiliated with a med school in the area. I just found out that my PI happens to be an adcom for the MTSP program and though Im not sure if she is still currently actively involved, she used to sit on the committee for several years... She is also quite well known in the field and has a strong presence at the institution. If I continue to stay here until I apply to med school, how much of an advantage could I gain from her LOR? I would pursue my PhD at her lab too if ever given the chance...

You ask this like there's a certain % of advantage that this LOR will give you. Honestly, yes, it will probably help you, but no one can really say how much. However, the rest of your app still has to be up to snuff.

 

[music2doc]

I have been doing research at an institution that is closely affiliated with a med school in the area. I just found out that my PI happens to be an adcom for the MTSP program and though Im not sure if she is still currently actively involved, she used to sit on the committee for several years... She is also quite well known in the field and has a strong presence at the institution. If I continue to stay here until I apply to med school, how much of an advantage could I gain from her LOR? I would pursue my PhD at her lab too if ever given the chance...

Probably only a nominal "advantage" (as she'll have to recuse herself, etc.) but it's worth applying and is a great opportunity. She may also be able to offer some assistance in your application itself.

 

[Microglia]

I have been doing research at an institution that is closely affiliated with a med school in the area. I just found out that my PI happens to be an adcom for the MTSP program and though Im not sure if she is still currently actively involved, she used to sit on the committee for several years... She is also quite well known in the field and has a strong presence at the institution. If I continue to stay here until I apply to med school, how much of an advantage could I gain from her LOR? I would pursue my PhD at her lab too if ever given the chance...

Depends on how good the LOR is, and whether the current committee members care about her (how big of a name, how good of a relationship with the current members, etc.). If her letter says 'Student X is so good that I would consider it a personal offense if they were not accepted at this institution,' well, it would probably not just carry a lot of weight not just there, but at schools in general. If it's a typical, bland, meh letter it probably won't change much.

Basically, you'll get the biggest advantage by having a good relationship with your PI, doing productive research, and knowing your research inside and out, usually not from your PI's connections (unless they're a Nobel laureate writing a very strong letter).

 

[nemo123]

Yeah I think LizzyM has said before that if she thinks that your PI is a jerk, then the LOR won't really matter much to her. That being said, she said that she would never put someone in the reject pile just because the applicant got a LOR from someone she doesn't like as long as everything else looks good.