What would an ideal Letter of Recommendation say?

[farf]

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What would you want different recommendation letters to say? I would want a science prof to say that I am a leader of science and will revolutionize any field that I go into. I would want a recommendation from a clinical experience (volunteer coordinator, etc.) to talk about how compassionate I am with patients. I would probably want a humanities professor to talk about how I am able to effectively communicate in fields other than science.

Anybody care to add?

 

[WhizoMD]

What would you want different recommendation letters to say? I would want a science prof to say that I am a leader of science and will revolutionize any field that I go into. I would want a recommendation from a clinical experience (volunteer coordinator, etc.) to talk about how compassionate I am with patients. I would probably want a humanities professor to talk about how I am able to effectively communicate in fields other than science.

Anybody care to add?

that's a bit much lol

 

[202781]

I think it would say how mature you are and how you know what you are getting yourself into.

It should stress how well you conduct yourself and how you strive to be inclusive rather than exclusive (if it is being "written" by a professor.). Dont say you will revolutionize whatever field you will work in...that sounds stupid and it made me laugh. (How can you predict that when you have never actually accomplished anything...ever...in the medical world).

Anyway here are some highlights to hit (remember depending on if it is a letter from a prof or doc it should say different things so use them with that in mind)

• Humble
• Mature
• Inclusive rather than exclusive
• Ability to understand and communicate with people coming from diverse backgrounds.
• Broad range of interests
• Is a "teacher" to others in the class

You get the picture....Good luck!

 

[PremedIowa]

Great in bed.

 

[Lukkie]

professor letter that states you were one of the top students he taught in his 20+ years of teaching

 

[Quix]

"I would fake an illness just to get [X] as my doctor."

 

[Crazyday]

professor letter that states you were one of the top students he taught in his 20+ years of teaching

Even better, the best student, but that's pretty hard to get, if not impossible in some cases.

 

[funkymunkytoes]

This all sounds very nice and all, but here's what they REALLY do:


File.

Open.

My Documents.

Open: Generic Letter of Recommendation.

Add name of applicant where needed.


Two weeks later they mail it out. Done and done.

 

[Quix]

This all sounds very nice and all, but here's what they REALLY do:


File.

Open.

My Documents.

Open: Generic Letter of Recommendation.

Add name of applicant where needed.


Two weeks later they mail it out. Done and done.

Eh, that's only for the kids that don't take the time to develop an actual professional relationship with us. We'll add at least a personal line or two if you come to office hours.

 

[Lukkie]

will you write me a letter Quix?

 

[Quix]

Dear Admissions Committee,

I would fake an illness just to get Lukkie as my doctor.

Love,

Quix

 

[Lukkie]

are you reading this LizzyM?

 

[Kaydubz]

Dear Admissions Committee,

This is Dean X. Let Applicant Y in.

Sincerely,
Dean X

 

[Lukkie]

Dear Admissions Committee,

This is Dean X. Let Applicant Y in.

Sincerely,
Dean X

 

[THX]

"Dear Admissions Committee,

Student X is intelligent, hardworking and is closely connected to the Russian mob. If you do not accept him to your program, both our lives and that of our families are certainly forfeit.

Do the right thing.

Dean Y"

 

[justdoit31]

My humanities research mentor asked me what I wanted her to target- I just said presentation skills, motivation, dedication, and anything else she wanted... all my letter writers knew me well enough and wrote personal letters though I have no clue what they said...

I would love to see what my physician wrote- she said hers was 2 pages hmmm...

 

[dw2158]

"Dear Admissions Committee,

Student X is intelligent, hardworking and is closely connected to the Russian mob. If you do not accept him to your program, both our lives and that of our families are certainly forfeit.

Do the right thing.

Dean Y"

 

[NotAndrew]

I am a leader of science and will revolutionize any field that I go into

that's a bit much lol

I agree, I also don't think anyone would take a letter that said that seriously.

 

[chad5871]

My LOR from my department head (it wasn't biology)/professor said that he considered me more of a colleague than a student. I thought that was incredibly complimentary, especially from someone with a Ph.D. and 20+ years of teaching experience.

 

[LizzyM]

What characteristics do you think that adcoms want to see in med students? That's what we want to see in a letter.

Curious, engaged, analytical thinker, good problem solver, creative, well-prepared for class, interested in the material, interesting to talk with/interested in many subjects beyond the material covered in class (this one usually comes from LAC faculty who have opportunities to socialize with students outside of class & office hours), works well with others or in group projects, writes well, willing to help others, excellent leader & someone that others look up to.


Great in bed applies more to graduate programs in the humanities.

 

[Lukkie]

Great in bed applies more to graduate programs in the humanities.

... uh?

 

[LizzyM]

... uh?

PremedIowa suggested that "good in bed" is what an ideal letter of recommendation would say. I made a snarky comment focusing on the propensity of humanities professors to sleep with their grad students (before the adminstration labeled it sexual harrassment & started firing people for that behavior).

 

[majahops]

haha come on, let Lizzy have a sense of humor!!!

... uh?

Lizzy, I thought it was hilarious!

 

[redlight]

i think the ideal rec letter wouldn't even be a letter.. i'd like something like this vid.. haha but substitute mvp (most valuable puppet) for most valuable premed and put some of my highlights, etc.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JikV--RTYCs[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Siverhideo1985]

To whom it may concern:

This student is so awesome that Chuck Norris requested him as his future personal physician.

Do you want to make Chuck Norris mad?

sincerely,

Siv

 

[AdemTD]

Would it be immoral to ask for a copy of said letters after the fact. I am pretty certain my letters contained libel that benefited me, because I still have no idea how I had such a great application season.

how exactly would libel be beneficial to you in a LOR?

 

[nick_carraway]

how exactly would libel be beneficial to you in a LOR?

What if one letter writer was so blatantly anti-Azadre and spewed all these hateful, possibly untrue things BUT the adcom harbored deep seething hatred of the writer ever since he stole his girl back in undergrad and the adcom accepted Azadre just to spite the writer?

Stranger things have happened.