Who to ask for LOR?

[mandym00]

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My school's health profession committee asks for 2-3 letters of evaluation. I know I am going to ask my PI and old boss. The dilemma for the 3rd is that I am not sure if I should ask the manager of the optometry practice I work at or the owners (husband and wife, both therapeutic optometrists).
I only work on Saturdays at the practice and work mainly with the manager and a different therapeutic optometrist. I feel that the manager probably knows me better, but I am not sure if she has experience in writing a LOR. Although the owners of the practice aren't doctors, they went to Optometry school, I feel like a recommendation from from an optometrist would look better to adcoms then a manager? What do you think?

 

[prehealthadvisor55]

Do you not have any faculty member you could ask? Someone who had you in class & can speak to your ability academically?

 

[robin911]

Are you also getting LOR from professors?
I would ask whichever optometrist knows you the best.

 

[ChewySquirrel]

You 100% need a letter from a science professor. The recommendations I've seen are generally around 5 letters split as follows:

2 from science professors
1 from clinical volunteer experience
1 from non-clinical volunteer/shadowing/research
1 from other(liberal arts) professor (replaceable by another non-clinical volunteer/shadowing/research letter)

 

[prehealthadvisor55]

You 100% need a letter from a science professor. The recommendations I've seen are generally around 5 letters split as follows:

2 from science professors
1 from clinical volunteer experience
1 from non-clinical volunteer/shadowing/research
1 from other(liberal arts) professor (replaceable by another non-clinical volunteer/shadowing/research letter)

This is recommendation I give as well to my students.

 

[mandym00]

This is recommendation I give as well to my students.

My PI is a microbiology professor. Took his general microbiology class and got an A.

 

[mandym00]

You 100% need a letter from a science professor. The recommendations I've seen are generally around 5 letters split as follows:

2 from science professors
1 from clinical volunteer experience
1 from non-clinical volunteer/shadowing/research
1 from other(liberal arts) professor (replaceable by another non-clinical volunteer/shadowing/research letter)

I do clinical volunteering at a free clinic for the underserved, the NP that runs the clinic there knows who I am (recognizes me - asks how I'm doing). Would she also be a good person to ask for a LOR?

 

[prehealthadvisor55]

My PI is a microbiology professor. Took his general microbiology class and got an A.

Generally you still want 2 science faculty & 1 non-science though as @ChewySquirrel said. Your former boss & one of the optometrists would be good "others."

 

[mandym00]

Well to submit to the committee I can only have up to 3 letters max. Per TMDSAS I can either submit 1 Health Professions Committee Packet or 2 individual letters of evaluation. Are you saying a letter from faculty looks better than a letter from an employer (clinical or non-clinical)?

 

[robin911]

So you are saying that your school only allows a committee packet to contain 3 letters? If so, that kind of sucks. I had 6 individual letters.

Plus some schools ask for a non-science professor that taught you and others are quite strict about which science professors you have LOR from (i.e. only physics, cell bio, gen chem, orgo professors or something like that b/c my upper level developmental bio professor did not count on their list).

I would look at the schools you would like to go to and assess what professors you want to ask.
Personally, I had 2 science professors, 2 PI's, 1 non-science professor, 1 former employer for patient care and had absolutely no issues. It was nice to be able to choose on AMCAS which letters were sent to which places based on their values/preferences.

I am just a lowly premed and can only discuss my personal experience though.

 

[mandym00]

So you are saying that your school only allows a committee packet to contain 3 letters? If so, that kind of sucks. I had 6 individual letters.

Plus some schools ask for a non-science professor that taught you and others are quite strict about which science professors you have LOR from (i.e. only physics, cell bio, gen chem, orgo professors or something like that b/c my upper level developmental bio professor did not count on their list).

I would look at the schools you would like to go to and assess what professors you want to ask.
Personally, I had 2 science professors, 2 PI's, 1 non-science professor, 1 former employer for patient care and had absolutely no issues. It was nice to be able to choose on AMCAS which letters were sent to which places based on their values/preferences.

I am just a lowly premed and can only discuss my personal experience though.

Yes only 3 letters for the committee packet 🙁 Well after some research the TMDSAS website says in bold "It is recommended that your evaluators be current/former professors that can speak to your academic ability in the sciences." So from that I'm getting - science faculty. Also many of the Texas schools' websites say they want/prefer letters from faculty. I do have another professor in mind to ask for a LOR. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

My school's health profession committee asks for 2-3 letters of evaluation. I know I am going to ask my PI and old boss. The dilemma for the 3rd is that I am not sure if I should ask the manager of the optometry practice I work at or the owners (husband and wife, both therapeutic optometrists).
I only work on Saturdays at the practice and work mainly with the manager and a different therapeutic optometrist. I feel that the manager probably knows me better, but I am not sure if she has experience in writing a LOR. Although the owners of the practice aren't doctors, they went to Optometry school, I feel like a recommendation from from an optometrist would look better to adcoms then a manager? What do you think?

Ask them both. Have the manager pen most of the letter since he/she has a more intimate correspondence with you, but ask for it to be read over and approved by the owners because they have more authority.