Would it matter if a DO wrote me a letter of recommendation for an MD school?

[mathmart]

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Hey guys, I'm in my junior year of undergrad getting ready to take the MCAT and send in applications soon, and it's getting close to the point where I need letters of recommendation. I've worked in an ICU for a little over 2 years now and I've got pretty close to one of the intensivists. I'm pretty certain she would be willing to write me a letter of recommendation, however, she is a DO and I'm curious to know whether this would matter if I only apply to MD schools. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[bluepeony]

Hey guys, I'm in my junior year of undergrad getting ready to take the MCAT and send in applications soon, and it's getting close to the point where I need letters of recommendation. I've worked in an ICU for a little over 2 years now and I've got pretty close to one of the intensivists. I'm pretty certain she would be willing to write me a letter of recommendation, however, she is a DO and I'm curious to know whether this would matter if I only apply to MD schools. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!!

That shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Deltasidearm]

A physician is a physician. There is no distinction made among patients or professionals in the clinical setting, and my sense from reading advice from the adcoms on this board is that sentiment carries over to the application process as well.

In my opinion, there may be some small, though legitimate, distinctions to consider between MD and DO for education purposes (like curriculum and residency competitiveness), but the biggest deviation between the two exists in the minds of pre-meds and it is unfounded.

 

[Drsecondchance]

Hey guys, I'm in my junior year of undergrad getting ready to take the MCAT and send in applications soon, and it's getting close to the point where I need letters of recommendation. I've worked in an ICU for a little over 2 years now and I've got pretty close to one of the intensivists. I'm pretty certain she would be willing to write me a letter of recommendation, however, she is a DO and I'm curious to know whether this would matter if I only apply to MD schools. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!!

Go for it! I shadowed a DO and asked for a letter to apply to DO schools, but the letter was so strong it made my jaw drop, so I used it for MD schools too. Result? I already have four DO acceptances and one MD acceptance.

 

[deleted1040417]

It's like asking a chemistry professor instead of a biology professor to write an LoR for your science LoR requirement.

 

[LunaOri]

MD=DO

 

[deleted1066189]

not too many MD schools even require an MD letter, so it shouldn't make a difference! It's certainly nice to have though 🙂

 

[harmony14]

A physician is a physician. There is no distinction made among patients or professionals in the clinical setting, and my sense from reading advice from the adcoms on this board is that sentiment carries over to the application process as well.

In my opinion, there may be some small, though legitimate, distinctions to consider between MD and DO for education purposes (like curriculum and residency competitiveness), but the biggest deviation between the two exists in the minds of pre-meds and it is unfounded.

It has always confused me why then the majority of DO schools require a DO LoR. I didn't complete my DO secondaries simply because I lacked a DO LoR and was not able to explain why DO instead of MD (I honestly could not distinguish them enough).

 

[Deltasidearm]

It has always confused me why then the majority of DO schools require a DO LoR. I didn't complete my DO secondaries simply because I lacked a DO LoR and was not able to explain why DO instead of MD (I honestly could not distinguish them enough).

My understanding is that DO adcoms would like to see applicants with a commitment to the DO philosophy and not simply because the statistics (i.e. GPA/MCAT) tend to favor them (either as a low-stat applicant or as a "safety" school). Which I find reasonable because I would prefer students with a real desire to attend and not just because it seemed they had no other option. However, my experience has been that nearly everyone just puts on a facade anyway and preaches about DO over MD when asked, even though it doesn't actually matter to them (or even the opposite is true).

I'm sure @Goro has a more comprehensive perspective than I do on the matter.

 

[harmony14]

My understanding is that DO adcoms would like to see applicants with a commitment to the DO philosophy and not simply because the statistics (i.e. GPA/MCAT) tend to favor them (either as a low-stat applicant or as a "safety" school). Which I find reasonable because I would prefer students with a real desire to attend and not just because it seemed they had no other option. However, my experience has been that nearly everyone just puts on a facade anyway and preaches about DO over MD when asked, even though it doesn't actually matter to them (or even the opposite is true).

I'm sure @Goro has a more comprehensive perspective than I do on the matter.

That makes sense. but in the overall context of medical school applications, most applicants are happy with any options regardless of whether its DO or any MD schools.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

No

 

[deleted1066189]

It has always confused me why then the majority of DO schools require a DO LoR.

They don,'t, it's only a handful. They want a "physician" letter. It's important to shadow a DO though so you have some experiences to talk about in your secondary essays.
I would still apply if you have the time and energy.

 

[Goro]

My understanding is that DO adcoms would like to see applicants with a commitment to the DO philosophy and not simply because the statistics (i.e. GPA/MCAT) tend to favor them (either as a low-stat applicant or as a "safety" school). Which I find reasonable because I would prefer students with a real desire to attend and not just because it seemed they had no other option. However, my experience has been that nearly everyone just puts on a facade anyway and preaches about DO over MD when asked, even though it doesn't actually matter to them (or even the opposite is true).

I'm sure @Goro has a more comprehensive perspective than I do on the matter.

This.

t has always confused me why then the majority of DO schools require a DO LoR.

@harmony14 , the majority of DO schools do NOT require a DO LOR. And only a handful (like single digits) of MD schools require a clinician LOR.