Letters of Recommendation Question

[Ramona Flowers]

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Hi there,

I'm applying for the 2020-2021 application cycle and probably most concerned for the LOR portion. I do have significant LOR options including DOs and MDs I scribe with, employers of the domestic violence shelter I work with (during my gap year), professors who knew me very well/I did research with, and my volunteer coordinator that I work as a sexual assault response advocate for.
One that is notably missing, is a science faculty letter. And I've noticed this is a common ask/requirement/"strong recommendation" for the majority of MD and DO programs.

If it helps to answer for my specific situation, cGPA is 5.58, MCAT (not back yet, but was scoring consistently 511-512 on all practice). I graduated from the honor's college at UA and completed a thesis under a public health lens. I have done some (light, unpublished) STEM research in both psychology labs and in pharmacology, but not enough to be comfortable asking for (quality) LORs, since it was a couple years ago now. I have a lot of experience with underserved communities and in social justice and I think my commitment to disadvantaged populations will certainly show. My minor was Gender and Women's Studies. I have a lot of references and experiences that can speak to that, but I'm not sure it's enough without a science faculty letter. I simply didn't get to know any science professors like that.

I graduated in 2019, which will put me at two gap years total. I know some schools such as Tulane waive the rigidity of faculty letter recommendations for those out of school, but I'm not quite at the 5 year gap required by others.

Is this usually a hard and fast requirement? Will this significantly disadvantage me for those schools, to the point where I shouldn't even waste an application fee on schools that strongly recommend/require this type of letter? Is this something that I should explain somewhere in the application, since I can't get one?

Thanks!

If you graduated in 2019 I’m guessing you will be expected to have the minimum recommendations from science professors/faculty. Usually waiving that requirement is for folks who have been out of school for many years, not one. I would not apply to programs that require two letters if you don’t have them. The reality is medical schools have enough qualified applicants who meet their requirements. From an admissions standpoint, it is really easy to rule out a candidate for failing to meet minimum requirements. You could call admissions offices to ask about their letter policy but my guess is you will either hear a recitation or the policy or something noncommittal. You definitely need to have at least one science letter. If you don’t have that I would encourage you to enroll in a class so that you can get one. While it would be nice to have an excellent science letter, it really just needs to describe your abilities as a student in sciences and that you have the ability to get through the medical curriculum. Your other letters can speak to your other attributes. I would think a lack of science letters would be a red flag.

Can you contact your old professors and remind them of when you were in their class, the grades you earned, and ask for a recommendation?

 

[Blueprint Med School]

What's your cGPA on a 4 point scale?

At some schools, yes, it is a hard and fast requirement. In fact, many medical schools require 2 science letters, and will be lenient if you only have one. It would definitely be worth it to just send a bunch of emails out to old professors you had and ask for a LOR. The worst that can happen is they say no, and nothing changes.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[DrivingDoctor]

It doesn't hurt to ask past science professors. I went through my whole undergraduate without ever going to office hours of professors or trying to get to know any of them outside of the occasional in class chatter. I asked a professor in which it was a year after I took his class and another in which it was 2 years. Both wrote great letters of rec and were happy to help! Whats the worst that can happen? They say no? Even if the letters of rec from them aren't amazing since they didn't know you well, at least it will meet the minimum requirements and then the admissions can see where you really shine from your other LOR