LOR based on behavior during mass death catastrophe, no professional exp together

[twixmoments]

Hi all,

Unsure if I should post this. This is kind of an interesting question I have, but wanted to gain some thoughts. A while back in a foreign country, I was in the middle of a catastrophic mass death event of several hundred victims. It was probably the worst thing I have ever witnessed in my life, and it is one of the strongest "wake up calls" I had to finally move from my current career to fully commit towards pursuing a career in clinical medicine (I'm a nontrad). Coincidentally, I was nearby a U.S-based physician. Because of a unique situation, this physician was the only medical personnel nearby. To the best of my abilities, I worked to translate this physician's instructions to the able-bodied people nearby, particularly around leading the CPR process for as many people as possible, giving feedback on the way people were administering CPR, and directing people on where to carry the bodies / carrying the bodies myself once ambulances arrived in the adjacent street. I also administered CPR and rushed to carry several bodies. However, frankly nothing was truly clinical as it was just simply unbridled chaos, and unfortunately, practically everyone we were trying to administer care to had already succumbed. Unrelated, but we were also both interviewed and featured on the national news for that country and adjacent countries.

Afterwards, in addition to being an incredible inspiration and role model to pursue medicine, this doctor recognized qualities in me throughout this incident that they thought would make me a phenomenal physician and encouraged me to seriously consider it. Unfortunately, since this particular physician works in a large private hospital system with a lot of red tape, it does not allow shadowing or volunteering for students not in medical/nursing school. Despite continued efforts by the physician, I unfortunately won't be able to shadow, volunteer, or work alongside them. However, this physician offered to be my mentor as I pursue volunteering/post-bacc/med school, and offered to write an extremely glowing LOR based on my "natural initiative and heroism" in that situation as I apply to post-baccs and medical school. This LOR will also outline why I wasn't able to shadow this physician.

I know you generally want to have a rec from someone you worked closely with in a professional or volunteering setting. This definitely wouldn't fit that bucket, but I thought it could be a unique way to convey who I am that simply wouldn't be possible in a normal volunteering/clinical setting. I could get a LoR from a physician I shadow or volunteer alongside, but I simply don't think they would be as glowing nor as impactful. Might be totally naive on this though. Could this hurt me?

Thoughts?

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[LizzyM]

Maybe some schools want a rec from someone you worked closely with but mine does not. We look for 3 letters from professors, two science, one non-science. Often, for a non-trad, the school will take a letter from the current employer or commanding officer, but not an eye witness to an act of heroism on one particular day.

Mostly schools want to know about your ability to do well in day-to-day academic work, your ability to speak and write clearly, work together with peers in labs and similar settings (as may be expected in schools that still have anatomy labs with students doing dissections), and your curiosity and study skills (you attended office hours and asked good questions, went beyond the material, was able to help explain difficult concepts to others).

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Sounds like a great champion. Include it as a great character recommendation that happens to be from a physician to support your life story and perhaps your qualifications to contribute to the healthcare community.

Heed @LizzyM 's advice on getting traditional LOR's though. You still need the bases covered.

 

[LizzyM]

Do consider whether your experience of serving others during a catastrophe might be the basis, or the start, of your personal statement. It has been years but I still recall another adcom member reading aloud a personal statement along those lines from a non-trad applicant who had witnessed something similar in a military dining hall in a war zone.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Especially if you make an effort to continue following up with this person longitudinally going forward, I think they could write a LOR. Try to keep standing quarterly mentorship meetings, and then this can fill the same role that many applicants use for a “research” letter where the mentor speaks about their ability outside of a traditional classroom But as @LizzyM said you’ll still need “normal” letters