*~*~* Official Letters of Recommendation Questions Thread 2013-2014 *~*~*

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Hey guys I've lurked here for years but now that Im going into my junior year and getting ready to apply next summer I figured id finally join and post. I have a question I hope yall can give your opinions on. Im a scribe at a local ER here and one of the locem DO's I work with alot last night asked me If I needed a DO letter since we have talked numerous times about my interest in osteopathic medicine. Well long story short she is going to write my letter but she told me to let her know if I wanted the letter on hospital letter head where we work together or if I wanted it on her day job at a major teaching hospital residency program. which do yall think would be better?

sorry for the long post.
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ds1xy said:
Hey guys I've lurked here for years but now that Im going into my junior year and getting ready to apply next summer I figured id finally join and post. I have a question I hope yall can give your opinions on. Im a scribe at a local ER here and one of the locem DO's I work with alot last night asked me If I needed a DO letter since we have talked numerous times about my interest in osteopathic medicine. Well long story short she is going to write my letter but she told me to let her know if I wanted the letter on hospital letter head where we work together or if I wanted it on her day job at a major teaching hospital residency program. hich do yall think would be better?

sorry for the long post.
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My D.O LOR put his on the hospital letterhead it really doesn't matter. The pre med office read it and didn't say anything.
 
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The LOR requirement is going to end up being the death of me..

After months of reminding 2 of my letter writers to submit, I now find out that neither bothered to sign the letters or use letterhead. :mad:
 
WaterIsGood said:
The LOR requirement is going to end up being the death of me..

After months of reminding 2 of my letter writers to submit, I now find out that neither bothered to sign the letters or use letterhead. :mad:
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How did you find out? I'm worried about this too. I've told my letter writers to sign and use letter head but I never confirmed whether or not they did since the LOR are confidential. Will the schools tell you if your letter is unacceptable due to missing signature and letterhead?
 
bionerd89 said:
How did you find out? I'm worried about this too. I've told my letter writers to sign and use letter head but I never confirmed whether or not they did since the LOR are confidential. Will the schools tell you if your letter is unacceptable due to missing signature and letterhead?
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Yeah, I called PCOM. I sent them 3 letters, but only 1 was acceptable. She was nice enough to tell me that the other 2 (both science letters) had no signature or letterhead.

I've got complete notifications at some schools, while others are more strict about requiring the sig/letterhead. I
 
WaterIsGood said:
Yeah, I called PCOM. I sent them 3 letters, but only 1 was acceptable. She was nice enough to tell me that the other 2 (both science letters) had no signature or letterhead.

I've got complete notifications at some schools, while others are more strict about requiring the sig/letterhead. I
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Wow sorry that sucks .. since you are complete at other schools does that mean they accepted your letter or if they just received it and havent checked it yet. I'm super nervous about my lor now. I want to send it somewhere and have them check it but I havent received secondaries yet..
 
bionerd89 said:
Wow sorry that sucks .. since you are complete at other schools does that mean they accepted your letter or if they just received it and havent checked it yet. I'm super nervous about my lor now. I want to send it somewhere and have them check it but I havent received secondaries yet..
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I suppose. I'm still trying to get them to edit and resubmit the lors so that I can just send the edited versions to each school, regardless of whether I'm complete or not.

If you're using interfolio, you can also call them. I think they will let you know whether or not the letter is signed.
 
Can you submit LOR before submitting secondaries?
 
I have three LOR. One from a DO, one from the head of my research lab, and one from a computer science professor. (I'm a non-trad. applicant w/ a computer science background). None of these meet the science professor requirement. Will schools still consider my application, and tell me I need to get a science professor LOR before I matriculate? Or will my application be auto-rejected? Possibly this is on a school-by-school basis... but any ideas on what the general consensus will be?

Thanks in advance & good luck to everyone.
 
DrJCDO said:
I have three LOR. One from a DO, one from the head of my research lab, and one from a computer science professor. (I'm a non-trad. applicant w/ a computer science background). None of these meet the science professor requirement. Will schools still consider my application, and tell me I need to get a science professor LOR before I matriculate? Or will my application be auto-rejected? Possibly this is on a school-by-school basis... but any ideas on what the general consensus will be?

Thanks in advance & good luck to everyone.
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Its either a committee letter or two science professors. Those are the general requirements for most schools. Start emailing/calling professors you've taken science courses with and performed well in.
 
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DrJCDO said:
I have three LOR. One from a DO, one from the head of my research lab, and one from a computer science professor. (I'm a non-trad. applicant w/ a computer science background). None of these meet the science professor requirement. Will schools still consider my application, and tell me I need to get a science professor LOR before I matriculate? Or will my application be auto-rejected? Possibly this is on a school-by-school basis... but any ideas on what the general consensus will be?

Thanks in advance & good luck to everyone.
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if your research is in bio/chem/physics, then you already have one science LOR.
 
I am waiting on one letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician. Should I send in my secondaries while I am waiting, or do I have to wait for this letter to be turned in first? I would hate for them to see my application arrive without a DO letter and think that I am not getting one, so automatically reject me.
 
Claveaut said:
I am waiting on one letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician. Should I send in my secondaries while I am waiting, or do I have to wait for this letter to be turned in first? I would hate for them to see my application arrive without a DO letter and think that I am not getting one, so automatically reject me.
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You can send in your secondaries first. That is what I did. Some schools like LECOM will give you an interview without receiving your LOR first
 
I do apologize in advance if this question has been addressed. Does anyone know how to send LORs through Interfolio to different DO Schools? I am under the impression that I request them and submit myself to schools through Interfolio?
 
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Hi, as a mature applicant, I have been out of University for 1.5 years now. It is getting very difficult for me to get hold of my science professors. I am wondering how strict are DO schools to the requirement of science professors for reference letters?

I am able to get hold of a math professor for reference letter, but my other science professors have not reply me yet. I can get my doctor (MD) and a PhD who I work for to write my reference letter but my PhD manager will not be counted as a science professor correct?

I am also wondering if I can use my instructors from my professional school (X-Ray Technologist) as science professors for my reference letter?

Thank you for your help!
 
If I have a good relationship with a professor this semester--LOR worthy--but am not applying until next year, what's the best way to get the letter now? I think most schools want electronically submitted letters, but if it's still too soon to even open up AACOMAS, how should I do it?
 
didymus said:
If I have a good relationship with a professor this semester--LOR worthy--but am not applying until next year, what's the best way to get the letter now? I think most schools want electronically submitted letters, but if it's still too soon to even open up AACOMAS, how should I do it?
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Get an interfolio account and have him upload it there.
 
I had a professor a few years ago who said in the first day of classes that if we were going to try to get a letter from him that we should make it a point to introduce ourselves and to let him know we may ask for a letter later. I'm not sure if this approach is something that can be used for other professors. I'm in my first semester of post bac classes and I'm having a really hard time trying to get to know my professors with hundreds of other kids in the class fighting for their attention during office hours.
 
cmt2013 said:
I had a professor a few years ago who said in the first day of classes that if we were going to try to get a letter from him that we should make it a point to introduce ourselves and to let him know we may ask for a letter later. I'm not sure if this approach is something that can be used for other professors. I'm in my first semester of post bac classes and I'm having a really hard time trying to get to know my professors with hundreds of other kids in the class fighting for their attention during office hours.
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Office hours are a good start. You can also volunteer in their research lab if you have the time.
 
rzoo14 said:
Office hours are a good start. You can also volunteer in their research lab if you have the time.
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Thanks, I'm going to keep attending office hours. I don't think the professor I was thinking of asking is currently doing research right now though. He is my gen chem 1 professor and I really enjoy his class. I came in thinking I would hate this class especially since I suffered/struggled through gen chem 1 and 2 but he actually really piqued my interest in chemistry and I'm happy to say I have nearly a 100% in his class right now. I would love a letter from this class but I just don't know what other ways I can get to know him personally without sounding like a total brown noser!
 
Quick question: I have done extensive volunteer work as a pharmacy technician (but I want to go to medical school, i can explain why if needed). If I know that I can get a great LOR from the Pharmacist in charge in regards to my work ethic and patient care, would this be appropriate? I know it would be a great letter (I already have 2 letters from biology professors and my statistics teacher) I would like for this to be my 'non-academic' letter. I was just curious if there was a secret rule against this (or highly advisable not to do this, in terms of getting a letter from a pharmacist.)
Thanks!
 
Quick question: I have done extensive volunteer work as a pharmacy technician (but I want to go to medical school, i can explain why if needed). If I know that I can get a great LOR from the Pharmacist in charge in regards to my work ethic and patient care, would this be appropriate? I know it would be a great letter (I already have 2 letters from biology professors and my statistics teacher) I would like for this to be my 'non-academic' letter. I was just curious if there was a secret rule against this (or highly advisable not to do this, in terms of getting a letter from a pharmacist.)
Thanks!
 
Quick question: I have done extensive volunteer work as a pharmacy technician (but I want to go to medical school, i can explain why if needed). If I know that I can get a great LOR from the Pharmacist in charge in regards to my work ethic and patient care, would this be appropriate? I know it would be a great letter (I already have 2 letters from biology professors and my statistics teacher) I would like for this to be my 'non-academic' letter. I was just curious if there was a secret rule against this (or highly advisable not to do this, in terms of getting a letter from a pharmacist.)
Thanks!
 
emilym said:
Quick question: I have done extensive volunteer work as a pharmacy technician (but I want to go to medical school, i can explain why if needed). If I know that I can get a great LOR from the Pharmacist in charge in regards to my work ethic and patient care, would this be appropriate? I know it would be a great letter (I already have 2 letters from biology professors and my statistics teacher) I would like for this to be my 'non-academic' letter. I was just curious if there was a secret rule against this (or highly advisable not to do this, in terms of getting a letter from a pharmacist.)
Thanks!
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Absolutely! The Pharmacist is definitely a good person to ask for a letter of recommendation. It would be the same as an employer letter really. He/she should have a very good idea of your potential, your work ethic and your people skills. Many schools let you turn in as many letters as you wish, others may not, but it won't hurt to have it available.
 
I have a question regarding with physician's letter requirement. If I start looking for a DO to shadow now, I'm afraid that it would not be enough time to get the letter from the DO by the time of late June during secondaries, because I don't know how soon I will be able to find a DO. But I'm getting a letter from a MD. But it is based on research setting, like the MD oversee me in research environment, and not like from shadowing environment.

So the question is, can that MD letter consider as 'physician's LOR', despite it might not be in shadowing clinical environment?
 
lwgw said:
I have a question regarding with physician's letter requirement. If I start looking for a DO to shadow now, I'm afraid that it would not be enough time to get the letter from the DO by the time of late June during secondaries, because I don't know how soon I will be able to find a DO. But I'm getting a letter from a MD. But it is based on research setting, like the MD oversee me in research environment, and not like from shadowing environment.

So the question is, can that MD letter consider as 'physician's LOR', despite it might not be in shadowing clinical environment?
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It would qualify as a physician letter. The recommender is a physician who had gone to medical school and therefore will be able write about the qualities of a good physician that he/she sees in you.
 
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