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Student Doctor Network Forums gt Pre-Medical Forums gt Pre-Medical Allopathic [ MD ] ~~~Official Letters of Recommendation Questions Thread 2012-2013~~~

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Member 394261Im an 11 but continue

Status Medical StudentJoin Date Apr 2011Posts 9599

~~~Official Letters of Recommendation Questions Thread 2012-2013~~~

This thread is for 2013 applicants (those who will beentering medical school in 2013) to ask questions aboutletters of recommendation

Any separate threads in Pre-Allo dealing with this topicwill be merged into this thread

Before asking a question PLEASE READ THE FAQboth here in this thread AND on the AMCAS website Itis quite possible that your question will have alreadybeen answered If you think that you have a differenttake on a question in the FAQ acknowledge this in yourquestion everyone in pre-allo will be much more likely tohelp you out if they think youve done due diligence

For your reference last years thread is available here

Also each thread has a search function Please use itbefore asking your question by clicking the Search this Thread button near the top of the page

This thread is brought to you by the Pre-Allopathic Volunteer Staff Ask away and good luck

Last edited by sector9 03-14-2012 at 1142 AM

03-14-2012 1138 AM 2

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Faq

Frequently Asked Questions

1 What kinds of letters do I need to apply to medical schoolFor most schools you need a MINIMUM of two letters from science professors and 1 letter from a non-scienceprofessor If you have done research a letter from your PI is also recommended especially at research-intensiveschools (If you know of any exceptions to this rule feel free to post in this thread with citations and I will addthem) Other letters that may be helpful a letter from an employer who knows your skills well a letter from aphysician you shadowedworked with who knows your skills well a letter from a volunteer coordinator whoknows your skills well The key is that the letters be exceptional A detailed letter that can give clear examplesof why you are an excellent candidate for medical school will generally trump a tepid letter from a famousperson Every school is different Please check each schools individual letter requirements by visitingtheir website A copy of an XLS spreadsheet from 2010 is attached to this post The accuracy of thisspreadsheet is unknown so be sure to check individual school websites Keep in mind that a committee letter

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usually overrides any specific school requirements listed on the spreadsheet1a But doesnt every school have different letter requirements Yes they do Do your homework buy an MSAR (I hear from this thread that the way to go is to buy onlineaccess because the hard copy is not as useful httpforumsstudentdoctornetshowthreadphpt=811023) andlook at the school websites Also AMCAS has a link to every school use it and figure out what you need forthe schools youre applying to httpswwwaamcorgstudentsapplyiating_schools You can get a rough ideafrom the attached XLS spreadsheet but check school websites to confirm1b But do I really really have to get X type of letter (2 non-science 1 science a letter from my PI)The short answer yes The long answer Maybeit depends on the school No one on SDN can answer this foryou But the general rule in medical school admissions is do what you are told Get the two science letters Ifyou cantcall the schools youre applying to and see if they will make an exception But be aware that theanswer may be no

2 I am a non-traditional student and have been out of school for awhile Can I get around the letterrequirementsThe simple answer is probably no If you are a non-traditional student this doesnt mean that you have an easiertime getting into medical school the same hoops still need to be jumped through Being out of school for awhileis likely a problem in itself schools want to see recent evidence that you can handle the coursework necessaryto get through medical school Take some classes form relationships and get the letters you need to If youmust you can contact each school individually to see if they would be ok with you submitting alternate lettersbut be aware that the answer may be no

3 My school has a medical school admissions committee and they produce a committee letter Butthe letter wont be released until really LATE (August September October) Can I just skip thecommittee and collect my own lettersThe general wisdom on this topic is that if your school has a committee USE IT If you dont you will be askedwhy and will need a very good reason You are circumventing the committee at your own risk

4 Howwhen can I submit letters of req to AMCASOnce the application opens in May you may begin submitting letters to AMCAS Before you can mail a letterin you must create the letter in your AMCAS application This involves you telling AMCAS who the letter writeris and naming the letter in AMCAS AMCAS will then give this letter an ID number It is important for you to giveyour letter writer both your AMCAS ID number and the Letter ID number to avoid any snafus with lost lettersYour letter writer can then mail the letter into AMCAS with these two pieces of information and the letter will beuploaded to your file and will be available to assign to any school you wish I am told that while AMCAS willaccept documents without your AMCAS ID on them you MUST have the Letter ID or AMCAS will not accept itI dont have firsthand knowledge of whether or not this is true

You can create and submit letters at any time including after you submit your application and after you areverified This is one of the few parts of the application you can edit after submission

5 Do I have to know which letters are going to which school when I first submit my AMCASapplicationNO You can submit your application without assigning letters Again this is one of the few parts of theapplication that can be altered later HOWEVER once you assign a letter to a school you CANNOT un-assign

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it If the letter is present in AMCAS and you assign it to a school it WILL go to that school However if youcreate the letter in AMCAS assign it to a school but your letter writer never sends the letter in you can notifyAMCAS (and the school through the AMCAS application) that the letter will no longer be sent

6 How many schools use the AMCAS Letter serviceThis year it looks like all but 5 schools that participate in AMCAS are participating in the letter service Thosenon-participating schools areDuke UniversityLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicinein ShreveportLouisiana State University School of Medicine in New OrleansUniversidad Central Del CaribeUniversity of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

The participating schools can be found here httpswwwaamcorgstudentsapplyiating_schools

7 Is it in my best interest to have my letter writers write different letters for each schoolProbably not AMCAS can only hold a maximum of 10 letters for you If you need a minimum of 3 letters foreach school these slots will be used up rather quickly

8 What are letter services such as Interfolio and why do people use themInterfolio and other companies provide secure online letter holding services You can have your letters uploadedto these services at any time so that youre not scrambling at the last minute (or during the summer) to getletters into your application This can be especially beneficial when you are 9 months or so out from yourplanned application cycle but know the professor you have NOW will write you a great letter You can havethem write the letter upload it to a letter service and then many months later have the letter sent to AMCASonce the application opens When you do this you have the ability to add on both your AMCAS ID and theLetter ID to the letter All your letter writer needs to do is upload the letter (or mail it in) on letterhead and with asignature These sites are secure and they do not allow you to read the letter beforehand

9 What else about letters do I need to knowYour letter must be SIGNED and should be on OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD whenever possible This is somethingthat holds people up every year Some schools will even hold up your application because of this Also AMCAShas a beautiful FAQ dealing with letters here httpswwwaamcorgstudentsapplyiding_pagehtml

10 How should I ask someone for a letter of req On this one I will give my own experience For each letter writer I prepared a packet In the packet I hadA list of all of my science grades (or non-science grades for a non-science prof)A copy of my resumeA rough draft of my personal statementA guide to writing medical school letters (which can be found by googling) a reminder that the letter needed tobe signed and on letterhead

Before handing them this (because who wants all that before they even say yes) I asked them point blank ifthey would feel comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation for medical school Always do this in

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person If they hesitatewalk away Seriously You dont want this person writing your letter

When they enthusiastically said yes I pulled the packet out of my backpack and gave it to them

Because I used Interfolio I did not need to provide them with my AMCAS ID or Letter ID but instead told themthat they would get an email from Interfolio that evening with instructions on how to upload the letter Give thema FIRM deadline (2-4 weeks seems to work best) for when you need the letter Dont ask at the last minuteDont ask when you think a billion other people will be asking Do offer to provide them with any othersupplementary information they would like And do give them a thank-you note (and maybe a Starbucks card)when they submit the letter

11 OMG My letter writer has not written my letter It has been minuteshoursdaysweeksmonthsand Im freaking out What do I doFirst stop by or email and gently remind them that you need the letter by X date If this doesnt work I havegiven them a premature Thank-You note with a small token and this seems to light a fire I recommended thismethod to someone on SDN last year and it apparently worked like a charm

If this isnt workingyou do the same thing you do whenever something goes awry - find a plan B Asksomeone elsetwo other people even just in case this person does not come through You cant have toomany letters But you can have too few

12 Do I have to waive my right to see the lettersNo But if you dont schools might not see them as letters that carry much weight Waive your right If you knowthe person well enough you should have a pretty good idea of what they are going to write

13 If I apply this June and I have given every school my 5 chosen LORs with committee letterthrough AMCAS virtual evals upload by my prehealth office and then I get anther LOR over thesummerfall and want to send it to all schools in December do I have to have the prof mail it to all 25schools or will AMCAS distribute it

or tldr Can I submit my application without the lettersYou can add a letter at ANY time in AMCAS have it sent to AMCAS and AMCAS will distribute itYou may want to shoot an email to each school letting them know to expect another letter just in case Theyshould be updating your file continuously (they will want your current contact info and often people change theiraddresses mid cycle) but they may not always do it in a timely manner

Please send me a PM if you know of additional questions suitable for the FAQAttached Files

Medical School LOR Requirementsxls (1360 KB 709 views)

Last edited by sector9 06-16-2012 at 1018 PM

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03-16-2012 0141 PM 3

Member 3885191K Member

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For those who have used interfolio

Im slightly confused I was under the impression that letter writers could submit letters to Interfolio at anytimeand then you could send them to amcas come May 1st But I have been looking over the amcas instructionmanual (httpswwwaamcorgstudentsdownlotionmanualpdf) and on page 58 it says this

Quote

Interfolio AMCAS can receive letters sent to Interfolio if you are an Interfolio user or your institutionuses Interfolio to deliver letters of evaluation Authors should add the appropriate AAMC ID andAMCAS Letter ID in their Interfolio account as these IDs must accompany your letter in order for yourletter to be matched with your application Specific instructions are provided below

1) Does your letter writer have to include your amcas ID when they submit the letter to interfolio or can I add thatat a later date

2) To this same point kinda can I use the letters that were sent to amcas through interfolio as additional lettersto send directly to TMDSAS schools if they take additional letters (beyond the three TMDSAS will store andforward for you) or are they going to need to include my TMDSAS ID on them that I will not be able to add

Thanks

03-16-2012 0144 PM 4

Member 398250Reality Check Quote

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Originally Posted by DAPI 1) Does your letter writer have to include your amcas ID when they submit the letter to interfolio or canI add that at a later date

2) To this same point k inda can I use the letters that were sent to amcas through interfolio asadditional letters to send directly to TMDSAS schools if they take additional letters (beyond the threeTMDSAS will store and forward for you) or are they going to need to include my TMDSAS ID on themthat I will not be able to add

Thanks

1 Yes You can add that later when you send the letter to AMCAS from interfolio

2 Dont know enough about TMDSAS__________________Man is disturbed not by things but by the views he takes on them

03-16-2012 0216 PM 5

Member 400567snow PBR and bears Status Medical StudentMDApps View ProfileJoin Date May 2011Location teh Big SkyPosts 1721

Yup Interfolio lets you attach both the necessary AAMC ID and the AMCAS Letter ID to the letter long after ithas been written and submitted Its quick easy and convenient

I had my letter writers send a hard copy to Interfolio and the only thing they had to do was write the letter ontheir letterhead and include a special Interfolio barcode page that I already printed out and gave to them

While I did not participate in TMDSAS I did apply to another state that is non-AMCAS (North Dakota) andInterfolio let me include whatever identifiers that North Dakota needed instead Im certain Interfolioaccommodates TMDSAS as well so you can reuse your letters if you wish

Its really a slick system and I was a very satisfied customer__________________

I chose Tulane because it had better opportunities for researching pubs

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03-16-2012 0316 PM 6

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Thanks guys

04-01-2012 0537 AM 7

Member 391475Junior Member Join Date Apr 2011Posts 5

LOR question

I am doing research this summer 2012 with a med school professor and more research with a different medicalschool professor in fall 2012 Is it ok if I get LOR from them and have them be sent to interfolio even though Idont plan on applying to med school until 2014 I would also have recent scIence and non science letters whenI apply The two med school professors letters would be over two years old though when I apply Is it ok to usethose two year old LOR

04-01-2012 0617 AM 8

Member 225800Allons-y Moving to pre-allo

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Moving to pre-allo__________________

Quote

Originally Posted by oldbearprofessorGirls like softy guys - they fall for pediatricians Go volunteer in a newborn nursery and practicechanging diapers Then you can tell your girl that well if the situation were to arise you can changediapers and put babies to sleep Shell fall for you immediately Just dont mention that pediatriciansare really really poor and only can drive old cars and wear stupid bow ties

Quote

Originally Posted by MilkmanAlYoull make a terrible doctor Also medical advice legal advice personal insults and advertisingPorn

04-01-2012 0508 PM 9

Member 460556Junior Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Mar 2012Posts 17

Confused about LOR

I have already asked professors physicians etc for my letters but I am still a bit confused Do med schoolslook at LOR with the primary application or secondaries Thank for clearing this up

04-01-2012 0509 PM 10

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Also when should I set the deadline for my letters to be submitted to Interfolio

04-02-2012 0900 AM 11

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If Im not 100 sure on taking a gap year yet can I still ask for recommendations now have my premed officehold them and then still use them next year in the event that I do take a gap year Or will they not be valid bythen

04-02-2012 0936 AM 12

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yes you can__________________MDApps ~ Blog ~ Flickr

Accepted Class of 2016

04-02-2012 0829 PM 13

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Im planning to ask my professor from this upcoming quarter for a Letter of rec Unfortunately he wont be able toobserve my academic ability until the quarter ends in June If im not submitting my application untily thebeginning of August at what point duringat the end of the quarter should I ask him for an LOR Its for a non-science class Thankst

04-02-2012 0844 PM 14

Member 214077Senior Member Status Pre-Medical

you only need LORs to send with secondaries right so getting them all by early july would be OK

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Join Date Jul 2008Posts 630

04-02-2012 0915 PM 15

Member 458072Banned Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Mar 2012Posts 110

I thought thy wr rquird with your mcat and gpa to b verifid or complt right

04-02-2012 0917 PM 16

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Quote

Originally Posted by jevo Im planning to ask my professor from this upcoming quarter for a Letter of rec Unfortunately he wontbe able to observe my academic ability until the quarter ends in June If im not submitting myapplication untily the beginning of August at what point duringat the end of the quarter should I askhim for an LOR Its for a non-science class Thankst

Quote

Originally Posted by ReptarBar you only need LORs to send with secondaries right so getting them all by early july would be OK

ReptarBar is correct Your LORs are part of your secondary application not your primary app So if you aresubmitting your primary app at the beginning of Aug youll have a ~4 week wait until you are verifiedRealistically your professor has until September to submit hisher LOR

I would ask the professor midway through the class or later (after you get to know him and hes seen a few testscores) That way the professor knows you well enough to say Yes I would be more than happy to provide you

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a glowing LOR and you can sleep peacefully at night Your professor should also have enough time to sendin the recommendation without feeling rushed__________________

I am a hol istic healer Its a cal l ing Its a gi ft Y ou see i ts in the best interest of the medical profession that you remain sick Seethat ensu res good bu siness Y ou re not a patient you re a cu stomer

Tor Eckman

04-02-2012 0919 PM 17

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Quote

Originally Posted by jevo I thought thy wr rquird with your mcat and gpa to b verifid or complt right

The only one of those three (MCAT LORs and transcripts) that you need to have before you can be verified isyour transcripts so AMCAS can calculate your GPA Youll want your MCAT score pretty fast though becausemost schools wont send you a secondary without it

04-02-2012 0948 PM 18

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How long is too long for a LOR I have searched this topic and have been unable to make a conclusion

I have known my PI for two years and he has also taught me in two upper division courses So clearly we havea very long and deep relationship and he can make some very meaningful comments about me He has askedme how long his LOR should be I simply replied that it was up to him In the past his LORs for various

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research-related applications have been 1 page single-spaced I have a feeling that since hes going to add-onspecific comments for medical school he could easily make it 15-2 pages single-spaced However I doubt thatits going to reach 2 full pages What should I tell him

On one hand since he has known me and my research so well his lengthy LOR should be filled withsubstance However I dont want whoever is reading it to get bored and lost I dont know how he writes--I hopehe doesnt have a habit of rambling haha

04-02-2012 0954 PM 19

Member 296494Senior Member

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Is there a suggested plan of action when it comes to approaching a professor you got an A from but dont knowIm thinking of proceeding initially through emails

Thanks for the help

some questions1) Initially should I email them an electronic version of a LOR packet or just a PDF of my personal statement2) Is it too forward to mention that I would be willing to help draft an outline for the professor3) Obviously Im not expecting such a LOR to be stellar but is there anyway to help ensure that they are atleast decent Ideally Id want the LOR to be focused on my ability to succeed academically in medicine (I had somefinancialfamily issues earlier in college but since have had a strong upward trend)

04-02-2012 1001 PM 20

Member 234089co 2017 Quote

Originally Posted by bajastapler Is there a suggested plan of action when it comes to approaching a professor you got an A from butdont know Im think ing of proceeding initially through emails

Thanks for the help

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some questions1) Initially should I email them an electronic version of a LOR packet or just a PDF of my personalstatement2) Is it too forward to mention that I would be willing to help draft an outline for the professor3) Obviously Im not expecting such a LOR to be stellar but is there anyway to help ensure that theyare at least decent Ideally Id want the LOR to be focused on my ability to succeed academically in medicine (I hadsome financialfamily issues earlier in college but since have had a strong upward trend)

I would recommend emailing the professor asking them if you could meet to discuss a LOR At this meetingbring everything(I brought transcript PS LOR paperwork for my school and other things) and start the meetingby asking if they can write you a strong letter of recommendation If they seem anything other than happy aboutagreeing to write you a letter of recommendation then I suggest you find another professor

I think 2) is too direct - when you talk with them though you can always try to push the conversation in a certaindirection

04-03-2012 0228 PM 21

Member 214077Senior Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Jul 2008Posts 630

would you guys ask your prospective LOR writers in person or send an email to them all first

04-03-2012 0246 PM 22

Member 440849Junior Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Dec 2011Posts 6

Letters of Rec and Letter IDs

Hello I apologize in advance if this question has already been posted

I was planning on applying last year but decided not to As such I already have all of my LOR in Interfolio readyto be sent to AMCAS However since Im applying THIS year would the letter IDs for each letter and myapplicant ID change I really dont want to bother my letter writers with going through the whole process of

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submitting again so I want to be very sure of this

Thanks so much

04-03-2012 0249 PM 23

Member 360866Send in the clow ns

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Moving to the LOR questions thread

04-03-2012 0603 PM 24

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It seems that a lot of people recommend providing a professor with your personal statement when asking themto write an LOR If I havent written mine yet should I hold off on asking until I write it even though it will give themless notice

04-04-2012 0621 PM 25

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Another Letter of Rec thread

Hello everyone

Im a fourth year and want to ask my professor from whose class I took the end of my sophomore year (Physics)for a letter of rec I went to every office hour and she knew my name by the end of the semester I worked veryhard in the class (since physics is my weak point) and got an A-

HOWEVER I havent talked to her a while but I know if she sees me shell recognize me Im going to email herif she can write a great letter of rec for me but should I even ask her since I havent talked to her a long time(were talking almost 2 yr - shes not a full time professor anyway) It will be awkward but Ill send my resumecvto let her know what I have been up too and hopefully meet with her Im just scared she cant write a strongone

( m a non science major so obviously the majority of my bcmp courses were my first 2 years)

Last edited by premedicine555 04-04-2012 at 0631 PM

04-04-2012 0850 PM 26

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OK well since there wasnt an actual question in your post Ill just share my thoughts on your situation I was ina somewhat similar situation as you (I needed one more basic science letter and most of my premed classeswere 200+ students) and yeah it was a little awkward to email the prof over a year after taking his class but hewas really cool about it In the email I suggested to meet with him just to talk a bit He was really supportiveabout the whole thing I met with him we talked for like 15-20 minutes and he wrote his LOR based on thatDuring my premed committee I was told that two of my letters were very strong -- his wasnt one of these thatwere mentioned I suspect that his LOR was mediocre ie he didnt say bad things but it wasnt anythingspecial either Everyones situation will be a little different but you probably shouldnt expect her letter to be astrong letter Strong letters come from people who really know you like you and want to do whatever they canto help you succeed If you have other choices for letter writers then by all means ask her if she would be ableto write you a strong LOR to convince medical school admissions why youd be a strong candidate for theirprogram She should know what you mean by this and if she says no move on to the next one A mediocreletter shouldnt hold you back A bad one will Good luck

Hopefully others share their thoughts on this matter since I admit I know very little about med school admissionslol

Edit A mediocre letter shouldnt hold you back -- assuming your other letters are strong__________________University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Class of 2016

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Last edited by jesse120 04-04-2012 at 0854 PM Reason typo

04-04-2012 0900 PM 27

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I am also in a similar situation but on this case I am a biochem major and am planning on asking a non-science professor for an LOR But I havent taken a non-science class for well over a year and I have twoprofessors (one English and one psychology) that Im planning to ask My problem is that I have not seentalkedto them for more than a year now I also feel awkward but Ive done stellar in their classes I am just hoping thatthey still remember me I am also worried they might write me a mediocre non-science LOR

Btw is a psychology LOR considered non-science LOR or science LOR

04-04-2012 0919 PM 28

Member 451671Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Feb 2012Posts 68

Transfer Student Letter of Rec Using Interfolio

I will be transferring from my cc to university in about 1 year I am taking Gen Chem series now and have gottento know my professor well

Question is should I ask for a letter of rec from my professor and should I do it through interfolio because I amtransferring and then that gives me a way of keeping it

I dont know how it works help

04-04-2012 0919 PM 29

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Originally Posted by premedicine555 Hello everyone

Im a fourth year and want to ask my professor from whose class I took the end of my sophomore year(Physics) for a letter of rec I went to every office hour and she knew my name by the end of thesemester I worked very hard in the class (since physics is my weak point) and got an A-

HOWEVER I havent talked to her a while but I know if she sees me shell recognize me Im going toemail her if she can write a great letter of rec for me but should I even ask her since I havent talkedto her a long time (were talk ing almost 2 yr - shes not a full time professor anyway) It will be awkwardbut Ill send my resumecv to let her know what I have been up too and hopefully meet with her Imjust scared she cant write a strong one

( m a non science major so obviously the majority of my bcmp courses were my first 2 years)

I completely agree with jesse120 as I did the same thing for one of my letters IMO the most diplomatic way toget this letter (or any letter for that matter) is to refrain from asking for a letter of recommendation through emailIf you are unable to meet with them thats a different story Once you sit down and talk it up with her aboutapplying to medical school and your cvresume go ahead and ask Since you went to her office hours sheknows you by name and probably already has a decent idea of what type of student you are After talking withher she should have a better idea of what you are about and go with that for writing your letter Dont forget tosend a thank you noteemail after she uploads it to whatever letter service you are using

Best of luck to you

04-04-2012 0933 PM 30

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Quote

Originally Posted by premedicine555 Hello everyone

Im a fourth year and want to ask my professor from whose class I took the end of my sophomore year(Physics) for a letter of rec I went to every office hour and she knew my name by the end of thesemester I worked very hard in the class (since physics is my weak point) and got an A-

HOWEVER I havent talked to her a while but I know if she sees me shell recognize me Im going toemail her if she can write a great letter of rec for me but should I even ask her since I havent talkedto her a long time (were talk ing almost 2 yr - shes not a full time professor anyway) It will be awkwardbut Ill send my resumecv to let her know what I have been up too and hopefully meet with her Imjust scared she cant write a strong one

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Join Date Apr 2011Posts 9599

just scared she cant write a strong one

( m a non science major so obviously the majority of my bcmp courses were my first 2 years)

Quote

Originally Posted by jesse120 OK well since there wasnt an actual question in your post Ill just share my thoughts on your situationI was in a somewhat similar situation as you (I needed one more basic science letter and most of mypremed classes were 200+ students) and yeah it was a little awkward to email the prof over a yearafter tak ing his class but he was really cool about it In the email I suggested to meet with him justto talk a bit He was really supportive about the whole thing I met with him we talked for like 15-20minutes and he wrote his LOR based on that During my premed committee I was told that two of myletters were very strong -- his wasnt one of these that were mentioned I suspect that his LOR wasmediocre ie he didnt say bad things but it wasnt anything special either Everyones situation will bea little different but you probably shouldnt expect her letter to be a strong letter Strong letters comefrom people who really know you like you and want to do whatever they can to help you succeed Ifyou have other choices for letter writers then by all means ask her if she would be able to write you astrong LOR to convince medical school admissions why youd be a strong candidate for their programShe should know what you mean by this and if she says no move on to the next one A mediocreletter shouldnt hold you back A bad one will Good luck

Hopefully others share their thoughts on this matter since I admit I know very little about med schooladmissions lol

Edit A mediocre letter shouldnt hold you back -- assuming your other letters are strong

Quote

Originally Posted by folktale I am also in a similar situation but on this case I am a biochem major and am planning on ask ing anon-science professor for an LOR But I havent taken a non-science class for well over a year and Ihave two professors (one English and one psychology) that Im planning to ask My problem is that Ihave not seentalked to them for more than a year now I also feel awkward but Ive done stellar intheir classes I am just hoping that they still remember me I am also worried they might write me amediocre non-science LOR

Btw is a psychology LOR considered non-science LOR or science LOR

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Originally Posted by AnthroMD I completely agree with jesse120 as I did the same thing for one of my letters IMO the mostdiplomatic way to get this letter (or any letter for that matter) is to refrain from ask ing for a letter ofrecommendation through email If you are unable to meet with them thats a different story Once yousit down and talk it up with her about applying to medical school and your cvresume go ahead andask Since you went to her office hours she knows you by name and probably already has a decentidea of what type of student you are After talk ing with her she should have a better idea of what youare about and go with that for writing your letter Dont forget to send a thank you noteemail after sheuploads it to whatever letter service you are using

Best of luck to you

Merging with LOR thread

04-04-2012 0945 PM 31

Member 394261Im an 11 but continue

Status Medical StudentJoin Date Apr 2011Posts 9599

Quote

Originally Posted by StraightShooter I will be transferring from my cc to university in about 1 year I am tak ing Gen Chem series now andhave gotten to know my professor well

Question is should I ask for a letter of rec from my professor and should I do it through interfoliobecause I am transferring and then that gives me a way of keeping it

I dont know how it works help

Merging with LOR questions thread

If you are afraid heshe will forget you then Interfolio is a great option If you trust the professor to hold on to theletter you could have himher write it now and send it to AMCAS when youre ready to apply

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04-04-2012 1025 PM 32

Member 287317Senior Member

Status Health StudentJoin Date Sep 2009Location FloridaPosts 406

Your letters will most likely not be looked at until you have submitted your secondary After they receive yoursecondary they will begin to review your completed file (including your letters) to determine whether or not tosend an interview invitation However some DO schools (LECOM) will extend an interview invitation afterreceiving the secondary and prior to receiving your letters

Since you are using Interfolio keep in mind that it takes time to send letters to an application service uploadthem then have each school download them for your file So as soon as you receive a letter send it off If youare applying MD it would be loads easier to just have them upload the letter directly to AMCAS that way thereis no lag between Interfolio-AMCAS I applied MD and DO and kept everything separate Direct upload toAMCAS for MD (obviously) and Interfolio --gt each DO school

Hope this helps Good luck

04-04-2012 1101 PM 33

Member 287317Senior Member

Status Health StudentJoin Date Sep 2009Location FloridaPosts 406

Quote

Originally Posted by cbaker049 I am doing research this summer 2012 with a med school professor and more research with a differentmedical school professor in fall 2012 Is it ok if I get LOR from them and have them be sent tointerfolio even though I dont plan on applying to med school until 2014 I would also have recentscIence and non science letters when I apply The two med school professors letters would be overtwo years old though when I apply Is it ok to use those two year old LOR

Good question I dont think schools state this clearly enough on their websites They tell you how old an MCATcan be but not a letter

First and foremost I would contact the medical school and ask them directly They will be able to tellyou what their standards are for letters

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Posts 406

If they dont care that it is two years old then voila theres your answer If they want it to be written closer towhen you are applying then you have options

a) Wait

b) You could have your letter writers upload it SummerFall 2012 respectively and then editre-date the letter (ifpossible) when it is time to submit your application(s)

c) I wasnt going to say it because I dont know how legit it is but for completeness you may be able to ask theletter writers to date the letter for the future I dont know if med school see when the letter was uploaded toInterfolio but this could solve your problem so you dont have to worry about it I dont know if this is appropriateor not- just wanted to throw it out there

Personally I would either wait or ask them to send it in and edit it when necessary But above all call theschool(s)

Good luck

04-05-2012 1224 AM 34

Member 460556Junior Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Mar 2012Posts 17

Quote

Originally Posted by AnthroMD Your letters will most likely not be looked at until you have submitted your secondary After theyreceive your secondary they will begin to review your completed file (including your letters) to determinewhether or not to send an interview invitation However some DO schools (LECOM) will extend aninterview invitation after receiving the secondary and prior to receiving your letters

Since you are using Interfolio keep in mind that it takes time to send letters to an application serviceupload them then have each school download them for your file So as soon as you receive a lettersend it off If you are applying MD it would be loads easier to just have them upload the letter directlyto AMCAS that way there is no lag between Interfolio-AMCAS I applied MD and DO and kepteverything separate Direct upload to AMCAS for MD (obviously) and Interfolio --gt each DO school

Hope this helps Good luck

Yep I appreciate the advice

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04-05-2012 1244 AM 35

Member 1128201K Member Status Medical StudentMDApps View ProfileJoin Date Aug 2006Posts 1545

I dont think the age of your letters mattersI applied this cycle (2011-2012) with letters from2006 (1)2008-2009 (3)2011 (1)

04-05-2012 0108 AM 36

Member 283157Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Sep 2009Posts 33

Date of letter doesnt matter Its better to get it quickly so that the docs remember you when they write it Try toget the letter after you spent a good amount of time with them so they know you but not too late that youll havetrouble following up with them if they havent written it

04-05-2012 0504 AM 37

Member 360866Send in the clow ns Merging with LOR questions thread

Quote

Originally Posted by cbaker049 I am doing research this summer 2012 with a med school professor and more research with a differentmedical school professor in fall 2012 Is it ok if I get LOR from them and have them be sent to

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Status Medical StudentJoin Date Nov 2010Posts 8130

interfolio even though I dont plan on applying to med school until 2014 I would also have recentscIence and non science letters when I apply The two med school professors letters would be overtwo years old though when I apply Is it ok to use those two year old LOR

Quote

Originally Posted by GoSpursGo Moving to pre-allo

Quote

Originally Posted by AnthroMD Good question I dont think schools state this clearly enough on their websites They tell you how oldan MCAT can be but not a letter

First and foremost I would contact the medical school and ask them directly They will be ableto tell you what their standards are for letters

If they dont care that it is two years old then voila theres your answer If they want it to be writtencloser to when you are applying then you have options

a) Wait

b) You could have your letter writers upload it SummerFall 2012 respectively and then editre-datethe letter (if possible) when it is time to submit your application(s)

c) I wasnt going to say it because I dont know how legit it is but for completeness you may be ableto ask the letter writers to date the letter for the future I dont know if med school see when the letterwas uploaded to Interfolio but this could solve your problem so you dont have to worry about it I dontknow if this is appropriate or not- just wanted to throw it out there

Personally I would either wait or ask them to send it in and edit it when necessary But above all callthe school(s)

Good luck

Quote

Originally Posted by capn jazz I dont think the age of your letters mattersI applied this cycle (2011-2012) with letters from2006 (1)2008-2009 (3)2011 (1)

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Originally Posted by berkpremed Date of letter doesnt matter Its better to get it quick ly so that the docs remember you when they writeit Try to get the letter after you spent a good amount of time with them so they know you but not toolate that youll have trouble following up with them if they havent written it

04-05-2012 0504 AM 38

Member 360866Send in the clow ns

Status Medical StudentJoin Date Nov 2010Posts 8130

Merging with LOR questions thread

Quote

Originally Posted by Mistadawkins I have already asked professors physicians etc for my letters but I am still a bit confused Do medschools look at LOR with the primary application or secondaries Thank for clearing this up

Quote

Originally Posted by Mistadawkins Also when should I set the deadline for my letters to be submitted to Interfolio

Quote

Originally Posted by AnthroMD Your letters will most likely not be looked at until you have submitted your secondary After theyreceive your secondary they will begin to review your completed file (including your letters) to determinewhether or not to send an interview invitation However some DO schools (LECOM) will extend aninterview invitation after receiving the secondary and prior to receiving your letters

Since you are using Interfolio keep in mind that it takes time to send letters to an application serviceupload them then have each school download them for your file So as soon as you receive a lettersend it off If you are applying MD it would be loads easier to just have them upload the letter directlyto AMCAS that way there is no lag between Interfolio-AMCAS I applied MD and DO and kepteverything separate Direct upload to AMCAS for MD (obviously) and Interfolio --gt each DO school

Hope this helps Good luck

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Quote

Originally Posted by Mistadawkins Yep I appreciate the advice

04-05-2012 0802 AM 39

Member 3885191K Member

Status Pre-MedicalMDApps View ProfileJoin Date Mar 2011Location OregonPosts 1414

Some schools require letters to be less than one year old One that comes to mind is Baylor College ofMedicine but I know I have seen others too

httpwwwbcmeduadmissionsPMID=2324letters

04-05-2012 0434 PM 40

Member 335298Senior Member I have heard that my state school likes to see a letter of recc from each of your three significant experiences

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I have heard that my state school likes to see a letter of recc from each of your three significant experiencesfrom your AMCAS activities One of those for me is working with an activist street medic collective that providedfirst aid support at demonstrations I am probably going to polish the language to sound less political But thataside I did some great work and collaboratively designed amp taught a 20-hour first aid curriculum to communityactivists amp organizers several times and I think it makes for a great leadership experience

But for the letter this basically amounts to asking one of my friends for a letter of recc Is that frowned on

04-05-2012 0806 PM 41

Member 198500Senior Member Join Date Apr 2008Posts 209

Also what if out of nowhere my professor writes a mean LOR Again I was a great student but maybe Im justbeing paranoid what if she says shell write a strong LOR but does the opposite because shes sick (and Ihave no idea) Thats why I dont want to waive my right (so I can view) but majority SDN says to waive yourrights (which is what I will end up doing)

04-09-2012 1208 AM 42

Member 377368Junior Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Feb 2011Posts 10

Does anyone know where to find a good guide to writing a LOR to include in the packet for the prof or doctorThis is the best I could find but I dont think its very good

httphealthprofessionscalpolyedu20Writerspdf

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httphealthprofessionscalpolyedu20Writerspdf

04-09-2012 0233 AM 43

Member 427692Member

Join Date Oct 2011Posts 30

Quote

Originally Posted by PeterMa Does anyone know where to find a good guide to writing a LOR to include in the packet for the prof ordoctor This is the best I could find but I dont think its very good

httphealthprofessionscalpolyedu20Writerspdf

Try this one httpisitesharvardedufshtmlicerba-recshtml

04-09-2012 0327 PM 44

Member 280078Banned Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Aug 2009Location New EnglandPosts 383

I need to email a profess I havent had a class with since 2006 to arrange a meeting where I will ask for a letterShould I tell him straight-up in the email the meeting will be about a letter or should I beat around the bush andmake the topic a mystery I mean if I mention I want to talk with him about medical schools hes going toknow anyway what I want so I think I might as well just do it and tell him

Last edited by JFK90787 04-09-2012 at 0523 PM

04-09-2012 0611 PM 45

Member 214077

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Senior Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Jul 2008Posts 630

i dont think you need to attach a resume i would bring one when you meet himher though

Last edited by ReptarBar 04-09-2012 at 0646 PM

04-09-2012 0856 PM 46

Member 431188Senior Member

Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Oct 2011Posts 103

Quote

Originally Posted by JFK90787 OK would anyone make changes to this

Hi Dr_____

My name is ______ I was a student in your class _______ in fall of 2006 I graduated from ________with a BS in Biology in 2009 and I have been work ing at a research lab in __________ as a researchassistant since 2010

Im writing to you because I will be applying to medical schools this application cycle (summer 2012)and most schools will require a recommendation letter from a non-science faculty member I got an Ain your course and I think the topic of the class would pique the interest of many schools

I was hoping we could arrange a meeting sometime in the next few days or weeks where we would beable to talk more about this in person instead of through email Among other things we could talkabout the work in your class my motivations for medical school my current work or anything thatinterests you

Please get back to me if a meeting is something that would interest you I am an the area and shouldbe available any day from 800AM to evening

RegardsButt Phuck

Would anyone recommend changes Also do you think I should attach a resume to this

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04-09-2012 0913 PM 47

Member 338146Senior Member

Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Jun 2010Location CaliforniaPosts 333

Regarding non-science LOR is a psychology LOR considered non-science

04-09-2012 1013 PM 48

Member 438088Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Dec 2011Posts 63

Questions about how to structurepackage my LORs

1 I finished a post bac program last spring and have my committee letter with LORs from that program linedup The director of the post-bac program noted he would revise and update my committee letter to include myactivities this past year (which includes some research work through a university affiliated lab in anothergeographic location from where I did my post-bac) My question is this do I need to ask my LOR writer who isthe head of the research lab associated with a UC school to submit the LOR to my post bac director to includein my committee letter Or can I ask the head of the lab to submit my LOR as an individual letter (since I am nolonger in the post-bac program)

2 I graduated from undergrad a number of years ago and have asked 2 professors from my undergrad to writeletters in support of my application One is from someone I knew very well and I know will write a strong letter forme The other is from the pre-med advisor at my undergrad institution who I didnt know well but is very happyto help me out and write a letter for me (I was not a science major in undergrad so did not take any of hisclasses) I do not believe my undergrad institution does a committee letter but am not sure My question isthis should I have each professor submit a separate individual LOR through AMCAS

Thank you for any input or advice

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04-09-2012 1014 PM 49

Member 415077Member Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Aug 2011Posts 47

I am in a predicament and I dont know what to do I have 1 letter of rec from my orgo lab TA I am getting onefrom my microbiology professor as well Is the orgo lab TA ok I have 2 microbiology teachers (both taught halfof the semester) Would asking both of them to write me one look bad because they are from the same class Ifso which would be better I really have no other options

04-10-2012 0636 AM 50

Member 428735Senior Member

Status Pre-MedicalJoin Date Oct 2011Posts 246

Which letter would you ask for

A science prof that you met this year took her course as a guest and she is working with you on an outreachproject that no other letter will highlight

A science prof that you had for a course in which you did very well and will be a TA for next fall although youalready have two other letters from courses you TAd for

Downside to the outreach letter doesnt know you very well personallyDownside to the TA letter could be more of the same

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