hopeful.md Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Hey Guys! I have a few questions regarding reference letters as part of medical school applications. If I'm not mistaken, we need to have 3 letters. How should the referees be spread, in terms of profession and relationship with you, etc.? For example, I think the best combination is to have a research supervisor, an academic professor, and a community volunteer coordinator. What do you guys think? Also, in terms of an academic referee, how long should the individual have known you before (s)he may be able to write a stellar letter? Is one course (~4 months) a good time period? Last, and perhaps, most importantly, what is the emphases that admission committees place on reference letters? Thanks in advance! EDIT: Sorry guys! I meant to post this in Pre-Med forums, but I guess I'll just leave it here to be answered! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truffle Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 what matters most is the things your referees say about you. you can get Tak Mak to write you a letter, but if it's generic and luke-warm/cold, you won't get extra points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truffle Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 i think you should first make a list of all the people that already care about you and will be likely to speak highly of you (excluding family members and friends), and then eliminate based on how long they've know you, their professional status, etc. till you have three left. research supervisor is not necessary because not everyone admitted to med school has done research. you can even ask your family doctor to write you a letter, if you feel like he/she'd say good things. you totally don't have to go with the research super + prof + volunteer super combo. it's too rigid. just choose what will benefit you the most. i think 4 months is enough if you think the prof knows you well enough to comment on things other than "hopeful.md has a perfect attendance, turns off his/her cellphone in class, and has a 93 in my class". i'd only worked with one of my referees for 3 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 What is your opinion on getting a reference letter from a client? (I'm a personal trainer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 It might work, but it would have to be professional in tone (substitute employer for client). I wonder if you work with a supervisor or some other employer (facility?) who could incorporate comments from multiple clients you've worked with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeful.md Posted December 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 i think you should first make a list of all the people that already care about you and will be likely to speak highly of you (excluding family members and friends), and then eliminate based on how long they've know you, their professional status, etc. till you have three left. research supervisor is not necessary because not everyone admitted to med school has done research. you can even ask your family doctor to write you a letter, if you feel like he/she'd say good things. you totally don't have to go with the research super + prof + volunteer super combo. it's too rigid. just choose what will benefit you the most. i think 4 months is enough if you think the prof knows you well enough to comment on things other than "hopeful.md has a perfect attendance, turns off his/her cellphone in class, and has a 93 in my class". i'd only worked with one of my referees for 3 months. Great advice truffle! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCP90 Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 OH yeah, and make sure they can write a letter well. I had a great person write me a reference but I didn't realize that her english skills were very poor and that reflected in a very poor reference letter!! Very, very true. I worked at a hospital for a few months and my supervisor was a terrible writer. She thought I was a great person, but just couldn't express it at all. She couldn't think of anything to write, and the second line of the one paragraph letter was "RCP90 has a great smile". Needless to say, I didn't submit that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviathan Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 Very, very true. I worked at a hospital for a few months and my supervisor was a terrible writer. She thought I was a great person, but just couldn't express it at all. She couldn't think of anything to write, and the second line of the one paragraph letter was "RCP90 has a great smile". Needless to say, I didn't submit that one. And you have an unhealthy addiction to Nintendo 64 games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truffle Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Very, very true. I worked at a hospital for a few months and my supervisor was a terrible writer. She thought I was a great person, but just couldn't express it at all. She couldn't think of anything to write, and the second line of the one paragraph letter was "RCP90 has a great smile". Needless to say, I didn't submit that one. YOU GOT TO SEE OUR LETTERS BEFORE THEY ARE SUBMITTED? isn't that not allowed? those forms and letters are confidential, or did i miss something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeful.md Posted December 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 YOU GOT TO SEE OUR LETTERS BEFORE THEY ARE SUBMITTED? isn't that not allowed? those forms and letters are confidential, or did i miss something? From what I have heard, applicants are allowed to review the letters before they are submitted, however they need to indicate on their application that they have done so. In this way, admissions committee will place a lesser emphasis on their letters because the applicant may have had an input into the letter after reviewing. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCP90 Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 YOU GOT TO SEE OUR LETTERS BEFORE THEY ARE SUBMITTED? isn't that not allowed? those forms and letters are confidential, or did i miss something? I condensed the story.... This letter was written before I considered applying to Med school (middle of first-year), and at that point, I asked for it to be written just in case I would need it down the road. So it wasn't as if it was to be sent to OMSAS and my supervisor acted unethically by showing it to me. I didn't even know what OMSAS was at that point. She showed it to me in a "what do you think " kind of way. I asked her to keep the letter on file (why not), and I still talk to her now and again, so in theory, I could have used that exact letter. I didn't use the letter when I applied this cycle. Hope that clarifies. PS: leviathan, Goldeneye is still rock solid, even 12 years later. Respek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truffle Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Bond rocks. In general. Die Another Day didn't rock. it died right there and then. madonna totally ruined it with her "music video". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCP90 Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 I'd love to jump in on the Bond chit chat, but I'd hate to take this thread off topic and make it into a Whats Everybody Doing Thread, especially in the Holy Land (Medical Student Discussion Board). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.