questions for aspects of referee

[kiron]

if you have 3 main areas which you want to highlight to the admissions.

 

For example I have:

 

Varsity sport

Research

Student government and policy making

 

Now if I had 3 great references for each of the those aspects would medical school care if I don't have an academic reference?

[future_doc]

I would think that the person dealing with Research would be qualified to state that academically, you are high intelligent, have an enquiring mind and are well able to cope with and thrive on the rigours of intensive medical studies. You want to cover all baes and I believe you can. No doubt, this referee can also state you work collaboratively, can follow and lead, etc.

[mattg]

Yea, I would actually think that most people's 'academic' references are that of research supervisors... these are the academics in the academic environment who know most of us best, or at least those of us who have done research... that's not to say that a lot of people don't have an academic reference from a prof they've gotten to know over the years, either through speaking with them through taking multiple courses of theirs, working for them as a TA, etc... but in research you can really get to know profs, many of which don't actually teach you in a course (which is what I assume you thought was implied by 'academic' reference?), but can intimately comment on your academics nevertheless:D