Letters of Reference

[Dr. Phil]

I am sure there have been threads on this in the past but either way, i'll put it out there again.

 

I was just wondering about what kind of references letters people get. Im not applying to med school for another year, but i really dont know who i would get references from. I dont know any professors really well, I am a varsity athlete but I'm not sure how good the writing from my coach would sound. i mean i know they like me and what not, but its about how good they can make you sound on paper. I have also volunteered for a kids rehab hospital but ive moved around programs so i dont know who i would get to write a reference.

Also, i am a exec on a student organization, could i get another student to write a reference, or is it bad because they are young?

what about family friends?

 

sorry about the long post, i just wanted to hear what you guys have to say about references in general

 

Thanks!

[ellorie]

Luckily, I was an english major, and the classes were a lot smaller, so I got my academic reference from an english professor. I don't know what things are like where you are, but at my university, classes got smaller as you get on in your studies.

 

Try to take a couple of seminars or smaller classes to hopefully farm some references. Or you could try your luck asking a prof from a larger class and hoping that they meet with you and get to know you a bit and still write you a decent ref.

 

I also had a letter from a volunteer supervisor who knew me for a good few years and one from a student. The student in question was first a training coordinator when I trained for the program, and then a fellow volunteer, so it still had that authority aspect even though she was also a student.

 

Stay away from family friends.

[future_doc]

I dont know any professors really well, I am a varsity athlete but I'm not sure how good the writing from my coach would sound. i mean i know they like me and what not, but its about how good they can make you sound on paper. I have also volunteered for a kids rehab hospital but ive moved around programs so i dont know who i would get to write a reference.

Also, i am a exec on a student organization, could i get another student to write a reference, or is it bad because they are young?

what about family friends?

 

Your coach would be a good reference in terms of your teamwork, perseverance, character, communication skills, dedication, expertise, etc

and we can discuss by PM how to ensure that he will write a good and strong reference.

 

Another UG student, family, friends are a definite no-no.

 

You already have an excellent suggestion regarding profs. One prof wrote me an excellent LOR and I only knew him for one semester. It was a small class, I was engaged in the course, was his top student, I gave him a motivational letter (basically by U/T essay addressed to him), my transcript, an updated CV, so there was little he did not know about me and he gave a strong and credible reference. I did ballet for years, won competitions and my teacher gave me an excellent reference. Just think who might work for the LOR and plan. We can discuss further by PM.

[newcanmeds2011]

As stated by the other members, its not about the credentials of the references but moreso the quality of the letter. My rule of thumb is try to have one individual that can comment on your academic ability and skills associated with that. The other two can be up to your discretion. My recommendation is from those two, if possible, try to have one that has known you for a period of time, its always a positive.

[christinawang1990216]

Your coach would be a good reference in terms of your teamwork, perseverance, character, communication skills, dedication, expertise, etc

and we can discuss by PM how to ensure that he will write a good and strong reference.

 

Another UG student, family, friends are a definite no-no.

 

You already have an excellent suggestion regarding profs. One prof wrote me an excellent LOR and I only knew him for one semester. It was a small class, I was engaged in the course, was his top student, I gave him a motivational letter (basically by U/T essay addressed to him), my transcript, an updated CV, so there was little he did not know about me and he gave a strong and credible reference. I did ballet for years, won competitions and my teacher gave me an excellent reference. Just think who might work for the LOR and plan. We can discuss further by PM.

 

you said friends are definite no's. But if he is my parents' friends, but his knowledge of me is only through professional settings(working in his lab), would that be appropriate?

[nikki dale]

you said friends are definite no's. But if he is my parents' friends, but his knowledge of me is only through professional settings(working in his lab), would that be appropriate?

 

if somehow the adcom finds out that this person is a family friend, it would be a problem

 

it seems you have some options for reference letters, so you should go for those rather than risking using a family friend.

 

1. coach

2. prof from small class (make sure you go to office hours so they get to know you more, maybe ask if they need a volunteer around their lab)

3. a person who knows you and your volunteer work from kids rehab. make an effort to get this person to know you more - talk to them about your ambition and related interests.

 

edit:

 

also, i am confused because you said a fellow student from an organization could write you a ref. and then you said this person is your family friend. unless you're talking of two different things. i guess if the person only knows you professionally it would be okay... :S but again, it may be a problem if adcom finds out this person is a friend of your parents.

[SpicyNoodles]

you said friends are definite no's. But if he is my parents' friends, but his knowledge of me is only through professional settings(working in his lab), would that be appropriate?

 

I would avoid using family friends if possible. I don't think the issue arises from whether or not he knows you beyond a professional setting; just because he only knows you through a professional setting doesn't make him any more credible. It's important that he gives a letter of reference that is as objective as possible without any other influences (ex. being good friends with your parents). Then again, how is the admissions committee going to know his relationship with your parents anyway...

 

I tried to diversify my choices in referees.

1) Professor: who taught me in many of my classes, was my URSA research supervisor and is involved in departmental activities so he knew whenever I received awards from the faculty

2) Employer: I knew she was very happy with my work ethic and how well I fit into the team

3) Volunteer Co-ordinator: I was involved with this organization for over 2.5 years - I was also asked to mentor the trainees so I knew she appreciated the skills I've gained and skills I had to offer to incoming volunteers

 

It's not too difficult to tell if someone would be capable of giving you a good LOR. Go with your gut and if you feel the person doesn't know you well enough, you've had a negative relationship with the person in any way etc. you might not want to select them to represent you. Like future_doc mentioned above, I gave my employer a copy of my personal statement to help shed some light on the reasons I'm pursuing med and what I've done to solidify my choice to pursue med because I felt she might not know me well enough...

 

If you have any questions about whether someone would make a good referee, feel free to ask and we'll give our best suggestion