References?

[Guest Tal]

I was just wondering (for those of you in med school, or who have applied) what type of people did you use for your three references? I have a few, and I'm wondering which ones would be best. Thanks a lot!

[Guest BCgirl]

Hi Tal,

 

I'm just applying right now, so maybe in a few months I'll be able to say if I chose good referees

 

I got my letters from my first year chem prof (I also worked for him part time during my second year and I'm working for him again this year - 3rd year), my organic prof (I worked for him over the summer with NSERC $), and the recreation therapist that I volunteer with. I think that different schools might require certain references. I know that UBC requires personal (must have known you for at least 2 years), academic, and community/service letters.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi Tal,

 

Yep, as BCgirl mentioned, some schools do require specific types of references, although the Ontario schools do not specify (unless you are applying to an MD/PhD program, for example).

 

Perhaps if a number of folk respond to this, you can get a decent cross-section as to who people chose to ask to write references. From my side, I chose a number of people who I felt knew certain, different aspects of me well: my varsity squash coach (with whom I've toiled for the better part of 3 years); my boss at work (known him for ~10 years total); my organic chem prof from last summer (haven't known him long at all, but he did come to know me from my frequent visits to his office to ask questions); my supervisor at the clinic where I volunteer (she's been working with me for almost 3 years now), and a few others.

 

Basically, my take is that you're looking for people who can provide a good and positive cross section of you to the admissions folk. If they can fill in any additional bits and pieces of positive info that cannot be garnered from your autobiographic sketch or essay, or add depth to either of those, then that may help to fill out the picture of you that the admissions committees end up having when it comes time to assign a score to that sector of your application.

 

Cheers and best of luck,

Kirsteen