Reference letters??

[Guest reahg]

Could someone give me a brief outline of how the reference letter thing works? First off, how many do u need and from whom? Secondly, how do u know if the letter written on your behaf is "glowing" or just generic? Do u get to preview them so that you can select whether you want to use it or not? or are they private?

[Guest TimmyMax]

Hey there,

 

Here's the deal with reference letters- what I'm about to say is true for OMSAS, but I doubt it's any different anywhere else.

You need 3 letters (for OMSAS schools anyway; it may be different elsewhere) that are submitted directly to OMSAS (or the school you're applying to). Since these letters are submitted directly, you do not get to see hem before they are sent away. The forms your referees use are printed directly off the OMSAS site, which consist of a "checklist" asking them to rank your intellectual capacity, leadership ability, etc. and then a free part where the referee comments on your suitability for medicine. Included in the Confidential Assessment Form is a question that says something to the effect of: Will this person make a good doctor? (Y/N) You want referees that will say YES to this question because this can be a deal-breaker. If you get a NO, then you're basically screwed.

To ensure you get the best letters possible, choose referees that know you well in both academic and non-academic settings. Referees don't necessarily have to be professors. People that can give a good account of your character and abilities generally make the best referees, so choose carefully!

Anyhow, that's what I know; referees are explicitly instructed not to show the applicant their letters, so you don't get to see them.

 

Best of luck!

Tim

[Guest not rex morgan]

At UBC, you explicitly have to have an academic reference, a community reference and a personal reference (someone who has known you for over 2 years). Pick people who will say alot about you. You want them to fill up that box with great things, especially if your grades aren't of the come-and-get-me type. It's not rude to ask your referees if they are comfortable writing alot about you. You don't have to ask what they will say, but if you provide them the opportunity to tell you whether or not they feel like they know you well enough to write alot, it is perfectly acceptable to tell them that if they are not comfortable, you can try to find someone else. Bear in mind that school calendars usually have a list of traits they want in their applicants. For example, UBC's is maturity, emotional stability.... You could provide your referees with this list out of the calendar to give them a frame of reference to write with. Good luck.

[Guest Ian Wong]

You could approach them with the question of:

 

"Would you be comfortable writing me a strong letter of reference for my medical school application?"

 

That question is direct, and yet gives your referee a graceful way of declining your request. The worst thing that could happen to you is if your referee is only writing you a letter because he/she doesn't want to refuse you/appear rude, thus leaving you with a half-hearted and not very useful letter. Naturally, your referee should know you quite well and even more importantly, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> like<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> you.

 

Ian

UBC, Med 3

[Guest jase]

If you apply to US med schools, you may need at least 2 academic references. They don't seem to care much for volunteer coordinators, employers, etc as much as your profs