Letters of reference for MD/PhD

[silvertree]

Hello,

 

I am thinking of asking my fourth-year thesis supervisor for a reference letter, but because my project does not begin until the start of classes in September, I am somewhat worried that this will not give him enough time to evaluate my work before the application deadline in mid-October. Although he is supportive of me pursuing the combined program, I feel as though I will be asking him to base his recommendation on first impressions or faith alone... Has anyone else been in a similar situation, where you asked a reference from a thesis supervisor before the project was done?

 

My other significant research experiences have all been in one lab (during this past summer I was responsible for conducting a medical imaging experiment with human participants), which has left me scratching my head looking for more referees. Besides my 4th-year thesis supervisor, I am thinking of asking a prof who had taught me in an intermediate lab course, or a prof who had collaborated with my project's PI and co-supervised me.

 

Thanks very much for any advice that you can give! I truly appreciate it!

[Savac]

I don't think it would be a good idea to ask for a letter from someone who barely knows you in the capacity that you're looking for (ie. research). This will not look too favorable when they review your file.If you tried to give this supervisor more time to get to know you, you'll end up missing the deadline. Letters can sometimes take a while to write.

 

In my opinion, go with the prof that has already supervised you.