Having Physicians For References

[Coffeesleep]

Hey,

 

I'm just wondering how important it is to have a physician as a reference. Is it really important? Or is it that they've written many of these LORs before and know what to say? Or is it some other reason? I have other healthcare professionals I can use as references, but I'm not sure if it would be bad that I don't really have a physician as a reference. Thanks in advance!!

[sdj78we9jtf2o3mgfvj298j]

I didn't have a physician as a reference (and most of my friends didn't either). It's more important that the referee knows you well and can write you a strong and detailed reference (prestige of referee isn't considered at all).

[ralk]

Doesn't matter. LORs are mostly a screen in Canada - you don't need amazing ones. It doesn't particularly matter who those references are provided they have some degree of authority and there's some variety in terms of what positive attributes they can mention about you. A physician as a reference is nice to have, but 100% not necessary.

[daftypatty]

I disagree with the above post - although for the majority of schools it doesnt matter, ref letters do in fact matter a lot for UofT

[Artier]

I disagree with the above post - although for the majority of schools it doesnt matter, ref letters do in fact matter a lot for UofT

Right, one should take their choice of referee seriously and should be convinced that this person can describe their CanMEDS qualities well with supporting examples if possible.

 

But a letter won't be better simply by virtue of it being written by a physician. OP, you do not need a physician reference - the profession/career of your references will likely have no impact (at least in Canada).

[NeuroD]

To be honest, none of us know. But I think, all else being equal, I think a letter from an MD would help. While it shouldn't, it would probably bias the evaluator slightly. After all, you're being evaluated by a system that values MDs, so its hard to imagine there wouldn't be an implicit (even if it's unintentional) bias.

[ralk]

I disagree with the above post - although for the majority of schools it doesnt matter, ref letters do in fact matter a lot for UofT

 

You're right, I forgot about U of T. However I don't think the general approach changes much - quality of the letter matters far more than quality of the person. No need to replace a good reference who's not a physician with one who is.

 

To be honest, none of us know. But I think, all else being equal, I think a letter from an MD would help. While it shouldn't, it would probably bias the evaluator slightly. After all, you're being evaluated by a system that values MDs, so its hard to imagine there wouldn't be an implicit (even if it's unintentional) bias.

 

In most schools, the LOR won't even be factored into the main evaluation of candidates. The people evaluating ECs, interviews, etc., often won't even see a candidate's LORs or who they're from.

[Coffeesleep]

Wow that was quick! Thanks everyone for your response!!