Character LOR and letterhead

[kerenza]

Hey everyone.

I am a US and Canadian applicant. I am using the grandmother of my little brother from Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) as one of my LOR. In the US (on SDN), I have been told by some people this may not be an appropriate letter and could be seen as a negative since its not a representative from an organization, and the supervisor that works for BBBS would be better. 

However, I have been advised from some people in Ontario that this would be a great letter since she can speak to my character well. So I am starting to think that there is a difference in acceptable letters between US and Canadian medical schools.

What is the consensus on this?

Additionally, the grandmother does not have a letterhead, which would make her letter not valid in some US schools. Is this also the same for OMSAS?

 

Thank you.

[Butterfly_]

The admissions websites have application guides which give examples of what is an appropriate reference. Usually, a close relative is considered biased and probably not the best one to choose unless there is no one else who can provide a reference for you.

Check out the U of C and UBC guides, they have detailed examples.

Good luck!

[Koopatroopa]

3 hours ago, kerenza said:

Hey everyone.

I am a US and Canadian applicant. I am using the grandmother of my little brother from Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) as one of my LOR. In the US (on SDN), I have been told by some people this may not be an appropriate letter and could be seen as a negative since its not a representative from an organization, and the supervisor that works for BBBS would be better. 

However, I have been advised from some people in Ontario that this would be a great letter since she can speak to my character well. So I am starting to think that there is a difference in acceptable letters between US and Canadian medical schools.

What is the consensus on this?

Additionally, the grandmother does not have a letterhead, which would make her letter not valid in some US schools. Is this also the same for OMSAS?

 

Thank you.

Hey there,

Caveat: I am from Western Canada and didn't apply to any Ontario schools. 

In my experience, letterhead wouldn't matter since the reference letters are generally completed online (for UBC, UofA, UofC, UofM, and USask).

I think, though, it's better to use someone who is in a supervisory role - like your supervisor from BBBS. Personally, I would encourage the grandmother to still write a letter - but maybe have her write it to your supervisor. That way your supervisor will have a more full picture of you when writing your LOR. 

I did have two referees who were no longer in the positions they were in when working with me which I was a little worried about. But it doesn't seem like it mattered. Most of the LORs are just pass/fail so the quality doesn't really matter... which makes it hard to know what they are looking for. (Again, just my experience with a few Western schools) 

I honestly don't know whether it would be a plus or minus on your app to have the grandmother write your LOR... Hopefully more people chime in for you    Best of luck!! 

[Eudaimonia]

@Butterfly_ The potential referee is not actually related to OP haha, I also almost misread that

The OMSAS references have changed a couple years ago and they are now sent in electronically instead of mailed in (thank god). I believe they give a link to fill in the form/letter online, so no letterhead is actually needed. This new format wouldn't change the criteria for choosing referees, but I think your choice is fine. Read the guidelines for OMSAS, especially the UofT section as they are more detailed about the appropriateness of the referee. It is also stated somewhere that the position/title of your referee plays no role in how the letter is evaluated (they are stressing for quality), so I doubt that the person who you are volunteering for would be inadequate compared to the supervisor of the organization. 

[kerenza]

12 minutes ago, Eudaimonia said:

@Butterfly_ The potential referee is not actually related to OP haha, I also almost misread that

The OMSAS references have changed a couple years ago and they are now sent in electronically instead of mailed in (thank god). I believe they give a link to fill in the form/letter online, so no letterhead is actually needed. This new format wouldn't change the criteria for choosing referees, but I think your choice is fine. Read the guidelines for OMSAS, especially the UofT section as they are more detailed about the appropriateness of the referee. It is also stated somewhere that the position/title of your referee plays no role in how the letter is evaluated (they are stressing for quality), so I doubt that the person who you are volunteering for would be inadequate compared to the supervisor of the organization. 

This is what I thought, at least for UofT. I am hoping the other 4 ontario medical schools are similar. Thanks!