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How crucial is a Letter of Recommendation from a PA?


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I'll be applying PA programs year. The deadlines vary: some early as Sept, others all the way in May. For my LOR, I have 2 professors on board. I don't have a PA yet, but around the time that I want to turn the application in I will have some hours of shadowing, but not enough to ask a PA for a LOR. So, should I.....

 

A) Wait a few more weeks to turn in my app so I'll have a PA LOR? (As in hitting submit for CASPA 2-4 weeks before the school's deadline)

B) Or should I opt for earlier submission date with no PA LOR (If I did this, I would ask the Volunteer Coordinator at the hospital to write me one because I've been volunteering regularly for 8 months)?

 

 

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I don't mean if it's required. Obviously if it's required I would have no choice. That's not what I'm asking. I mean if it was not an explicit requirement. Many programs say something like, "3 letters of recommendation, and it's highly recommended that one of those letters is from a PA." Then what should I do.

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I know what you mean, I don't think I'll know the PA I'm shadowing well enough to ask him for a letter of recommendation by the time I'm ready to submit my apps either. I do know an MD from work however who I think will be willing to write me a good letter, as well as a professor, and another clinician (an RN). I'm hoping that'll be good enough for the schools. I don't see the sense in trying to get the PA to write me a letter if it won't be great quality since he won't know me that well. I rather have the MD whose known me for 6 months write it.

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Jaibrown - I would ask either MD / RN / or PA for Letter. I'm sure the PA knows you might ask, he went through the application cycle too! 

 

Topsy - Hmm, I would probably ask the volunteer coordinator. Waiting to turn in your application 2-4 weeks before the deadline is risky, they may not even look at your application, plus, the quality of PAs letter might not even be worth it.

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I am friends with someone on faculty at a program. I was told to have a reference from a PA. If 2 candidates are apples to apples, the one with a PA reference gets the interview/acceptance.

 

I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, but I get it. Try to get a reference from a PA, even if it means postponing for a cycle. IMO.

 

 

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I would look at the schools you are applying to see if you need a letter from a PA.  I had two docs and my boss write my LOR for me and I got in.  They know me really well.  I write a email every week to one of the docs to let her know what I am studying and how I am doing.

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But is it worth it to ask the PA for a letter if they don't know you very well? Do adcoms value who wrote the letter over the quality of the letter? Now I'm really torn between the MD from work and the PA I'm shadowing. I know I definitely want to keep the RN as a reference because she's offered on her own to write a very strong letter for me. And I know I'll have to have a former professor as another reference. So now I'm torn between having the MD i've know for months versus the PA who I'll know not very long before my apps go out in august.

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But is it worth it to ask the PA for a letter if they don't know you very well? Do adcoms value who wrote the letter over the quality of the letter? Now I'm really torn between the MD from work and the PA I'm shadowing. I know I definitely want to keep the RN as a reference because she's offered on her own to write a very strong letter for me. And I know I'll have to have a former professor as another reference. So now I'm torn between having the MD i've know for months versus the PA who I'll know not very long before my apps go out in august.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking!!! What will you do? 

My app deadline is Sept 1 (YIKES!), so I am freaking out. I just want to go up to a PA and shake him and yell: if I shadow you just a few times, could you write me a LOR?!? All you'd have to say is "although I have only known her for a short time, Topsy can definitely endure the rigors of PA school and the profession...please just accept her so she can stop following me around like a crazed maniac." See!? Not that hard! I will draft the damn thing for you!!! 

Ugh. This application process is eating away at my soul.

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That's exactly what I was thinking!!! What will you do? 

My app deadline is Sept 1 (YIKES!), so I am freaking out. I just want to go up to a PA and shake him and yell: if I shadow you just a few times, could you write me a LOR?!? All you'd have to say is "although I have only known her for a short time, Topsy can definitely endure the rigors of PA school and the profession...please just accept her so she can stop following me around like a crazed maniac." See!? Not that hard! I will draft the damn thing for you!!! 

Ugh. This application process is eating away at my soul.

 

Oh no Topsy, is it that bad?  I am just at the very early pre-pa stages taking post-bacc science courses. 

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Oh no Topsy, is it that bad?  I am just at the very early pre-pa stages taking post-bacc science courses. 

 

Ummm yeah. Kinda. It took me months to find a PA to shadow (I just moved to a new city and had no connections). I was cold calling and driving around to Dr's offices for weeks; took forever until someone called me back.

 

But overall, it shouldn't be that bad if you get shadowing in early. if you do it early enough, then you can totally ask for an LOR. Since I didn't, I'm counting on my HCE and Personal Statement to get me through the door. Fingers crossed!

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I would pick someone who really knows you because it's not just a LOR they are writing about you.  It has some short essay questions about you and a survey about you. I got asked about some of the questions during my interview.  I was lucky that my mentor/ doctor told me what she was ask to write about me. Some of the things is like describe a difficult task or event that the applicant had to over come and how did they do it.  If the LOR doesn't know you how can they write about you.  I was told by one of the schools in California by one of the instructors is to get a LOR from someone you really know.  I tried to do the same thing as you guys and tried to get a LOR from a PA that I had very little shadowing from.  That is why I got 2 docs and my boss to write me a LOR.

 

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Ok. Here's a tough question. I have 1 complete LOR from a professor who knows me well (psych prof who taught both undergrads, grads, and medical school students at the university). I also decided on the Volunteer Coordinator to make me appear more well-rounded.

 

But....I had also already asked (and sent the CASPA thing!) another professor for a LOR. Now I'm regretting it, even though I just sent him a friend reminder LOR email a few days ago. How can I politely say, "Nevermind! I want to go with someone else!" without hurting any feelings?!?!?!?!??! (I'm really going to try to get a PA LOR instead)

 

WHAT DO I DO?!?!?!?!?! 

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Do you have any employers you would feel comfortable asking for a LOR? I think the problem with having a second professor write your letter is that grades speak for themselves. If you have an A in the class, it can pretty much be assumed that you were on time and a good student. If they haven't written your letter yet, or if you're not 100 percent certain of having the PA you shadow write you one,maybe see if you can get a past/present employer to write it and tell the second professor someone else was dying to write you one ;)  

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