Best choice for LOR

[bpc83]

Hey you guys,

 

For my letters of recommendations for CASPA I have a PA and a physician. Both know me quite well and I am sure will be good choices. My question is I need a third and not sure who would be best. I do have a professor that I could ask but I haven't taken a course from him for about 8-9 years now. It was in a math and not in any health science courses. I know the professor very well and vice versa. I have read on some past forums that having an academic reference could be beneficial and so that is why I would want to choose him. Also my academic performance was not very good back then, except for his classes. I feel he could explain my situation as a student and although some of my grades were not very good, I am still a good student. Do you think it is a good idea even though it has been quite some time since I had him as a teacher? If not I could also ask another physician to be a reference but then I would have only health field related references and nothing to vouch for my academic areas.

 

I also have a NP that was my supervisor when I was a CNA two years ago. She loved me as a worker and I know she would write an excellent reference but again it is another healthcare related area and not academic. Ahhh please help me I don't know who to choose.

 

Thanks for your time guys!

 

From,

 

Ryan

[Andreasmo]

I would try to be as well rounded as possible. I would use the PA, your NP supervisor, and the professor if you have kept in contact with them and you think they could all adequately portray who you are today. There is no one more recent for academic/ work? I would also recommend not having the professor talk about your situation- or at least not in detail. You probably wont read what he or she writes and you will want to present your academic achievements in your own way. Just my opinion, though.

[Dynamo24]

I agree with Andreasmo. I used a professor who I've had classes with for over a year (he's also the head of the department for my major and hooked me up with a research gig). I used a PA I shadowed and have known for 3 or 4 years, and I used my EMT instructor who was also my supervisor and colleague in the field. Like Andrea said, use the people who can give a letter about not just about what you've done but WHO you are and why you will be an asset to their program.

[bpc83]

Thanks for both of your replies.

 

I do not have a more recent academic reference because I never really had any problems in my classes I took in the past three years. So I never needed to speak with any of my professors at the time. Yeah thinking about it now I will not ask my professor to talk about my situation back then. Thankfully we keep in touch very often and he knows me as a person and my character.

 

I think I will go for the PA, the physician, and my professor. The PA I have worked with for the past year on a daily basis, I have worked with the physician in the past and have known him for about 15 years, and the professor I have known for over 10 years and we are very close. I think these three will be the ones that know who I am as a person overal.

 

Thanks again for your guys help!