meowmeow Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 ----- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 It's hard to picture how someone who knew you for a week could write a good letter for you. I would pick the NP. I have written LORs for prospective NPs so I would think that turnabout is fair play. When I applied, I had a letter from the chief of my EMS unit, my organic chemistry teacher, and a friend/senior executive from a company where I had worked. My goal was to have (1) someone who knew about my patient interactions, (2) someone who knew about my academic performance, and (3) someone who knew about my work ethic. I believe what someone can say about you is more important than their title. Coupled with a good personal statement that goes beyond how you decided to become a PA, I think the letters can present you as a human being, not just a collection of classes, grades, and jobs. Good luck. P.S. 10 years later, I wrote an LOR for my friend to get into a PhD program in education, so it can become a reciprocal thing. Life works better when you can stop to give a hand to someone you believe in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceschlorff Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I agree that you should have people who really know you write the LORs. However, after being unsuccessful the first time I applied I was looking for some advice to improve my application. One of my LORs was written by an MD that I performed my senior year internship with....the PA that I ended up shadowing after not being accepted told me that having an MD write my LOR was probably my biggest mistake...she said, "If you want to be a PA doesn't make sense to have an LOR from a PA?" That comment kind of stayed with me because it's kind of true...when I was applying to athletic training programs I had athletic trainers write my LORs so it would only make sense to do the same for PA school.....I ended up having the PA I shadowed write one of my LORs, then I had a professor from undergrad who knew me well, and then I had a nurse write the last one who I had worked with directly at one of my jobs....so I kind of covered my bases...PA, academic LOR, and work related LOR. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Pick the NP Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 22, 2014 Moderator Share Posted January 22, 2014 the np letter is ok but don't let it be your only one. many programs require a letter from an md or pa. I had letters from a pa I worked with for 4 yrs who used to work at the pa program I was applying to and a doc who knew me very well from working with me for 4 years when I was an er tech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Could you get letters from both? That way you've got the best of both worlds. I think if you are able to get to know the PA a little better (if possible) that could enable them to write you a stronger letter. Is there any downtime while shadowing in which you can ask questions or have a little more of a conversation? Could you offer to buy them lunch or a cup of coffee and talk about the field/application process? That helped me get a good letter from someone I shadowed about as long as you've shadowed this person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceschlorff Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I also gave the PA I shadowed my resume and wrote her a letter giving her like a little bio about myself....I also gave her like a small list of things she could potentially talk about in the LOR like: desire to be a PA, knowledge of the profession, interaction with patients, etc. just kind of like suggestions and so she'd have more to go off of....I was in kind of the same boat because I only shadowed her for like 50 hours so she didn't know me as well as some of the other people writing my LORs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meowmeow Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 I am planning on having 1 work related LOR from an MD, 1 academic one from my professor and the last one being NP/PA I'm not sure if it's more important to have a PA write one or not. I mean, how can they know that much about you other than your eagerness and curiousity, and general demeanor? also, can I have more than 3 LOR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferraro Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I think above all it is important to have someone who knows you well and is able to write an amazing recommendation letter that will speak to your character. I have had two interview invitations thus far with LORs from two MDs and one professor. So I don't think not having a LOR from a PA is a dealbreaker if you don't have a strong relationship with one yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmdpac Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 One of the LOR in my application packet was from an NP. The other two were from physicians. I worked closely with all three people for years before I asked them to write a LOR for me. All three knew me, knew me well, knew my clinical skills and capabilities and were able to write strong letters based on that knowledge. With that said, and as others have said, I think the strength of the letter comes from how well the letter writer knows you and does not always depend on what the letters are behind his/her name. Those letters behind a name are not unimportant (e.g. MD/DO). But if it comes down to an NP who knows you well versus a PA who doesn't know you that well at all I think the choice is pretty clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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