Third LOR?

[kenzie2012]

I am trying to decide who I should ask for a third letter of recommendation for my PA school application. Right now I have one professor who knows me well and who is also the head of the Bio and Chemistry department, as well as a PA who I have shadowed. As for my third, I have quite a few different options but not sure which would be best to choose. From what I have read on this forum it seems that having a LOR from someone who has worked with you in a clinical setting is a pretty important thing to have. The problem is, I haven't worked at one place long enough to really get a solid letter (I've worked as a phlebotomist during a summer in college, about 3-4 months at a plasma donation place, and just started a new job as a phleb at a major hospital in Denver).

 

My options are 1) the laboratory manager at my first phleb job in my small hometown hospital, although I only worked there for a summer 2 years ago and didn't get to know her all that well. 2) The senior phleb at the plasma donation center I worked at for a few months. He really liked me and was disappointed to see me leave when I got my new job that I'm currently working at. He told me he had planned on making me a senior phleb within a few months because I had done such a good job working there. 3.) I could wait a few weeks and ask my current laboratory manager, but I will again have only worked for maybe 2 months by the time I would need to ask her for a LOR to get my application in on time. 

 

I do have 2 more people I could ask that know me very well, but have not seen me work in a clinical setting. I have another professor that I had several upper level courses with, worked for as a TA, and who was also my advisor who helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I was also a division II track athlete and was pretty close with my coach, so I could ask him to write more of a character reference. 

 

Sorry for the long explanation, but I would appreciate any advice on who to choose for my last LOR. I would take 4 LORs but the caspa application only accepts 3 and I don't think the schools I am applying for take additional LORs. Thanks!

[LadyNichiavelli]

I personally don't think getting a letter from a PCE co-worker or what have you is very important. I applied to 14 schools and NONE of them require a letter from a PCE supervisor/co-worker. However, most did require one from a PA and one from a professor (leaving me to choose whoever I wanted the third LOR from). I chose 2 professors and 1 PA and I've already gotten some interview invites. I suggest looking at what your schools require and DEFINITELY don't wait too long to request a letter. You need to give them time to write it and it's already getting to be late in the CASPA cycle for rolling admission schools.

[PA-C-to-be]

If your schools don't specify who to have for the third letter and you're in the position where someone from an HCE job is close enough to help with this, my next thought would be that you'd want someone who can strongly attest to your people skills. Whether that be a supervisor/coworker from another job you've had outside of medicine with regular interactions with customers/clients or people you've volunteered with, it would make sense to have the third letter be someone who knows how you interact with others and can help paint that picture of your bedside manner as a future PA.

[UGoLong]

Pick someone who knows you well and can speak about you in ways that you can't. It could be an old family friend (with a good job), a coach (best recommendation I've ever seen screening applications), a trusted teacher, etc.

I had a professor, the chief of the EMS department I've been with, and a long-time friend who was a senior executive. 

In your case, find someone who knows you well enough as to be believable when they write about you. Someone who knew you for a week while you shadowed may not be the best choice.

Good luck!