I'm really excited to share another post from Jamie with you, which was first published on Reddit. This will shed some light on how to get a good letter of recommendation, which is so important for your PA school applications. You may remember her previous posts - The Unexpected Costs of Interviewing and Attending PA School and What's in My Medical Bag?
Hi all! I thought I'd do a post today, since I start my hardest semester next week and I might disappear for a little while. I've been seeing a lot of comments and posts about letters of recommendations. Please start here with the Wiki FAQ for LOR.
Now that you've read that (or skimmed pass the link to keep reading), we can talk about some more specific details.
“One thing I did when asking for letters of recommendation was to mention a specific reason I was asking the person.”
One thing I did when asking for letters of recommendation was to mention a specific reason I was asking the person. For example, I worked in the tutoring center as a chemistry tutor and was a crucial part of the development for our walk-in services. I was the first tutor hired, trained other tutors, opened the center most mornings, etc. So I asked my boss, a professor at our university, to write me a letter. But when I asked, I mentioned specifically, "You have been one of the biggest witnesses for my interpersonal skills, as well as my application of sciences. I was hoping you could speak about your experiences of those things with me. A strong letter of recommendation will be very important to my acceptance into PA school."
Notice how I didn't just ask for the letter, but mentioned something that I wanted her to talk about. It wasn't demanding, just gave her an understanding of why I wanted HER to be the one to write it. I'll paste her letter below, she sent it to me just recently so I could make this post!
Another example was my nurse supervisor. She is an RN and supervises each shift. She sees how things go on the floor and facilitates the flow of the shift. I had asked her to write my letter because she sees how I work in a team with the other CNAs and the nurses. She has asked me to train people, and I am the one she would go-to for greeting a new admission because she loved how bubbly I was. I asked her to specifically mention how personable and friendly I am, as well as my teamwork.
It is important that when you do this, you are not demanding. You do not want the person to think that they HAVE to talk about what you mentioned. But this will help them to write a more specific letter. Anyone can receive a generic letter of recommendation. "Jamie has good communication skills" is completely different than "Jamie also stands out as an excellent communicator. She is personable and approachable, and students feel comfortable asking her questions. Additionally, she is adept at communicating with both her peers and chemistry faculty members."
And with that, here's my letter of recommendation from my boss at the tutoring center.
May 11, 2015
To Whom It May Concern,
It is my pleasure to submit this letter of recommendation for Ms. JamieNicole3x. I direct the Chemistry Success Center (CSC) at [University], a center that provides free walk-in chemistry tutoring services. Jamie works as a tutor in the CSC, and I have been her supervisor since August 2014. Scientific knowledge is a prerequisite for employment as a tutor, and Jamie demonstrates an excellent understanding of general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. However, the traits that make Jamie stand out as a truly exceptional tutor extend far beyond her strong scientific background. In the ten months I have known Jamie, I have been greatly impressed by her professionalism, communication skills, and initiative.
Jamie consistently demonstrates an incredible level of professionalism. Jamie is, without a doubt, the most dependable and responsible student I have had the privilege of supervising. She is punctual and responds to all communications quickly and professionally. This past semester, Jamie opened the CSC two days per week. I typically stop by the CSC every morning to make sure things are set up and running smoothly. However, I quickly realized that I did not need to check in on the CSC on days when Jamie opened the center – I could rely on her to get things done correctly.
Jamie also stands out as an excellent communicator. She is personable and approachable, and students feel comfortable asking her questions. Additionally, she is adept at communicating with both her peers and chemistry faculty members. She manages to connect with people through humor, excellent listening skills, and a positive demeanor, all while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries. Students appreciate Jamie’s strong communication skills, and she consistently receives praise on student evaluations for her ability to explain things clearly.
Finally, I would be amiss not to mention Jamie’s initiative. Jamie excels at recognizing where help is needed, and never hesitates to deliver needed assistance. Whether it’s stepping in to help when another tutor needs support in dealing with a difficult student or taking the time to organize CSC resources, Jamie always pitches in to help without being asked. She truly leads by positive example.
I am confident that JamieNicole3x possesses the personal characteristics and academic preparation needed to succeed in a physician assistant graduate program. I recommend her for admission to your program without reservation.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need additional information.
Best wishes,
[Name Removed]
Affiliate Professor of Chemistry
Commonly Asked Letter Of Recommendation Questions
Q: Do you need a LOR from a professor?
A: This is program dependent on whether it is required, but a professor letter can be helpful at emphasizing your academic strengths.
Q: Does it have to be from a PA-C, or can it be an MD, DO, RN, or NP?
A: If a school requires a PA letter, then yes, it needs to be from a PA. If not, anyone clinical who knows you well and will write a strong, supportive letter can be considered.
Q: Who should I be asking for LORs from?
A: You can enter up to 5 in CASPA, although many schools only require a few. I recommend: a PA, work supervisor, volunteer supervisor, professor, and MD to cover all of your bases and fulfill most school requirements.
Q: Can they all be from the same place and can they all be from PAs?
A: They could be because it’s ultimately up to you, but try to think about including a variety to showcase your different strengths outside of one setting/relationship.
Q: I went for 1 physician, 1 teacher, and 3PAs. Is that better than 5 PAs in your opinion?
A: Yes. Variety is good because they should emphasize your strengths in those areas!
Q: Three is the minimum for most schools but should I do more or does it matter?
A: You can submit up to 5 in CASPA. If you have 5 people who will write you strong letters, use them all. If a school has specific letter writer requirements, they will preferentially look for those letters.
Q: Is ok to ask a professor for a LOR when you’ve been out of school for a while?
A: Yes, especially if you had a strong relationship. If you didn’t, they may need a refresher on who you are. Sending a resume, cover letter, and your personal statement can be helpful.
Q: How do you get a LOR? I’m graduating undergrad and have not gotten close to a single science professor.
A: It can be tough. I was in the same situation and had to ask a random biochem professor. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t my strongest letter. If you’re still in school, make it a goal to get to know some teachers. Go to office hours, ask questions, send emails, be engaged. Even if you don’t necessarily need all the help, do it for the letter. If not in school, ask a random teacher only if required, but know it will likely be a form letter.
Q: How long should you know someone before asking for a LOR?
A: This will vary! You may get really close with someone quickly and feel comfortable asking sooner, or it can take a while to build that relationship. There isn’t a rule for this one, but I always recommend asking if they feel they can give their “highest recommendation,” and hopefully they’ll be honest if not.
Q: Is ok to ask a PA I’ve only shadowed a few times? How do I bring it up in that case?
A: You never know until you ask! PAs understand this is tough and the importance of getting a letter from a PA, and hopefully will be honest with you if they don’t feel comfortable.
Q: What do we do if we don’t have a strong connection to a PA to ask for a LOR?
A: Make it a priority to get one. If a school requires a PA letter, you may have to remove those from your list if you can’t get it by the time you apply. Shadow, or even ask to go to coffee/lunch just to ask questions if you can’t actually get into clinic.
Q: What is a good deadline to provide LOR writers with?
A: Explain the process to them and give them a deadline of about a week before you want to submit so you have time to review your application one last time. Make sure you give your letter writers plenty of time and make sure you send them the request AFTER the upcoming cycle opens. Give them a heads up that the email will be coming and a reminder after you send it.
Q: How to go about asking the same people to write your LOR over again after school rejection?
A: That’s tough. Make sure they are the best person to write you a letter first of all. If you truly believe they are, it’s great if they will update, but at LEAST, please change the date to the new year. It’s also okay if you have new people that you think will write better letters.
Q: Can I use one from my time in the US Army from a now-deceased 2-star general?
A: Unfortunately no. The letters have to be submitted by the letter writers themselves. If you have a copy, you could potentially send it separately to the schools yourself, but they may or may not consider it.
Q: I have a pre-health committee letter from my undergrad, should I use that too?
A: Committee letters typically aren’t preferred or requested for PA schools. That’s more of a med school thing. Personal letters from one person are usually better, but you could ask the individual PA schools if they have a preference also.
Q: If I am applying next year, can I get my LORs this year or does it have to be done next year?
A: Unfortunately, regardless of the situation, you can not use an already written letter unless the person is able to upload the letter themself once the new application cycle is open. If you have someone who you have built a relationship with this year that you would like to write you a letter when the cycle does open in April, explain to them the process now and maybe they will write the letter now and save it on their drive. Keep kindling the relationship at least until you are applying so it is easier to reach back out to them later. Currently, CASPA does not utilize any of the letter-saving services like Interfolio.
Q: What would you do if your LOR writer asks you to write your own draft of a letter?
A: That’s tough. I encourage not writing the letter exactly, but providing some main points that you would like them to emphasize. Ex - a professor - academic strength, time management, study skills. A PA - potential for success in PA school, compassion with patients, good judgment. Providing a resume, letter of intent or personal statement can help them as well.
Q: How can we ask a recommender to highly recommend us in a polite way?
A: Check out this Instagram Post.
Q: How does a writer submit their LOR? Do they submit it themselves or do we submit it for them on CASPA?
A: Letter writers will need to submit the letter themselves on CASPA. When you send them the request through CASPA, they will be given instructions on how to submit. The letter CAN NOT come from the applicant.
Hi all. Thanks for reading! I'm Jamie Murawski, a physician assistant student at the University of Detroit Mercy. I have a Bachelor of Science from Grand Valley State University. I'm a Michigan girl through and through.
I'm growing my online presence in the PA community through Reddit, where I moderate /r/prephysicianassistant along with some other pretty cool PA students. I also have an Instagram where I pseudo-blog about my journey (@jamienicole_pa.s). Please feel free to follow me or message me with any questions, I'm happy to help!
