recommended premed major ADVICE WANTED

[clep3705]

Knowing Physicians who will write letters of recommendation is important (though not critical).

I've known people who did this and they are doctors now. But they also had off the chart MCAT scores and GPAs. Not only that, they were quite neurotic about getting in. They sincerely believed that the physician letters helped them get in. Just because they believed that doesn't make it true. Neurotic people do all kinds of silly things. I submit that those letters from physicians had absolutely nothing to do with these exceptionally smart people getting in. The schools they applied to specifically asked for letters from faculty members.

Here's a quote from https://www.bcm.edu/education/schools/me...ns-process

"If there is no health professions advisor, advisory committee, or office of advising premedical students at your school, evaluations from three individuals who are qualified to evaluate you personally and academically will be considered. A minimum of 3 letters are required, 4 letters max."

How is a random physician whom an applicant knows going to be able to academically evaluate him or her?

Here's what Harvard's dental school says Who should write my letters of recommendation? How many letters do I need? | Harvard School of Dental Medicine

"Letters of recommendation should be written by professors who know you in an academic setting ... Professional letters of recommendation—for example, letters from a boss or a dentist you’ve shadowed—may be submitted as a fourth letter of recommendation. "

From Johns Hopkins Medical School Frequently Asked Questions| Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine M.D. Admissions

"Two (2) letters of recommendation from science faculty. One (1) letter from non-science faculty. ... Furthermore, additional letters do not give you an advantage over the required three letters. Nor can we guarantee that we will evaluate more than the required number of letters."

I think it is a big myth that successful medical applicants need a letter of recommendation from a physician. If a medical school doesn't ask for such letters, is it wise to provide them? What happened to following instructions? Now if the instructions say to get a letter from a physician, follow the instructions.