Letters of Recommendation

How to get a letter that is most beneficial to you

Okay, I admit, letters of rec are something that I did not put much thought into until I saw the section on the CASPA website. I believe the OU programs recommend getting two letters from practicing PAs and one from a professor; or someone who knows you well. Double check with the programs you are applying to because there can always be slight changes from year to year. When thinking of who you want to write the letter, the most emphasis should be placed on how well that person can speak of your character and strengths. Many students think that it would look best to have a letter from someone of high rank, e.g. a doctor. Yet, from my experience, this is not true. I am not saying it is bad to get a letter from a physician or someone with a doctorate, but most schools emphasize receiving at least one letter from a PA because it shows them that you spent a significant amount of time with a PA. In that time together, the PA learned enough about you and your qualities to be willing to write a letter, all the while you were learning more about the PA profession and interactions.

The CASPA website allows you to request five letters of recommendation. Some programs require that many, but the OU programs only require three. The first three submitted to CASPA are the only ones that will be viewed by the admissions committee. They are in order by the date that the individual submits the letter to CASPA and cannot be adjusted. With this in mind, ask your top 3 choices first and save the others as backups if the top choices are unable or unwilling to write a letter. You will send a link through the CASPA website to those individuals and they will be directed to a page where they will submit the letter directly to the website; no snail mail required. There is an option that allows you to see what the people wrote; I chose not to view the letters, but I am not sure if it matters. CASPA also allows you to set the due date for the letters. My applications were due on October 1st, so I requested all of my letters to be submitted by September 1st just in case something happened that would allow time to contact a backup to hopefully write a letter by the due date. I gave each of the individuals I asked at least two months to prepare the letter. The longer time frame for them, the better. Remember to respect the fact that these individuals probably have hectic work schedules/lives.

So how to go about getting those letters. First, sit down and make a list of individuals that would be most qualified to write about you. Think about how those people know you and how you have presented yourself to them. Next, email or call your top choices to see if they would be willing to sit down to speak with you. Meeting in person is the easiest and most beneficial way to ensure that the person knows what you are needing and has a chance to ask any questions to get to know you better. When meeting with an individual, bring a copy of your resume and transcript and let the person know why you want to be a PA (I brought/sent my personal statement). If meeting isn’t possible, email is usually sufficient and sometimes preferred by busy individuals for keeping track of these documents. If you are applying to the OUHSC program, confirm that the person writing the letter uses the term Physician Associate. OU OKC is one of two programs that uses Physician Associate instead of Physician Assistant. I was told that it makes a difference if your letters include the correct term because that proves that you sat down and explained what and where you planned on attending. Letters that include “physician’s assistant” are also viewed negatively. Physician Associate versus Physician Assistant can be confusing, especially if applying to multiple other programs that do use Physician Assistant. Honestly, just chose the term for the program that you want to attend most, and it is unlikely programs will hold it against you considering it is the same profession. I could have just been hearing this tip from a stickler so don’t worry too much.

But what if you don’t have anyone to ask? If you attend a large university, I understand that sometimes it is difficult to connect with professors on a personal level. However, now that you know you are going to be applying to PA school, try to put in a little extra effort for a semester with a science or related field professor that you like. Yes, even after a semester of attending office hours and speaking up in class, some professors simply do not have time to write letters for every student that asks them. Do not be discouraged or take it personally. If you absolutely cannot find a professor that is willing to write a letter for you, try speaking with one of your advisors. Typically, if you do not have all of your letters completed near the due date, your academic or PA advisor will set up a short interview with you to get to know you better and will submit a letter for you. I also suggest shadowing a PA for an extended period of time. I usually shadowed PAs one to three times, but for my letter of recommendation, I asked a PA that I shadowed once a week for an entire semester. This way he knew me well and was more willing to write the letter for me.

Don’t forget, these letters are just opportunities for people to brag about you because you are amazing. :)

p.s. send thank you notes

Best of luck,

Destiny