There simply aren’t many people in my life who will understand how cool this is, so I had to come and share it with you guys.
I just got a copy of the LOR written on my behalf by the Vice President of the entire central region of my company.
It was… more than I ever could’ve hoped for. I am crying and laughing at the same time! I want to shout for joy, but no one will get it! LOL
Here’s an excerpt:
“…In my job, I recruit and employ physicians, with over 1000 doctors in my area of responsibility. I enjoy working with these smart, motivated, caring professionals. To be a physician is truly a calling. It’s not for everyone. But I believe Carrieliz has all the makings of an excellent physician.”
That’s how it started. Then he filled the page with so many wonderful things, saying that I was compassionate, focused, diligent, creative, etc. and ended with this paragraph:
“…I work in a company with 200,000 employees and I run a division with over 10,000 people. I can honestly say there’s only a handful of those people that I would recommend to medical school. Carrieliz is one of them. Thank you for the opportunity to recommend my friend and colleague for your program.”
Holy fazoli!!! This is a man who KNOWS doctors. About 1,000 of them right here in Nashville call him “boss” in one capacity or another.
I’m just feeling really honored and privileged to know this guy right now. And, for just a moment, I am going to revel in the idea that this whole plan just might come together after all! LOL
It’s an amazing thing, isn’t it? Standing on the cusp of a dream like this?
Wow!!! Wonderful letter! Congratulations. 
Cheers,
Judy
And I bet every word is well deserved!
Congratulations!
That is an excellent letter!
For other who may be reading and wondering - can you share HOW you went about asking your boss for a LOR?
Thanks guys… DocGrey, that’s a great question.
One word: Relationship.
This particular letter came from my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss…and I don’t even work with him directly. I’ve presented at a few of his meetings, and until this year–he’d only called me over to his office a handful of times to explain some financial reports.
HOWEVER…last summer, knowing the journey I was on, I reached out to several colleagues in physician recruiting and asked them to help me network with a few key individuals who could mentor me through this process. They immediately recommended this particular gentleman, as he is known for being the kind of person who will support and help in any way he can. They reached out to him on my behalf, and we set up a meeting. Our first meeting was last summer–it lasted an hour, and I came away with 3 key names of people at various schools I was interested in, and an offer from him to help in any way he could.
I shared my vision, my journey, and my goals in that meeting… and thus began the relationship. Since then, we’ve met about once a month to go over different topics…he’s shared a few books (Atul Gawande is a favorite of his), introduced me to some amazing connections, and helped me understand some of the challenging aspects of the ever-evolving world of healthcare.
Basically, I’ve made it a point to stay on his radar. I updated him on my grades each semester… let him know when key goals were accomplished…and let him see firsthand that I meant what I’d shared with him that first day.
I knew I wanted a letter from him. I also knew he was a key person who could teach me a great deal about being a quality physician and a quality business person. The mentor relationship has been invaluable. The letter is unbelievable. But I’ll take what I learned this year and use it forever.
Relationship, relationship, relationship. Identify key people who can help, and then ASK for help. Be transparent. People love being involved in helping others realize their dreams… at least in my experience!
I tried to be completely authentic, and I went into the deal grateful for anything I was lucky enough to receive. I was always prepared for meetings with questions…and I always followed up with a sincere thank you note.
So by the time I needed the letter? It wasn’t weird or awkward. He’d already offered to help in any way he could…I just had to take him up on it. I gave him a packet (resume, personal statement, instruction packet), and he had the letter ready the next day.
That mentor relationship has been a huge blessing…and I was completely intentional about pursuing it.
That’s exactly the kind of story I wanted to see! It’s the perfect example to show that it takes some work on your part to get what you want. In this case, you had to reach out to somebody who you may have seen as an “unreachable” person due to the position he was in.
Great story - thank you again for sharing!
As an Air Force physician, I was told once - “The Air Force will not go out of their way to help you, but they don’t mind if you go out of your way to help yourself.”