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JCU JCU Dentistry: Letters of Support

jiaxing

Regular Member
Hey everyone!

First of all, MERRY NEW YEAR *in Eddie Murphy voice* hahaha!!

Okay, so...I was wondering whether the letters of support for JCU have any substantial weighting, or are they just supplementary to the four questions? What I mean by this is that should I get a letter of support ONLY from doctors with whom I've done work experience...or would it suffice to ALSO INCLUDE letters of reference from my principal/head teacher (I have done 2 placements as a high school maths and physics teacher)??

Thanks in advance :)
 

pi

Junior doctor
Emeritus Staff
I got into JCU back in the day, and my letters were from a close family friend and my yr12 English teacher. Neither were related to the work experience I did in a hospital, and neither were from doctors. I'd choose people who know you well and can write a few good things about you.
 

Crow

Staff | Junior Doctor
Moderator
The purpose of the letters of support is to attest to your personal qualities, and thus strengthen your application. JCU wants to get to know you as a person and determine that your traits are suitable for a career in medicine (as well as, of course, that you have a passion for rural/indigenous/tropical health). If the doctors you've done work experience can't attest much to your personal character, then they are probably not the people you want a letter of support from. If you're involved in extra-curricular activities through which you demonstrate strong work ethic, persistence, community spirit etc (for example) then someone attesting to these traits would carry more weight than the thoughts of a doctor you've spent say, a three day placement with. If, however, you have spent a considerable amount of time with said doctor who can attest to your personal character, then sure, they may be a good person to get a letter of support from. As pi has mentioned, get people who will say good things about you as a person - I got an interview this year and none of my letters were from people I did work experience with.
 

jiaxing

Regular Member
Hi!

I've asked my dentist who I have been working with for the last couple of years for a supporting letter for JCU.

What sort of things would JCU look at in the supporting letter to represent myself as the best candidate?

Jiaxing
 

flako

Lurker
hey guys can i mention in my JCU application tyhat my father was very sick about to die during my VCE studies ?
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
hey guys can i mention in my JCU application tyhat my father was very sick about to die during my VCE studies ?

Only if it has relevance to your application. JCU is not responsible for boosting your ATAR (QTAC would be responsible so you would have to write to them). However, if it has relevance, for example, inspired you to want to be like the people who saved his life, then sure, why not.
 

Saane

Member
Hi!

I've asked my dentist who I have been working with for the last couple of years for a supporting letter for JCU.

What sort of things would JCU look at in the supporting letter to represent myself as the best candidate?

Jiaxing


hey! Did you hear back from JCU? you mentioned you worked with a dentist, are you a DA or DH applying to head back for dentistry? Im in the same boat.
Saane
 

jiaxing

Regular Member
hey! Did you hear back from JCU? you mentioned you worked with a dentist, are you a DA or DH applying to head back for dentistry? Im in the same boat.
Saane

Hey Saane,

I didn't ask JCU regarding the supporting letters. Do you mean if I have heard back from my dentist who is writing me the supporting letter?

And no, I'm a postgraduate university student.

Also, are you applying for JCU only or other universities too?

Jiaxing :)
 

Saane

Member
Hey!
I applied to other university’s, I haven’t heard back from three of them regarding my application.
I was wondering if you heard back from JCU. Also I thought you had dental experience, hence letters from doctors. Misread the message :)
 

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jiaxing

Regular Member
Hey!
I applied to other university’s, I haven’t heard back from three of them regarding my application.
I was wondering if you heard back from JCU. Also I thought you had dental experience, hence letters from doctors. Misread the message :)

What other universities have you applied to? And I may be wrong here, but I think domestic applicants here back starting from mid-October. Are you domestic or international?

Yes, I have dental experience, but that's from 4+ years of voluntary work with my dentist. I'm not a qualified DA or anything like that.
 

Saane

Member
Griffith, CSU and JCU
I didn’t get into Griffith and haven’t heard from the other two.
I am international.
 

jiaxing

Regular Member
Griffith, CSU and JCU
I didn’t get into Griffith and haven’t heard from the other two.
I am international.

Sorry to hear that you didn’t get into Griffith. All the best for CSU and JCU.

I’m domestic, and I have no idea how the international process works. Sorry about that. Your best bet is to call the universities for advice.

Also, seeing that you’re applying for CSU and JCU, am I correct in writing that you’re applying for both medicine and dentistry?
 

Tomato

Regular Member
Sorry to hear that you didn’t get into Griffith. All the best for CSU and JCU.

I’m domestic, and I have no idea how the international process works. Sorry about that. Your best bet is to call the universities for advice.

Also, seeing that you’re applying for CSU and JCU, am I correct in writing that you’re applying for both medicine and dentistry?


CSU has no medicine.
 
for the recommendation letters, i felt that my teacher just listed the kind of person i was. From those that did recieve offeres, what did your referee's writeon your letter?
thanksss
 

CristinaYang

Monash V 🐬
Newbie of the Year 2019
for the recommendation letters, i felt that my teacher just listed the kind of person i was. From those that did recieve offeres, what did your referee's writeon your letter?
thanksss
Hey! I'm applying this year so I haven't received any offers but my teacher did a similar thing. She linked my extracurriculars to my characteristics and personality to "recommend" me so I'd imagine that that's how it's done. It would be interesting to find out what works though.
 

Crow

Staff | Junior Doctor
Moderator
From what I’ve gathered (mostly from Ben), the letters are definitely important to include, but they probably aren’t going to be the make or break of your application if you’ve included three of them.

More likely an applicant’s downfall would be their written application (at the interview invite stage) or interview (at the place offer stage).
 

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