So you’re planning to apply to vet school and need letters of recommendation. These should be easy to ask for, but who to ask? There’s no one-size-fits-all rule for this, so let’s look at the options.
1) A vet with whom you have worked. This is probably at a private practice clinic in your hometown where you had spent time volunteering or working. This is a solid choice. This person knows veterinary medicine and hopefully knows you. The only drawback is they are probably not experienced at writing letters of recommendation, so they may not know the “right” things to write.
2) A non-vet college professor. This is probably in a higher-level course with a smaller class size so you got to know the professor. These experiences can range widely- I have had students I barely knew from a 1-credit self-defense class to students with whom I have worked closely on a research project for two years ask me for letters. The more connection you have with the professor, the better. The less connection you have, the more generic the letter will be, along the lines of, “I didn’t notice this student being bad. They got a fine grade. They are probably not a monster.” You want a personal letter which can speak to your strengths. Plan accordingly.
3) A vet college professor. This is like winning the lottery and, unless you are very strategic, is more likely to happen by chance than intention. If a class you take is taught by a veterinarian AND the class is a small one where the professor knows your name, this is the best case scenario. This person knows the industry and knows you and knows what selection committees look for, therefore can write a highly effective letter.
4) Non-veterinary bosses. If you have worked as a veterinary technician or in some skilled, paid employment for anything more than a year, these can be helpful. If you served ice cream at Baskin Robbins for a summer, probably not very helpful to get a letter from your boss.
5) Anyone else. This includes friends who are professionals, non-academic non-veterinary mentors, and presidents of organizations of which you are a part. In general these are not particularly valuable, and should only serve as a last resort.
You can usually submit at least 3 letters of recommendation for vet school. Opinions may differ, but I generally recommend you have at least one veterinarian and at least one college professor who knows you reasonably well. You want people who can speak to your professional preparedness and fit for the job and can speak to your academic competence and dedication. If possible, you want people who have experience writing good letters of recommendation. This can be hard to determine, but you may be able to ask them, especially the vets with whom you have worked, since their writing skill can vary widely. What letters of recommendation are you unsure about soliciting?