Reference from a family member

Hi, I'm looking for some advice regarding references for my masters application.

The course I am applying for requires an academic reference, which I have sorted, and also a reference from someone who can discuss my abilities to work in a healthcare environment. I recently spent a few days shadowing a GP, so naturally I thought a reference from her would be perfect.

However, the GP I shadowed happens to be a distant family member (dad's cousins wife). The criteria states that the referee cannot be a family member - would she be considered a family member is this is only applicable to close relatives?

Thanks in advance.

Reply 1

confuzzled786

14

Original post by Klutzz

Hi, I'm looking for some advice regarding references for my masters application.

The course I am applying for requires an academic reference, which I have sorted, and also a reference from someone who can discuss my abilities to work in a healthcare environment. I recently spent a few days shadowing a GP, so naturally I thought a reference from her would be perfect.

However, the GP I shadowed happens to be a distant family member (dad's cousins wife). The criteria states that the referee cannot be a family member - would she be considered a family member is this is only applicable to close relatives?

Thanks in advance.

As long as they don’t have the same surname as you I doubt they could find out wether you’re related or not and as long the doctor speaks about you just as someone who came for work experience and no other relationship it should be fine. Are there any other people that you worked with there that could be used as a reference?

Reply 2

confuzzled786

14

Original post by Klutzz

Hi, I'm looking for some advice regarding references for my masters application.

The course I am applying for requires an academic reference, which I have sorted, and also a reference from someone who can discuss my abilities to work in a healthcare environment. I recently spent a few days shadowing a GP, so naturally I thought a reference from her would be perfect.

However, the GP I shadowed happens to be a distant family member (dad's cousins wife). The criteria states that the referee cannot be a family member - would she be considered a family member is this is only applicable to close relatives?

Thanks in advance.

Also just to be sure, contact the university

Original post by Klutzz

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References are supposed to be a judgement of an individual, usually a recommendation, the accuracy of which reflects the referee's professional standing. In other words the presumption is that a referee won't damage their professional reputation by giving a false reference.

So the reasons family members are not usually allowed to give a reference is that they are presumed to place family loyalty above professional reputation.

I suspect any familial relationship would make a reference invalid. In this circumstance, if it was only a few days work-shadowing, then the University would presume that the stronger relationship was the familial one.

Reply 4

harrysbar

21

Original post by Klutzz

Hi, I'm looking for some advice regarding references for my masters application.

The course I am applying for requires an academic reference, which I have sorted, and also a reference from someone who can discuss my abilities to work in a healthcare environment. I recently spent a few days shadowing a GP, so naturally I thought a reference from her would be perfect.

However, the GP I shadowed happens to be a distant family member (dad's cousins wife). The criteria states that the referee cannot be a family member - would she be considered a family member is this is only applicable to close relatives?

Thanks in advance.

Dad's cousins wife - she is not related to you and the Uni would never know of any connection unless you (unwisely) chose to make an issue out of it