medical school letter of rec research

Your Trusted Advisors for Admissions Success

Admissions and test prep resources to help you get into your dream schools

Medical School Letters of Recommendation: The Definitive Guide

Whom, when, and how to ask for great medical school recommendation letters, including word-for-word scripts.

(Note: A version of this article can also be found in our free, 102-page comprehensive guide to medical school applications, Get Into Medical School: 6 Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat . )

Introduction

Similar to writing the AMCAS personal statement , the thought of asking for medical school letters of recommendation (or in AMCAS terms, letters of evaluation) makes most students cringe.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that we receive a ton of questions and concerns about recommendation letters, such as:

“How am I supposed to find three letter writers?!”

“Would it be a good idea to get a letter from Dr. Johnson? I don’t really know her, but she works at Duke Med, loves my mom, and offered to write a letter on my behalf.”

We decided to write a comprehensive guide to medical school recommendation letters to answer all of your questions. If your question isn’t covered, please leave it in the comments section below so we can answer it and add it to the guide, since other students surely share it.

Click on any question below to jump directly to it:

Questions about how many letters of recommendations you need

How many letters of recommendation do I need for medical school?

How many letters of recommendation should i send to schools, how many recommendation letters can i upload to amcas, how many recommendation letters can i upload to aacomas, how many recommendation letters can i upload to tmdsas, can i send different recommendation letters to different schools, can i choose where to send each recommendation letter, do my recommendation letters have to be addressed to specific medical schools, questions about whom you should request letters of recommendation from, whom should i request letters of recommendation from, from whom should i ask for recommendation letters as a non-traditional applicant, who qualifies as a science professor, who qualifies as a non-science professor, do i have to send a letter from a professor in my major, do i need to get a letter from a do physician when applying to do programs, what recommendation letters should i avoid, will i be able to see my recommendation letters, timing-related questions about letters of recommendation, when should i request letters of recommendation, when are letters of recommendation due, when do medical schools look at letters of recommendation, can my letter writers submit letters of recommendation before amcas opens, does amcas require that my recommendation letters be uploaded to verify my application, can i add new letters of recommendation after i submit my amcas application, can i edit or delete letters of recommendation after i submit my amcas application, questions about how to ask for letters of recommendation, should i ask for a letter of recommendation in person or via email, how should i ask for a letter of recommendation in person, how should i ask for a letter of recommendation by email, when and how should i remind my letter writers to submit, what should i include in my thank you notes to letter writers, do you have tips on how to get to know my professors, what should i do if i’m asked to write my own recommendation letter, questions about storing and reusing letters of recommendation, where can i store my letters of recommendation, what are the benefits of using interfolio or another storage service, does amcas store recommendation letters from one cycle to another, do i need to submit letters of recommendation as a reapplicant, can i reuse the same letters of recommendation if i reapply to medical school, struggling to write your med school application essays.

Get our free  guide to help you with every step:  Get Into Medical School: 6 Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat

100% privacy. No spam. Ever.

Thank you! Your guide is on its way. In the meantime, please let us know how we can help you crack the the medical school admissions code . You can also learn more about our 1-on-1 medical school admissions support here .

We recommend you compile the following set of six recommendation letters:

Science professor 1 whose class you took for a letter grade

Science professor 2 whose class you took for a letter grade

Non-science professor whose class you took for a letter grade

A professional—preferably a physician—who has observed you providing patient care

Extracurricular observer 1

Extracurricular observer 2

Your two “extracurricular observer” letters could come from anyone who can speak well to your distinguishing activities.

For instance, if you’re a standout researcher, get one of those letters from a principal investigator (PI). If you don’t know your PI well, request a letter from a postdoc with whom you've worked closely, and request that the PI co-sign it.

If, on the other hand, you’re an excellent fundraiser, request a letter from your superior within the organization you were part of or from a high-ranking member of the organization you supported who knows you well.

A good rule of thumb is to ask for a letter from a supervisor from an extracurricular activity that you designated as a ‘Most Meaningful Experience’ in your AMCAS Work and Activities section .

Some letters can do “double duty”—that is, they can check two boxes at once. For instance, if you took a neuroscience course with a professor whose lab you also worked in, a letter from that professor can satisfy one science professor letter and one extracurricular observer letter. Therefore, you don’t necessarily need six distinct letters.

The most important consideration is that you submit outstanding letters. Outstanding letters come from individuals who can speak highly of your skills and qualities and, more importantly, how your merits make you an excellent medical school candidate. Unenthusiastic letters, even if written by a well-known person, are not desirable.

Medical schools want to see recent (i.e., within the last three years) data about your academic achievements. Therefore, if you've been out of school for a while, you should aim to enroll in a few science courses—locally or online—to build relationships with professors.

Strictly speaking, medical schools would like to see your science letters come from biology, chemistry, or physics (BCP) professors. While many schools will also accept a science letter from a math, computer science, engineering, or other science professor, other schools won’t. Therefore, you should check directly with your top-choice schools if you intend to submit a science letter from a non-BCP professor.

Any professor whose field falls outside of biology, chemistry, or physics.

A very small number of schools require a letter from a professor in your major. Since this isn't necessary for the majority of schools, you probably shouldn't worry about this.

Yes, if you’re looking to apply to osteopathic medical schools, make sure to request a letter from a DO physician you’ve shadowed .

DO programs are conscious of the reality that most applicants would prefer to attend an MD program if given the chance. Therefore, they like to see that applicants have demonstrated a specific interest in osteopathic medicine and have made an effort to put this interest into practice.

(Further reading: MD vs DO: The Biggest Differences (And Which is Better) )

Generally speaking, you should avoid any letters that are negative, neutral, or slightly positive. In other words, you should avoid a letter from anyone who won’t gush about you.

In addition, you’ll want to avoid sending letters from family members, clergy, or family friends who can’t speak intimately about your professional qualities.

Students routinely ask whether they should get a letter from a family friend who happens to be a well-known physician or faculty member at a school on their list, thinking that their clout will carry significant weight in admissions decisions despite not knowing the applicant professionally. Avoid these letters as well. At best, they’ll be disregarded. At worst, they’ll hurt your application because they’ll be seen as an attempt to gain an unfair advantage.

You can, but you shouldn't. In other words, you should always waive your right to read your letters. Otherwise, medical schools won't take your letters seriously.

Questions about how many letters of recommendation you need

Schools vary with regard to the number of required recommendation letters, ranging from two to five. Three letters is the most common requirement.

At minimum, most schools will ask you to submit one of the following:

Three individual letters: Two letters from science professors and one letter from a non-science professor. These letters are to be sent directly to AMCAS by individual professors or by your school via a letter packet.

A committee letter: Some schools have a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor who writes a letter representing your school’s evaluation of you. If your school offers the committee letter option, you should take it. Otherwise, medical schools could wonder whether you’re avoiding the committee letter because you’re trying to hide something or were told by the pre-health committee that you’re not a competitive applicant.

Nevertheless, the better question is, “How many letters of recommendation should I get when applying to medical school?” because:

Some schools require that you submit four or five letters.

Many schools optionally allow you to send additional recommendation letters beyond their requirements.

Some letter writers can be flaky and even disappear when you need them most. Therefore, it’s best to have a backup letter.

Our answer to that question is you should gather six letters (see our response to the first question for further details).

We recommend that you send no more than five or six letters to med schools, even if they offer a higher limit on the number of allowed letters.

The quality of your letters and what they collectively say about you are much more important than sending a large number of letters. Negative or even so-so letters can cast a shadow over your other, strong letters, so be thoughtful about which to include or leave out.

AMCAS allows you to upload up to 10 letters of recommendation.

AACOMAS allows you to upload up to 6 letters of recommendation.

TMDSAS allows you to upload up to 4 letters of recommendation.

It depends on which application system you’re using. AMCAS allows you to send different recommendation letters to different schools, whereas AACOMAS and TMDSAS do not.

In other words, when applying via AMCAS, you can “overcompile” letters of recommendation and pick and choose individual schools that you’d like to send each letter to. When applying via AACOMAS and TMDSAS, every school you apply to will receive all the letters that you’ve uploaded into that system.

As noted above, only AMCAS allows you to choose individual schools as recommendation letter recipients. Beyond this, you can only select the application system to which you’d like to send each recommendation letter.

For instance, let’s say you’re applying to both MD and DO schools, and you have eight letters, including letters from both MD and DO physicians, stored in a dossier service such as Interfolio. You could then choose the appropriate letters to upload to AMCAS and AACOMAS, bearing in mind both the types of medical schools you’re applying to and the maximum number of letters each system allows.

No, this is not expected.

We strongly encourage you to ask for letters from professors in person whenever possible, and definitely if it’s been a while since you’ve been in their class or interacted with them.

Before you ask for a recommendation letter, you should prepare a packet that includes:

A list of your grades, separated by science and non-science courses

Your CV or resume

Your final or near-final personal statement draft

AAMC's guidelines for writing a strong letter of evaluation, including a reminder to write the letter on official letterhead and sign it. You should provide this packet only after a professor or other recommendation letter writer agrees to your request.

Below are exact email scripts you can use to request a letter in person:

Word-for-word email script when planning to ask someone you know well in person

Dear [Professor’s Name], 

I hope this email finds you well. I’m planning on applying to medical school this upcoming summer, and was hoping you’d be willing to offer your perspective on the process since I’ve always valued your guidance. If so, please let me know some days/times that work well for you to meet, and I’ll make sure to accommodate. Thanks for your consideration!

[Your Name/Last Name] 

Word-for-word email script when planning to ask someone in person whom you haven’t seen or spoken with in a while

Dear [Professor’s Name],

I hope this email finds you well. My name is [Name/Last Name], and I was a student in your [Course Number/Title] course during [Semester/year]. I really enjoyed your class because [authentic reason].

I’m planning on applying to medical school this upcoming summer, and was hoping you’d be willing to offer your perspective on the process. If so, please let me know some days/times that work well for you to meet, and I’ll make sure to accommodate. Thanks for your consideration!

[Your Name/Last Name]

Additional guidance for asking in person

Whenever you meet with a professor to request a letter in person, make sure to let them know why you would value a letter from them, including why you value their perspective and which of your qualities and experiences they can speak to.

Don’t be shy about priming them to do this because it will help their letters corroborate how you describe yourself throughout the rest of your primary and secondary applications .

Once a letter writer agrees to write you a letter, provide the packet mentioned earlier.

Here is an exact email script you can use to request a letter via email:

Word-for-word email script when planning to ask someone you know well via email

I hope this email finds you well. I’m planning on applying to medical school this upcoming summer, and was wondering whether you’d feel comfortable writing a strong letter of recommendation. [Authentic sentence describing why you would value a letter from them (e.g., why you value their perspective, which of your qualities they can speak to, etc.)]. 

If you’re willing to provide a letter, I will provide the following supporting materials: 1) a list of my grades, 2) my CV, 3) a draft of my personal statement, and 4) the AMCAS recommendation letter guidelines. Thanks for your consideration!

(Note: We have not included a script for requesting a letter via email from a professor who may not remember you because you shouldn't ask them for one.)

Recommendation letter writers often procrastinate on submitting letters on time. Therefore, you should email them using the following email script two to three weeks prior to your primary application submission:

I hope this email finds you well. I plan on submitting my medical school applications [on date or  in # of days/weeks], so I wanted to send a reminder regarding your recommendation letter. Please let me know if there’s any additional information I can provide.

Thanks again for your support!

Beyond this first reminder email, feel free to send additional reminder emails every one to weeks if you don’t hear back from a letter writer. If you’re unable to get a response via email, call them.

Once a person submits a letter, you can use the following thank you note script to express appreciation (personalize this however you’d like):

Thanks again for supporting my medical school applications by offering your perspectives on the process and submitting a recommendation letter. I feel very fortunate to have great mentors like you. 

I’ll make sure to update you as the application season progresses!

Of course! Here they are:

Consistently attend office hours, especially during "off-peak" times, like the beginning of the term.

During office hours, discuss something other than course material (e.g., the professor's research).

Take multiple classes with the same professor.

Invite the professor to coffee or lunch after the term to discuss their work, as well as your career aspirations.

Work as the professor's teaching assistant.

If you're interested in their research, ask to join their lab. Your research involvement will not only improve your relationship with that professor, but will also look great on your application.

We’ve covered this topic in depth in a separate guide: How to Write Your Own Letter of Recommendation for Medical School .

Ideally, you will want to ask for recommendation letters no later than two to three months before you plan on submitting your primary application (i.e., AMCAS). Therefore, if you plan to submit AMCAS in June, you should ask no later than the beginning of May.

Professors receive a ton of recommendation letter requests during the medical school application process. Asking in advance will give your letter writers the time to write a strong letter, and also to prioritize getting yours done before those who asked later.

Finally, your school has a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor who assembles and distributes letters on your behalf. If so, you should follow their suggested timeline for requesting recommendation letters.

(Further reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline )

You should aim to have your letters sent to programs no later than the date of your secondary application submission (i.e., July at the earliest) because most med schools do not read recommendation letters until the remainder of your materials—primary application, secondary application, fees, MCAT score—have been submitted.

That said, we encourage you to request that recommendation letters be submitted by the end of June to avoid anxiety. That way, even if your writers procrastinate for a week or two, you’ll still have your letters in on time.

It’s important to note that letters of recommendation are rarely used to decide whether or not to send you a secondary application (which most schools send to most applicants anyway). However, they are used to make interview decisions.

As noted above, most medical schools look at letters of recommendation after all of your application materials have been submitted. Therefore, the earliest that your letters will be read is typically July.

No, writers cannot submit before the day AMCAS opens.

No, it does not. Your submitted AMCAS application will begin to undergo verification even if your letters of recommendation have not yet arrived.

Yes, you can add new letters of recommendation after your AMCAS application has been submitted, so long as you haven’t yet reached the 10-letter maximum. However, if you’ve already submitted your application, you must make sure to resubmit your application after you assign a new letter to ensure that it’s sent.

Even if your application has already been transmitted to a medical school, you can still add and assign new letters to that school as long as it’s before the school’s deadline.

No, you cannot delete or personally edit letters of recommendation after your AMCAS application has been submitted. However, your recommenders may upload a new version of a letter they’ve already submitted, so long as they use the same Letter ID number that was assigned to the original letter.

You may have two options for storing letters of recommendation that you request ahead of time (e.g., a year or two before your application cycle):

Through your school: Most universities offer to store your recommendation letters, either through the career center, pre-health advising center, or a similar service on campus.

Via an online third-party letter storage service (also called a “dossier service”), such as Interfolio .

Regardless of which option(s) is available to you, you will have to ask your recommenders to send their letters directly to the storage service. As with any other recommendation letter, stored letters must be signed and ideally written on official letterhead. Once you're ready to apply to medical school, you can request that the storage service send your letters to the application system.

As noted above, one reason why med school applicants use Interfolio or other letter storage services is to obtain a fresh, and therefore more enthusiastic, letter of recommendation well in advance of the application cycle.

Storage services also simplify the recommendation process for your letter writers by requiring them to only upload their letter once. Even if you aren’t collecting letters far in advance, you may still find this beneficial if you’re either submitting applications within multiple systems (e.g. both AMCAS and TMDSAS) or you anticipate needing a letter of recommendation again, such as for a scholarship or a future med school application cycle, and don’t want to repeatedly ask your recommenders.

That said, whether or not to store your letters is up to you. It isn’t strictly necessary if you can maintain great relationships with your recommenders.

No, AMCAS does not store recommendation letters from one cycle to another.

Yes, because AMCAS does not store letters of recommendation, you must either resubmit your existing letters or submit new letters of recommendation each time you apply to medical school.

When reapplying to medical school, you can choose to send the same letters from a previous cycle—ideally, with a revised date and, if appropriate, with updates—entirely new letters, or a combination of the two. Even if your letters are stored in Interfolio or a similar service, we encourage you to ask your rec letter writers for a letter with at least an updated date.

(Further reading: Reapplying to Medical School: Every Major Question Answered )

About the Author

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.

Enjoyed this article? Get the FREE  guide we use to help over 90% of our students get into med school—the first time.

Get into medical school: 6 practical lessons to stand out and earn your white coat.

Medical School Personal Statement Ultimate Guide (Examples Included)

Medical School Secondary Essays: The Complete Guide (Examples Included)

AMCAS Work and Activities Ultimate Guide (Examples Included)

Medical School Letter of Recommendation: The Ultimate Guide (2023-2024)

Learn everything you need to know about medical school letters of recommendation including who to ask and how, how many letters you need, and how to create a top-notch letter profile. Read a sample medical school letter of recommendation.

Before we answer some basic questions you likely have about medical school letters of recommendation, let’s review the history and purpose of letters in medical school admissions.

Like everything about the med school admissions process, the letter of recommendation (LOR) has evolved from a fairly basic “stamp of approval” by a few teachers to currently, a letter of evaluation (LOE) that is more expansive.

The transition to the letter of recommendation to the letter of evaluation was deliberate and followed the “ holistic review ” trend. Medical schools have been thinking about admissions in terms of whether a candidate has demonstrated the competencies that are desirable in a medical student candidate – competencies that are required to be successful in medical school and residency. Increasingly, medical education has been thought of on a continuum from undergraduate (medical school years) to graduate (residency years) and beyond to fellowship training. 

Keep in mind that many people use the terms letter of reference and letter of evaluation interchangeably.

Medical schools have slightly different requirements, but, generally speaking, you will need to have a minimum of three school recommendation letters which must include two science letters. Most medical school applicants send in four to five letters of evaluation. AMCAS allows students to send in a maximum of ten letters of reference. However, most medical schools have limits on the number of letters you can submit with the most prestigious medical schools allowing you to send up to six letters. MedEdits’ nontraditional or very highly accomplished students routinely submit up to six letters of evaluation when allowed.

Table of Contents

How many letters of recommendation do I need for medical school?

Medical schools have slightly different requirements for the LOE, but, generally speaking, you will need to have a minimum of three with two of those letters from science professors. Most medical school applicants send in four to five letters of evaluation. How many letters you send to medical schools will also depend on the system through which you are applying.

AMCAS Letters of Recommendation : AMCAS allows students to send in a maximum of ten letters of reference. MedEdits’ nontraditional or very highly accomplished students routinely submit up to eight letters of evaluation. 

TMDSAS Letters of Recommendation : TMDSAS allows one heath professions committee packet or three individual letters of reference. You are also allowed to send in one additional letter.

AACOMAS Letters of Recommendation : AACOMAS defers to individual medical schools regarding how many letters you should send. Letters can be sent directly to medical schools or via AACOMAS.

What are medical school admissions committees looking for in letters of recommendation?

The Association of American Medical Colleges has clearly outlined the competencies medical school admissions committees what to know you possess. Letter writers are expected to comment on any of the competencies of which they have knowledge. Admissions committees want to know about your academic abilities as well as your personal qualities and characteristics. Not every letter writer will be able to write about every competency listed below.

Thinking and Reasoning Competencies

• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Written Communication

Science Competencies

• Living Systems
• Human Behavior

Pre-professional Competencies

• Service Orientation
• Social Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Oral Communication
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Capacity for Improvement

Admissions committees also value comparison information highly. What does this mean? They want to know how you compare to other students or co-workers within context.

Who should write my medical school letters of recommendation?

We consider the ideal letter portfolio to include a total of four to six letters (keep in mind that TMDSAS allows a letter packet or a maximum of four letters):

• Two letters from science or math teachers/professors (any letter from a biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics teacher/professor). These two  letters are the most important letters in your portfolio.
• One research letter. A research letter can be as important as your science/math letters if you have done significant research.
• One non science/math teacher/professor. Many medicals schools require a non science letter.
• One clinical letter (ideally a physician. For osteopathic applicants, this clinical letter should be from an osteopathic physician). Unless your letter is from an academic physician, keep in mind that this letter won’t have huge impact but can serve more as a character reference.

If you majored in something other than science or math, we suggest that your non science/math letter be from a teacher/professor within your major. If you attend a large university and know your teaching assistants (TAs) better than your professors, you can ask the TA to write the letter of reference and the professor can cosign the letter.

By the same token, if you did research primarily working with a lab assistant or post doc and had little contact with the principal investigator (PI), ask the person with whom you worked most closely to write the letter and have the PI cosign the letter. Additional letters from extracurricular mentors mainly serve as character references and, while they don’t hurt your candidacy, they won’t be overly influential.

Keep in mind that there may be specific medical school requirements so be sure to check each medical school individually.

If I am a nontraditional applicant, who should write my letters?

As a non traditional applicant, you want to have letters that are from people who have worked with you most recently whether in an academic, scholarly, or work-related position. If you are in a post baccalaureate or other academic program, finding letter writers will not be difficult. The bigger issue is for people who have been out of academics for several years and may have distant relationships with professors. In these cases, do your best to reach out to those professors whom you have in mind early to meet or speak with them so you can remind them of who you are and what you have done since graduation.

What does it mean to waive my right to see my letters?

When you waive your right to read your letters, it means that you don’t have the right to read what is written about you. Why are you asked this question? Letter writers are more willing to give honest evaluations if they know you won’t be reading the letter of evaluation. So, you should ALWAYS waive your right to read your letters (that means clicking “yes”). However, many letter writers will offer to let you read your letter of evaluation as a kind gesture. If your letter writer offers to let you read a letter of reference, you are in the clear even if you waived your right to read it.

Do I need a medical school committee letter?

If your school has a pre med advising committee letter, you should make sure to qualify for it and have it. Not having a committee letter in your profile if your school offers one is a red flag to admissions committees. In order to receive the best possible committee letter, follow their process explicitly. The way you interact with your health professions advising office or with the committee will determine the quality of your committee letter. Be polite, be on time, give them quality responses to written questions/questionnaires and meet all deadlines. These actions are evidence of your professionalism and they will notice whether you are professional or not.

How do I ensure I have the best letter profile?

Consider your letters in total – are key aspects of you covered? Do you have someone who can speak about you as a learner? A researcher? A scholar? An intellectual? An employee? Most importantly is a writer who can talk about character and your interpersonal skills vis a vis other humans – your future patients. Letters should provide rich content that cannot be known from looking at your transcript or list of activities.

When necessary, letters can corroborate something that needs further explanation or underscore what you have talked about in your personal statement. Ideally your letter writers should know you quite well and be able to compose outstanding letters of evaluation. “Luke warm” or mediocre letters of evaluation can hurt your candidacy. The AAMC outlines what should be included in letters of evaluation in this guidelines brochure: Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant.

Do professors ever write negative letters of reference?

Only under rare circumstances, if a professor truly believes you are a danger to the practice of medicine would someone write a negative letter of reference. If a letter writer does not feel he or she can support your candidacy, they would typically communicate that when you ask for the letter.

Should I get a letter from a “big name?”

Unless you have had direct contact with the “BIG NAME” in a work, academic, scholarly or extracurricular setting, and he or she can write about your distinguishing qualities and characteristics, a letter of this type can actually hurt your candidacy and be seen as disingenuous. Applicants should not get letters from someone with whom they haven’t worked or does not know them well. Medical school admissions committee members want to read letters from people who can truthfully discuss your accomplishments, characteristics, and attributes.

Which letters of recommendation are most useful?

The AAMC’s Analysis in Brief looked at how admissions offices felt about the letters they received and found that letters from advisors were most helpful. They also thought that guidelines or some standardization would be helpful so the AAMC produced guidelines for letter writers – I highly recommend that applicants read this guideline and use it together with their letter writers. It is the gold standard for both the applicant and for the writer. I hope it will help you work with your letter writers.  Here is a link for Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant.

When should I ask for my letters of recommendation?

When to ask for letters of evaluation in part depends on your working relationship with the letter writer. For example, if you take a fall biochemistry course and plan to ask that professor for a letter, you should request it as soon as the course is over assuming you won’t be working with that professor further. The more time you give your letter writers to compose their letters, the more likely they will be thoughtful and timely letters of evaluation. Ideally, you should request all letters of evaluation by April of the application year. Why? Professors receive tons of letter requests and you want to do your best to beat the rush so your letters of evaluation aren’t submitted late. If you will be getting a medical school committee letter, follow those instructions closely as mentioned earlier in this article.

How do I ask for letters of recommendation?

The answer to this question really depends on two things:

• Your relationship with the letter writer
• Your letter writer’s “style”

There is not a formulaic way to ask for letters of evaluation since because of the two variables above. For example, if you know your letter writer quite well and see her regularly, ask in person. If you are asking a professor for a letter, consider visiting him or her during designated office hours. How you ask again depends on your relationship. You might ask her when you see her, casually. Or, if you have a more formal relationship, maybe you would make an appointment to sit down with her.

The key is to ask her if she’d be willing to write you a strong letter of reference for medical school. Then I suggest asking the letter writer what she would like from you to make the task easier. Offer to give her your CV/resume and personal statement. Ask what else she might need to make the process easier. Every letter writer has his or her own style for writing letters. Some may want to talk to you about your interests while others would be perfectly comfortable writing a letter with no additional information.

For letter writers you don’t see regularly, it is perfectly acceptable to send an email request. However, if you don’t receive a reply in three or four business days, follow up with a phone call. I suggest sending an email like this:

SUBJECT: [YOUR NAME]: Letter of evaluation Dear Professor X, I hope you are doing well. I am applying to medical school this summer and I was hoping you would be willing to write me a strong letter of evaluation. I really enjoyed your course in genetics and feel it gave me a firm foundation that will help me in medical school. I would be happy to meet with you and can send you my CV, personal statement, transcript, the AMCAS letter guidelines or anything else that might be useful. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]

medical school letter of recommendation template

How do I nudge my letter writer?

After you submit your application be sure to check on the progress of your letters ensuring they have been received by AMCAS. If after two weeks of submitting your application, and assuming you gave your letter writer at least two weeks notice, if your letter hasn’t been received, I suggest reaching out to the letter writer via email, gently and politely reminding him about the letter.

Consider sending an email like this:

Dear Professor X, I hope you are enjoying the start of summer. I am happy to report that I sent in my medical school application two weeks ago. I know how busy you are, so I wanted to make sure you are still able to write me a strong letter of evaluation in support of my candidacy. Please let me know if there is anything I can do or if you need any further information. Thank you for your consideration and time. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]

How do I thank and follow up with my letter writer?

After your letter is received, be sure to express gratitude.

I suggest sending your letter writer an email like this:

Dear Professor X, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to write my letter of evaluation for medical school. I value your endorsement of my candidacy. I will be sure to keep you posted as the medical school application season progresses. Enjoy your summer. With gratitude, [YOUR NAME]

Then, be sure you keep in touch with your letter writer throughout the application season!

What if I am asked to write my own letter of recommendation?

I find that more and more letter writers are asking students to write their own letters. Why? Your professors are busy and simply don’t have the time! So, what do you do? I suggest following the AAMC letter guidelines: https://www.aamc.org/download/349990/data/lettersguidelinesbrochure.pdf . If you need further guidance on how to write a stellar letter of evaluation, contact us.

By what date should my letters be sent?

Ideally, you want your letters of evaluation to be received when your secondary applications are sent in or earlier. Since medical schools won’t review your application until the secondary application is received, you don’t need to stress if your letters haven’t been sent in by the time you submit AMCAS. That said, do not let this delay requesting your letters of reference since it takes some letter writers quite a long time to compose letters. In the ideal world, your letters should be sent in when you submit your medical school application.

How are my letters of recommendation stored and sent to medical schools?

There are two primary ways to send your letters of evaluation to medical schools. Your college or university may collect and hold on to your letters of evaluation sending them all together in as a packet once you apply to medical school. Alternatively, letters of evaluation can be uploaded directly to AMCAS via the AMCAS letter writer application: https://services.aamc.org/letterwriter/ . Finally, some applicants use a letter dossier service to store and send letters of evaluation. The two most popular dossier services are Interfolio and VirtualEvals.

Does AMCAS need to have all of my letters for my application to be verified?

Your application will be processed and verified even if your letters have not yet been received. As your letters are received, they will be sent to medical schools on a rolling basis.

If I am a reapplicant, do I need to resubmit my letters?

The answer is yes! AMCAS does not store letters of evaluation.

Can I read a sample letter of recommendation?

Yes! See below for a sample medical school letter of recommendation.

Dear Admissions Committee Members,

I am writing this letter on behalf of Sarah Smith who is an applicant for medical school. I have known Sarah for two years. I have directly supervised Sarah as she has worked as a medical assistant in my internal medicine office and has shadowed me as I evaluate patients. During the summers Sarah worked full time, and during the school year, she worked on Saturday and one evening per week.

Sarah’s primary responsibilities in my office were to greet patients, use our electronic medical record to document visits, and help patients check out. Once Sarah became EMS certified six months ago, she started helping our clinical assistants and nurses take initial vital signs during patient visits. As a shadow student, Sarah observed me as I cared for patients when they were willing to have an observer.

Sarah has many qualities that I believe will make her an outstanding medical student and physician. First of all, she is intellectually curious and independent reading about patient diagnoses on her own. She would also ask questions that demonstrated insight and an ability to quickly synthesize information. From time to time Sarah and I would also discuss what she was studying in college, and, even thought I was rusty on everything she was discussing, the conversations were engaging and showed her commitment to her studies.

Sarah also has the compassion and empathy that all physicians should possess. Patients would often comment that she was kind, understanding, and listened attentively. At holiday time, Sarah received many gifts from grateful patients. She is the only young student I have worked with to be acknowledged in this way. I also saw that she had a unique ability to connect with patients because she was open, authentic, honest, and treated everyone respectfully.

Finally, Sarah’s interpersonal skills were extraordinary. She worked with my diverse staff wonderfully, respecting everyone in my office and contributed to the positive work environment. She was a great team player always aware of when someone needed help or was having a bad day. Her maturity and consideration of others is something I have never observed in someone her age.

I give Sarah my absolute highest recommendation. Since I work near the University, I have had close to 100 students work in my office and shadow over the years. Sarah is, by far, the smartest, most mature, and best suited for a career in medicine of all the students with whom I have worked. I congratulate the medical school that is lucky enough to recruit her. Please reach out with any questions.

Sincerely, Sarah’s Boss, MD

Getting into a medical school has never been more competitive. Let the experts at MedEdits help you with your medical school application materials. We’ve worked with more than 5,000 students and 94% have been admitted to medical school.

Need Help With Your Application Materials?

Schedule a Free 15 Minute Consultation with a MedEdits expert.

• Website Disclaimer
• Terms and Conditions
• MedEdits Privacy Policy

Recently viewed courses

Recently viewed.

Find Your Dream School

This site uses various technologies, as described in our Privacy Policy, for personalization, measuring website use/performance, and targeted advertising, which may include storing and sharing information about your site visit with third parties. By continuing to use this website you consent to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

   COVID-19 Update: To help students through this crisis, The Princeton Review will continue our "Enroll with Confidence" refund policies. For full details, please click here.

Enter your email to unlock an extra $50 off any MCAT program!

By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., medical school letters of recommendation.

Letters of recommendation for med school are typically submitted along with your  AMCAS application . A good letter of recommendation highlights your academic or professional achievements. A great letter gives the admissions committee at your dream medical school deeper insight into the person you are and the doctor you may become.

How Many Letters Will You Need?

In most cases, schools request a minimum of three recommendations: two from science professors and one from a non-science professor or an extracurricular supervisor. Unless specifically instructed not to send additional letters , competitive applicants commonly send as many as six recommendations, including those from additional academic sources, clinical mentors, supervisors in extracurricular activities, and research sources.

Pre-Medical Committee Letter

Some schools request that you send your recommendations in the form of a pre-medical committee letter, which is either a letter written by the undergraduate pre- med committee specifically recommending you, or a letter that summarizes comments made by various committee members about you. If your school does not have a pre-medical committee (or you are a non-traditional applicant not officially affiliated with a university), you will typically need to submit a minimum of three letters of recommendation from individual sources instead.

Getting a Great Letter of Recommendation

Here’s a quick overview of how to choose the right people to write your medical school recommendations and ensure you get the right message across.

1. Start Early

Professors are busy! You will want to ask for letters well in advance of deadlines. If you are applying as an undergraduate in college, start asking for letters in the winter of your junior year.

2. Identify your recommenders

Current professors and doctors with whom you work or volunteer are your best choices. But former professors and doctors with whom you've worked in the past are fine, too. (If you're applying to osteopathic schools , you must have a letter from a DO.) The best recommendations come from people who know and honestly like you as a person.

3. Be professional

It’s natural to feel anxious about approaching prospective recommenders, especially if some time has passed since you've worked with them. But professors and doctors are used to receiving this kind of request, and most will be happy (even flattered) to write a recommendation on your behalf. Courtesy goes a long way in these interactions. A sincere thank-you note at the end of the process, not matter what the outcome, is essential.

4. Help them help you

Fantastic letters come from recommenders who can write about your specific traits and talents. Provide them with a copy of your CV or résumé, a personal statement , and any other materials that will remind them about what you've achieved. Also let them know which medical programs you're applying to and why.

Read More: How Many Med Schools Should You Apply To?

5. Understand the process

If you apply directly from undergrad, you likely have access to pre-health or pre-med advising, and your letters will be handled by that office. They will copy and send your recommendations to your list of schools. If you are a returning adult student, you may have to take care of all the requests and letters yourself.

6. Follow the instructions

Read directions carefully. If an admissions committee asks for a recommendation from a premedical sciences professor, sending a recommendation from a psychology or sociology professor instead will count against you, even if you suspect that the recommendation will be stronger .

Med School Recommendation Letter Advice for Non-Science Majors

Not a science major? Below are some common letter suggestions for humanities, social science, and other non-medically related disciplines.

Humanities or Social Science Majors

• 1 recommendation from a biology professor
• 1 recommendation from a chemistry or physics professor
• 1 recommendation from a humanities professor
• 1 recommendation from a humanities professor of an advanced-level course in your major 
• 2 recommendations from other sources, such as supervisors from lab/clinical work or extracurricular activities

Non-Medically Related Science Majors (computer science, engineering, math, etc.)

• 1 recommendation from a professor of a medically-related science class, ideally biology
• 1 recommendation from a professor of an advanced-level class in your major area
• 1 recommendation from a humanities professor (may be an intro-level humanities course)

3 recommendations from other sources, such as supervisors from lab/clinical work or extracurricular activities

Want to get an edge over the crowd?

Our admissions experts know what it takes it get into med school. Get the customized strategy and guidance you need to help achieve your goals.

Med School Admission Counseling

• Medical School  

Explore Graduate Programs for You

Explore our featured graduate schools & programs to find those that both match your interests and are looking for students like you.

Best Law Schools

Check out our complete list of 168 law schools, based on surveys of school administrators and over 17,000 students.

Search for Medical Schools

Visit our Med School Hub to explore med schools with our ‘Find Your Med School’ filtered search or visit our Med School Advice pages for info about good MCAT scores or interview question prep.

Find MBA Programs Matched to Your Interests

Explore our featured business schools to find those that are looking for students like you.

MCAT Prep Courses

510+ course, ultimate course, summer immersion, more mcat articles, free mcat practice test & events,  1-800-2review, mcat self-paced free trial.

Free MCAT Practice Test

I already know my score.

MCAT Self-Paced 14-Day Free Trial

Enrollment Advisor

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 1

1-877-LEARN-30

Mon-Fri 9AM-10PM ET

Sat-Sun 9AM-8PM ET

Student Support

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 2

Mon-Fri 9AM-9PM ET

Sat-Sun 8:30AM-5PM ET

Partnerships

• Teach or Tutor for Us

College Readiness

International

Advertising

Affiliate/Other

• Enrollment Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility
• Cigna Medical Transparency in Coverage

Register Book

Local Offices: Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM

• SAT Subject Tests

Academic Subjects

• Social Studies

Find the Right College

• College Rankings
• College Advice
• Applying to College
• Financial Aid

School & District Partnerships

• Professional Development
• Advice Articles
• Private Tutoring
• Mobile Apps
• Local Offices
• International Offices
• Work for Us
• Affiliate Program
• Partner with Us
• Advertise with Us
• International Partnerships
• Our Guarantees
• Accessibility – Canada

Privacy Policy | CA Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information | Your Opt-Out Rights | Terms of Use | Site Map

©2024 TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University

TPR Education, LLC (doing business as “The Princeton Review”) is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, a firm owned by Chinese nationals with a principal place of business in Hong Kong, China.

The Best Way to Your Dream Score? Blueprint MCAT’s 515+ Course!

How Do Medical Schools Use Letters of Recommendation?

Like almost anything in this process, this will depend on the school. For the most part, medical schools don’t share the minute details of how they evaluate letters of recommendation. It also doesn’t serve you to waste mental energy trying to figure out exactly when and how medical schools will assess your letters of recommendation.

Who Should You Ask for Letters of Recommendation?

Each school will have a list of their letter of recommendation requirements, which can be found on their website. This can make the process more difficult because you need to research the requirements of each school you’re interested in. You don’t want to apply to a medical school only to find that you haven’t met their LOR requirements.

If you have letters of recommendation from two science professors and one from a non-science professor, you should be in good shape to fulfill the requirements for most medical schools. Some students may also include a letter from a physician they worked with or shadowed, but most schools do not require this. The best way to find out what each school requires is to check their website. If you are a nontraditional student who has trouble fulfilling LOR requirements check school websites or contact them to see what alternatives might be available.

You should also keep in mind who can write the strongest LOR. Ultimately, this will come from someone who knows you well. If you don’t have someone who fits the LOR requirements and knows you well enough to write a strong letter of recommendation, it’s time to develop that relationship .

Check out our post on this exact question for a more in-depth breakdown of deciding who to ask for LORs.

When and How Do You Ask for Letters of Recommendation?

You are bound to have changed throughout your college career and throughout the premed process. A letter written about you years ago is unlikely to capture who you are now accurately. That doesn’t mean that someone who first got to know you years ago can’t write you a high-quality letter. It does mean that you need to maintain that relationship or reconnect with a previous professor or another potential letter writer.

You can set the expectation that you will eventually ask for a letter of recommendation once you sense that you have a good relationship with this professor. This might be during the semester or at the end of the class. You might say something like,

Hi Dr. Taylor, I’m planning on applying to medical school in a few years. I’ve really enjoyed my time in your class (or lab, etc.), and was hoping to keep in touch with you during my college career so that when the time comes, you would be able to write me a strong letter of recommendation. 

If they say yes to this, make sure to hold up your end. It might be a good idea to send them an update email or have a quick meeting once a semester. If you have the opportunity to take another class with this professor or otherwise remain connected to their work on campus, that can be an easy way to maintain the relationship. Asking early helps you develop the relationship further and get a stronger letter than you would from a professor who’s only known you for one or two semesters. It also gives you time to find other options if they say no. If they do say no, don’t take it personally. Think of who else you might ask, and have a similar conversation with them.

When the Application Cycle Arrives

During the year you are going to apply to medical school, start formally asking your letter writers for a letter of recommendation no later than February or March. You should also keep in mind any special deadlines for your premed’s committee letter process if that’s something your school offers. Asking early gives your letter writer plenty of time, and allows for the possibility that they may procrastinate or need extra time without delaying your application. Most schools require that all of your letters be submitted before they will consider your application complete.

Do I Need to Finish My Personal Statement First?

Don’t delay asking for letters of recommendation because you assume that letter writers will want to see a draft or completed version of your personal statement. Many won’t. Even if you know they will want to see a draft of your personal statement during the process, you should still ask them early to get the process started.

Submitting Letters of Recommendation

When should you submit letters of recommendation.

You can submit your application without LORs, so you may need them slightly later than the rest of your materials. However, as stated before, most schools will not consider your application complete until the expected letters are received, so you don’t want to overly delay submitting your letters of recommendation. Many students begin submitting their secondary applications in mid-June, so it can be useful to have that time in mind as a firm deadline for submitting letters of recommendation. You still want to give your letter writers an earlier deadline than this like mid-May just in case something goes wrong.

How Do You Submit Letters of Recommendation?

For you and the letter writer, the stress doesn’t begin and end at requesting and writing the letter. You need to send a more formal request either through the application service or through a third-party letter service. Your writer needs to ensure their letter is signed, dated, and on official letterhead. You need to make sure that your letter writer is aware of these requirements before they have finished and submitted their letter.

Even though not every school requires these extra details, enough of them do that you should ensure all of your letters have them. The actual process of submitting your letters of recommendation will depend on where you submit your letters of recommendation. You can either submit them directly to the application service(s), or you can use a third-party letter service.

Our favorite third-party letter service called myLORs is available in Mappd Pro . myLORs allows you to easily request, store, and transmit your letters of recommendation. Mappd also checks your letters for the necessary details like letterhead, dating, and a signature to make sure medical schools don’t reject your letters for improper formatting. Your letter writers will also be able to easily send you messages within Mappd if they have questions for you throughout the process. You can also easily share documents with letter writers like a draft of your personal statement or your resume.

More Links and Resources

How to Get Letters as a Nontrad

The Premed Playbook Guide to the Medical School Application Process for even more information on letters of recommendation

More information on myLORs!

SEARCH SITE

RECENT POSTS

This EDM Loving, Rave Going Med Student Carved Her Own Path

The Importance of Authenticity in Medical School Applications

Pioneering Medicine as a First-Generation Latina Student

Finding Balance and Peace on the Medical Journey with Dr. Wendy Lau

© Medical School Headquarters - All Rights Reserved. | Affiliate Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Website by MAP

How to Ask For Medical School Letters of Recommendation

• By Kevin Jubbal, M.D.
• May 13, 2021
• Accompanying Video , Medical Student , Pre-med
• AMCAS , Letters of Recommendation , Medical School Application

Letters of recommendation are an often under-appreciated aspect of the application process—by both pre-meds and medical students alike. Strong letters have the potential to significantly strengthen an application and account for weaknesses. On the other hand, weak letters can ruin an applicant’s chances who is otherwise stellar on paper. This post will cover how to ask for medical school letters of recommendation, including when to ask, requesting strategies, and what important instructions and materials you should provide.

When you’re done here, read our detailed Medical School Letters of Recommendation Guide .

In deciding who to ask, there is a balance of name recognition versus how well they know you. Some letters you may want cosigned. If you worked closely with a TA or PhD student, you can have them write a more intimate letter and have the PI/faculty edit, add touches, and cosign the letter.

Generally, 4-5 letters total is what you need; 2 letters from science professors, and 1 from a non-science professor.

• 2 science professors
• 1 non-science professor
• 1 Research PI or mentor
• 1 Physician you shadowed or worked with
• 1 Community activity or volunteer activity

When to Ask Letter Writers

Your letter writers are likely extremely busy and may have multiple students requesting LORs. You should give them plenty of time to write and submit their letter. We recommend about 2-3 months. If you are taking a course long before you apply, ask soon after the course is complete. If you wait several months or a couple of years, they will forget you.

Be sure to include a due date when you send them more details, and send out an additional reminder 2 weeks before the due date.

How to Ask For Letters of Recommendation

You can ask either in person (if you see them regularly) or send them a clear email that includes what you are asking them to do. If you approach your ask via email, use our downloadable email template to get started.

Get Our Free Letter of Recommendation Template!

Tell us where to send your free copy of our Letter of Recommendation Request Template!  By signing up, you agree to receive occasional Med School Insiders newsletter emails. You can one-click unsubscribe at any time.

Parent Student

You have Successfully Subscribed!

1 | only ask people you have a strong relationship with.

Your letter writer should know you well enough to not write a generic letter about you. It should be personal and specifically highlight your strengths. This isn’t a problem for research mentors or physicians you shadow, but it can be more difficult to build a relationship with professors.

We highly recommend going to office hours. You ideally want to have one-on-one face time with the professor, but this rarely happens naturally. Some suggest going to smaller upper level courses, but this does not always hold true.

From my experience, it seems to depend more on whether the professor is likeable or not. Don’t judge a book by its cover though; one of my best letters came from a professor who had a nasty reputation. However, she was very pleasant during office hours.

Do not suck up and do not ask questions that you already know the answer to. People who do this crash and burn since it comes off as insincere. If you know the material, you should be able to have intelligent discussions about the subject beyond the scope of the course; otherwise, you can tie it in with what you learned in other courses.

It should go without saying that if you are aiming for a letter of recommendation, try extra hard in that class. Even if you normally get A’s, strive to set the curve if you can.

2 | Ask For a Strong Letter

Ask letter writers if they are willing to write a strong letter of recommendation. Starting out asking for a strong letter will weed out any bland recommendations. You do not want a generic letter.

If a potential letter writer says no, move on right away. If you have to do a lot of convincing to get a writer to agree, they may have a good reason not to write the letter. They might not have the time or they may not have good things to say about you.

Look elsewhere if there’s any hesitation or they say, “I don’t know you well enough to write you a strong letter.” You should specify right off the bat that you are looking for a strong letter to ensure you don’t end up with a generic or mediocre recommendation.

Read our full guide on How to Get Strong Medical School Letters of Recommendation .

3 | Be Transparent With Mentors You Are Close With

If you are concerned about weak areas on your application, you can discuss this with your letter writer. However, reserve this for mentors you are close with. Mentors that know you very well and who want to help you may be able to spin your concerns in a positive light.

4 | Include All Important Instructions and Materials

It’s important that you make this as smooth of a process as possible for your letter writers. Provide them with everything they need to effectively write and submit your letter.

Letter writers need to submit through the AMCAS Letter Service for allopathic medical schools or through a submission service such as Interfolio if you are applying through multiple services like AACOMAS or TMDSAS .

1 | Submission instructions — Include instructions on how the writer will need to submit as well as your AAMC ID and their own personal Letter ID. Your letter writer will need to submit directly to the service (and not back to you), and the clearer you bake the process, the simpler it will be for them.

2  | A printed physical copy — Even though the process takes place online, your letter writer may prefer to review your materials in a physical form. Ask if they would like you to send a physical copy of all of your materials for them to review.

3 | CV — This should be a comprehensive, professional, and organized summary of your academic, work, and extracurricular achievements to date. Our advising services can help you craft a standout CV.

4 | Academic transcript

5 | Personal statement — (if available) Ideally, you will have at least a draft completed at the time of letter request, but this is not always true if you ask for academic letters earlier in your undergrad career. If a personal statement isn’t available, write a brief summary of the reasons you are pursuing medicine and what makes you a unique and qualified candidate.

6 | Submission deadline — Provide an ideal deadline in writing, either with your email correspondence or printed with the materials you provide to your letter writer. Make sure this deadline is at least a week in advance of when you need to actually submit. You should give letter writers 6-8 weeks to complete your letter after being provided the necessary materials. This means you need to start the process at least 2-3 months before you require your letters.

Med School Insiders will help you obtain strong letters of recommendation to maximize your chance of acceptance to your dream school. Talk to our dedicated team of doctors through one-on-one advising . Our team has years of experience serving on admissions committees, so you’ll receive key insights from people who have been intimately involved in the selection process.

Kevin Jubbal, M.D.

2024 AACOMAS Application Guide for DO Schools

Use our AACOMAS application guide for an ideal DO school application timeline, what you need to include, mistakes to avoid, and frequently asked questions.

2024 TMDSAS Application Guide for Texas Medical Schools

Use our TMDSAS medical school application guide for key insight into the primary application process. We’ll outline an ideal application timeline, what you need to include, mistakes to avoid, and FAQs.

2024 AAMC PREview Prep Guide—Everything You Need to Know

Here’s everything you need to know about the new AAMC PREview Exam, including test logistics, who needs to take it, how it’s scored, and how to prepare.

This Post Has 3 Comments

typo in the first section “non-sience majors”

Thank you, fixed!

What is meant by cosign a letter? Does this mean both TA and Professor sign their names on it, or the TA writes it but it goes out under the professors name?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Join the Insider Newsletter

Receive regular exclusive MSI content, news, and updates! No spam. One-click unsubscribe.

Customer Note Premed Preclinical Med Student Clinical Med Student

Medical School Letters of Recommendation: How to Get the Best References

Here are some tips on how to choose letter-writers and get glowing references.

Medical School Recommendation Letters

Getty Images

There are four major categories of letter-writers that you should consider, but these days, many medical schools specify the exact type of letters they want.

As the pool of medical school applicants and competitiveness for limited seats in M.D. and D.O. programs continue to grow, admissions committees rely heavily on letters of recommendation to assess applicants’ potential as medical students.

The objective opinion of a doctor, researcher, educator or supervisor on a student’s abilities and aptitude for a career in medicine holds great importance to committee members’ evaluation of candidates. Therefore, the art of selecting appropriate letter-writers – and in preparing your writers to provide strong, supportive letters – is of paramount importance to the success of your medical school application. 

Recommendation letters should highlight your unique characteristics and identify traits that make you suitable for the medical profession. Ideally, you will be able to select multiple recommenders who are able to speak to various personal attributes. However, if a recommender needs more background on you, which is likely, it's your responsibility to provide them with reference materials. 

What Should I Provide My Recommenders?

At a minimum, include an up-to-date resume and the personal statement that you expect to use for your application. It can also be helpful to include a list of strengths and any additional background information, such as your motivation for joining the medical field, your aspirations or career goals and any particular information you would like them to highlight in the letter.

Don’t feel awkward about sharing information this way. The writers will still be responsible for the content of the letters, but it will help them create specific and relevant letters and make their job easier. 

Who Should I Ask for a Strong Recommendation Letter?

There are four major categories of letter-writers that you should consider: a science or non-science professor, physician, research mentor or supervisor who can comment on your leadership, such as a long-term employer. Except in rare circumstances, it is best to stick to these types of recommenders, as they are most appreciated by admissions committees and will generally hold the most sway.

These days, many medical schools specify the exact type of letters they want, such as a letter each from a science professor, non-science professor, doctor and/or research mentor. 

Get letters from professors who awarded you an A. In general, science professors are typically preferred, given the extensive scientific rigor of medical school coursework.

Seek letters from doctors who know you well. If possible, avoid physicians you’ve only shadowed for a short amount of time. They will not be able to speak in depth about you, and you’d be far better off investing time in getting to know a physician through a longitudinal clinical experience before asking for a recommendation letter.

Choose research mentors with whom you have had significant experience. If your principal investigator is not in the lab often, but a graduate student or postdoc fellow works with you frequently, you should still ask the PI for the letter with the understanding that the graduate student or post-doc is likely to write the first draft. This is common and not something to worry about – just make sure that the final letter is signed or co-signed by the PI.

Make Sure Writers Can Comment on Important Qualities

When selecting your recommenders, be sure that they will be prepared and able to emphasize the appropriate qualities in their letter. Committees will expect professors to emphasize your intellect and academic ability, physicians to discuss your passion and motivation for a medical career, research mentors to compliment your critical thinking and problem-solving skills , and employers to emphasize your leadership potential and ability to work well within a team. 

Select recommenders who can objectively assess your potential as a medical student. Ensure that your recommenders know you well academically and, if possible, personally.

Follow This Additional Advice

Create relationships.

Spend time with professors you wish to ask for a letter. Go to office hours, ask additional questions and demonstrate genuine interest in their subject. If possible, give them the opportunity to ask questions and discuss your goals. Professors were once students, and discussing their career motivations and goals can help to unlock your own career aspirations or expose you to ideas and opportunities you might not otherwise learn about.

Request Letters Early

Your letter-writers lead exceptionally busy lives, and to respect their time, ask as early as possible to give them the time they need to write a thoughtful letter. When you ask, be sure to furnish your resume and personal statement.

Remind Recommenders

It is your responsibility to remind your letter-writers of the due date. Communicate a date by which you need to have the letter back, and don’t be shy about reminding them a few times by email before the due date.

Follow Each School’s Instructions

Visit each school website and carefully follow all instructions. Submit the number of letters they ask for, from the recommenders they require, in the format that they request. Know this information before you ask your writers, so that you can give them all of the information they will need to write your letter. Do not submit more letters than requested, as many schools have a hard cap.

Nurture Relationships

Remember that these recommenders are doing you a significant favor by volunteering their time to write you a letter. Great letters can take a substantial amount of time to write, so make sure to thank them and pay the favor forward in the future.

Maintain some contact with your recommenders after moving on, if possible, especially if you feel you have a genuine connection. Recognize that you may need letters from them again in the future. Even more importantly, these individuals may be valuable sources of advice for years to come during your career in medicine. 

10 Medical School Applications Costs

Tags: medical school , graduate schools , education , students

About Medical School Admissions Doctor

Need a guide through the murky medical school admissions process? Medical School Admissions Doctor offers a roundup of expert and student voices in the field to guide prospective students in their pursuit of a medical education. The blog is currently authored by Dr. Ali Loftizadeh, Dr. Azadeh Salek and Zach Grimmett at Admissions Helpers , a provider of medical school application services; Dr. Renee Marinelli at MedSchoolCoach , a premed and med school admissions consultancy; Dr. Rachel Rizal, co-founder and CEO of the Cracking Med School Admissions consultancy; Dr. Cassie Kosarec at Varsity Tutors , an advertiser with U.S. News & World Report; Dr. Kathleen Franco, a med school emeritus professor and psychiatrist; and Liana Meffert, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine and a writer for Admissions Helpers. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

Popular Stories

Medical School Admissions Doctor

Best Graduate Schools

Top Medical Schools

Law Admissions Lowdown

You May Also Like

Premeds take 5 public health courses.

Rachel Rizal May 7, 2024

Fortune 500 CEOs With a Law Degree

Cole Claybourn May 7, 2024

Why It's Hard to Get Into Med School

A.R. Cabral May 6, 2024

Pros, Cons of Unaccredited Law Schools

Gabriel Kuris May 6, 2024

An MBA and Management Consulting

Sammy Allen May 2, 2024

Med School Access for Minority Students

Cole Claybourn May 2, 2024

Different jobs with med degree

Jarek Rutz April 30, 2024

Completing Medical School in Five Years

Kate Rix April 30, 2024

Dealing With Medical School Rejection

Kathleen Franco, M.D., M.S. April 30, 2024

Should I Get a Master's Before a Ph.D?

Andrew Warner April 29, 2024

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

March 6, 2024

The Best Medical School Letter of Recommendation Advice for 2024

Based on the hundreds of letters of recommendation we’ve read , we’ve identified five key elements that make a recommendation stand out from the rest and help the applicant shine. If you’re writing a recommendation for someone, or you’re drafting your own recommendation for your recommender to edit, these elements will help you structure your letter effectively and highlight the information the admissions committees want to see. 

How to write a letter of recommendation for medical school

The best med school letters of recommendation fulfill the following five criteria:

1. They explain how well the letter writer knows the applicant.

The first section of the recommendation letter should explain the context of the relationship between the recommender and the applicant. For example, is the recommender a professor, mentor, or supervisor? How long has the recommender known the applicant? By clarifying the foundation of the relationship, the writer establishes themselves as a credible person to describe the applicant to the selection committee.

If the recommender is positioned to compare the applicant to others (favorably, of course!), this is valuable information that the admissions committee needs. For example, has the recommender taught or supervised other people in similar roles? Can they say that the applicant is among the top percentage of these students/employees, or place their performance on par with that of people who have more experience or education? An instructor’s letter that describes the content and difficulty of a course and then rates the applicant’s performance as much stronger than that of many other students tells an admissions committee something significant about that applicant.

2. They go into depth about the applicant’s accomplishments.

The best letters of recommendation highlight unique characteristics that the school has already learned about the applicant and explain why the individual will succeed in medical school. Therefore, the majority of the letter should focus on what the writer has observed about the quality of the applicant’s work and the characteristics and skills they have demonstrated. It is here that the recommender can help the applicant shine. 

Convincing selection committees that the applicant is well prepared and will excel in the next phase of their education adds compelling support for the candidate’s application. Avoid hyperbole and exaggeration, however. Admissions committees love facts, numbers, and data, and providing details about the outcomes of an applicant’s work and the impact it’s had on others will make a letter stand out. This evidence can take many forms, from information on the number of patients assisted, to positive quotes from people the applicant has worked with, to achievements such as publications, poster presentations, and other awards. 

3. They provide context for the applicant’s accomplishments.

If the applicant is the first person in their family to earn a college degree, this information makes their success even more remarkable. Fluency in other languages and knowledge of, or exposure to, other cultures can also support an applicant’s candidacy for medical school. A paragraph or two that describes the applicant’s background or the obstacles they have overcome can really elevate a letter of recommendation! << LISTEN: Different Dimensions of Diversity >>

4. They use positive language when discussing the applicant’s weaknesses.

Every individual has weaknesses, but if they are to be discussed in a recommendation letter, try to soften the blow by focusing on the applicant’s improvement. For instance, emphasizing the steep learning curve the applicant faced in a lab could highlight their resilience, while improvements in their organization and time-management skills over time could reflect the applicant’s personal growth and dedication. Qualities such as self-awareness and the capacity for improvement are important to admissions committees, so aim to present any weaknesses through these lenses.

5. They are an appropriate length.

Recommendation letters tend to be approximately three double-spaced pages long. Any more than that is simply too much, considering that each applicant submits at least three letters of recommendation and that medical schools receive on average 5,000 applications each year. That’s a lot of letters to read! A letter is more likely to be read all the way through and in detail if it’s to the point. That being said, a letter that is too brief – only one page or shorter – will not be helpful to the applicant’s candidacy because it will lack specifics that speak to the candidate’s abilities and character. 

If you’re an applicant, how can you go about soliciting amazing recommendation letters?

1. be strategic in varying the perspectives you want in your recommendations..

Your goal should be to have a mix of letters from a variety of experiences and perspectives. Each letter should highlight a different facet of you and your accomplishments, ideally presenting you from a different vantage point. If you have a job where you report to more than one person, don’t ask each of your supervisors for a letter. Similarly, if you’re a biology major, don’t ask three biology professors for letters. Granted, each might be able to speak highly of you, but they will all make similar observations from the same frame of reference. “Only one recommendation per source” is a good rule of thumb. 

2. Choose your recommenders wisely.

Request letters only from people who have seen you perform at your best – in classes in which you received an A grade, on research that resulted in a poster presentation or publication, or in employment for which you earned an award or received a promotion. And don’t be afraid to ask whether your potential recommender is willing to write a strong letter for you. If they aren’t sure, ask someone else.

The best letters of recommendation are written by people who have seen you perform in some capacity – as a student, student leader, employee, researcher, or volunteer. People who have known you for a year or longer and who have worked closely with you on successful projects are ideal. The weakest letters are of the “character reference” variety or are from influential individuals who barely know you.

3. Make sure that you have alternates for each letter category.

Plan for at least one letter writer not to deliver. Other obligations or an unexpected illness or obstacle will keep some recommenders from following through. Choose backup letter writers for the most important categories: science professor, leadership, community service, and clinical.

4. Prepare a letter packet for each potential recommender.

To make writing your recommendation letter as easy as possible for your recommenders, create a packet for them that includes the following: an updated copy of your CV or resume , a final (or near-final) draft of your personal statement, and a copy of your transcripts. Also, be sure to include a list of bullet points about your background or important facts they should know about you (e.g., a reminder about a class project on which you earned an A+). This is a good place to share the angle or perspective you hope they will be able to present. 

Be sure to include instructions for submitting the recommendation to the letter service (e.g., the AMCAS Letter Request Form ). If they prefer to mail the letter, you should supply a stamped and addressed envelope along with the instructions.

5. Give your recommenders deadlines – and follow up when necessary!

Recommenders are busy people, so it’s a good idea to assign them a deadline that is notably earlier than the actual date by which you will need their letters. If you request the letters by the date you plan to submit your primary application, you should safely have them all by the time you submit your secondaries, weeks later.

And don’t be shy if you haven’t heard from a letter writer for a while and the deadline is only a week away. People get busy. They might have forgotten about it. Send a gentle and friendly reminder, and don’t take any delays personally.

6. Thank your recommenders!

After you have received a letter from a professor, employer, or mentor, write them a gracious thank-you note, and send it as soon as you can. Once you get busy with secondaries, the urgency will fade, but it is so important to acknowledge their kindness in supporting your application. Update your letter writers on your progress – especially if you receive an acceptance! They would love to know that their support was important to your success.

Contact Accepted for personalized guidance through the medical school letter of recommendation process. Schedule a free consultation today!

Since 2001, Cydney Foote has advised hundreds of successful applicants for medical and dental education, residency and fellowship training, and other health-related degrees. Admissions consulting combines her many years of creating marketing content with five years on fellowship and research selection committees at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She’s also shared her strategy for impressing interviewers in a popular webinar and written three books and numerous articles on the admissions process. Want Cydney to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• The Resilience Factor: How Flaws and Failures Can Strengthen Your Application
• The Casper Exam: A Situational Judgement Test
• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast for Med School Applicants

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553 © 2022 Accepted

• Medical School Application

2 Real Medical School Recommendation Letters

And common questions about lors.

Featured Expert: Dr. Neel Mistry, MD, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine

We have 2 medical school recommendation letters that got accepted in this article! Plus, we answer some of the most common questions about this medical school requirement . Let’s dive in!

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 8 min read

Who can write your medical school recommendation letters.

• Former science (biology, chemistry, and physics) and non-science professors
• Physician you’ve shadowed /worked with
• Research supervisors
• Volunteer or extracurricular supervisors

Key takeaway : your writers should know you very well . You should not ask someone with whom you spent a few hours sporadically. The letter must outline in detail why you are a good applicant, your professional strengths, your passion for medicine, and any other memorable skills and characteristics. 

Here's an overview of the different types of medical school referees.

How Many Medical School Recommendation Letters Do You Need?

Most  medical schools in the US  and  medical schools in Canada  ask for at least 3 letters of recommendation. Some schools may ask for 4 or 5. The number will depend on your choice of schools, whether you are a non-traditional applicant ,  and other factors. Be sure to check this information with each school.

Important note: Keep in mind that medical schools are quite strict with their recommendation requirements, so make sure to send the exact number of recommendations they require.

We strongly recommend setting up an appointment with your potential writer via email. Not only will this demonstrate your dedication to this process, but it will also make the request more personal. An in-person meeting may also jog the writer’s memory (after all, they are busy people who work with thousands of students or patients!) so they will remember more details about working with you. Here’s a sample email to your potential referee asking for an in-person meeting:

Click here to download the email template.

However, if there is no possibility for you to meet your potential writer in person, it is totally normal to ask for a recommendation via email. Here’s a quick email template:

Click to download the email template.

When to ask for a medical school recommendation letter.

You should aim to ask at least two months before the application deadline. But do not be afraid to ask for a letter much earlier! For example, if you participate in a research project earlier in your undergrad, you should approach your research supervisor about a recommendation letter as soon as the project is over. This will ensure that your accomplishments and strengths are fresh in your supervisor’s mind. The same for letters from your professors. If you do particularly well in a second- or third-year class during your undergrad and get to know the instructor, don’t hesitate to ask for a letter when the class ends.

Can You Store Your Medical School Recommendation Letters?

To store your early letters, you can ask your writer to send the letters to your school's career center, or any similar office. Once the application process begins, simply remind your writer about the letter, where it is stored, and the submission deadline. Most universities will be happy to store your recommendation letters for you.

How to Make Sure You Get the Perfect Medical School Recommendation Letters

Firstly, make sure to ask your potential recommendation writers for a strong recommendation. Be very clear with this request. If you see that your potential writer is hesitant, consider asking someone else because this person will not provide you the strongest recommendation possible.

Once your writer agrees to provide you a strong letter of recommendation, provide them with your medical school application timeline and important deadlines, information on how to submit their recommendation, your transcripts, medical school resume , a list of awards or scholarships you’ve won, a draft of your personal statement , and so on. Important tip : wait for them to respond with a yes before sending all your supporting documents and submission details.   

There may be an opportunity to write your own recommendation letter. Some referees will ask you to provide them with a draft of the recommendation letter. Take a quick look at our thorough guide that will help you writer your own recommendation letter . 

Have you been asked to write your own recommendation letter? Here's how to get started:

Can You Reuse Your Medical School Recommendation Letters?

Yes, you can reuse them, as long as you ask your referees to change the date on the letterhead before you resubmit. However, keep in mind the reason why you are re-applying. It may be possible that your original references were not very strong or not relevant, so think twice before you resubmit. Our admissions expert Dr. Neel Mistry shares his advice regarding this:

“If you do decide to reapply to medical school, consider updating your letters of recommendation and submitting new ones, since you may have stronger referees now or some letters of recommendation might be outdated.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine

2 medical school recommendation letter samples that got accepted, medical school recommendation letter from a science professor.

Name of writer and contact information if not included in letterhead

Dear Admission Committee Members,

It is a pleasure for me to write this recommendation letter for Scott Johnson, who was my student in the fourth-year seminar "Advanced Embryology and Developmental Biology" in the fall of 2018. Scott is an exceptional person. He is one of the best students I have ever had the chance to teach in my 10 years at X University.

Scott has impressive critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which served him well during my class. I have spoken with his other instructors, and they have also noted his extraordinary analytical abilities. His capacity to observe and develop insightful and reflective conclusions has been noted by me on many occasions, especially during his laboratory work. I noticed that Scott spent a lot of his time diligently working on his laboratory experiments, even outside of the scheduled lab time.

Scott demonstrated outstanding levels of understanding techniques and developments of embryological systems. His insightful questions demonstrated his curiosity into unknowns and his motivation to increase his knowledge base. He is an excellent collaborator who is always ready to help his peers. I have witnessed Scott help his classmates with complex lab experiments inside the classroom, as well as outside of classroom hours as a tutor. He is joyful and kind during his interactions with students, professors, and other faculty. Aside from submitting his assignments on time to the highest quality, completing all lab and tutorial work, he volunteered to organize a student study group before the final lab and exam in my course. He was very generous with his time and energy to make sure that he and his classmates were well prepared. I remember Scott taking extra time to explain material to an international student who was struggling to understand a difficult concept. He listened to the student’s concerns, broke down the concept one step at a time until he was sure the student understood the material. His empathy truly touched me.

Scott also impressed me with his maturity and professionalism. During his time in my class, he formed courteous relationships with everyone: assistants, peers, and myself. He is great in conflict resolution scenarios, as I have had the chance to see that he solves problems quickly and efficiently. During a confrontation with a peer who was experiencing anxiety about his grades, Scott was able to diffuse the tension and offered his help. His peer ended up excelling in the next assignment due to Scott's mentoring.

I wholeheartedly recommend Scott Johnson as a perfect candidate for your medical school program. Over the years of my teaching career, I can think of few students who deserve such high praise and recommendation. Scott is a skilled scientist, a highly intellectual and compassionate individual, who would make a great doctor in the future. His dedication to excellence is inspiring. Please contact me if there is anything else I can add to impress upon the high caliber of character that is Scott Johnson.

Dr. Name of Writer

Medical School Recommendation Letter from a Research Supervisor

It is a pleasure for me to write this recommendation letter for Cecelia Guantes, who was my research assistant in the Minority Health Disparities Undergraduate Summer Research Program in the summer of 2018. In my 5 years of leading the summer research program, Cecelia has proven to be one of the best research assistants I have had the pleasure of working with.

Cecelia excelled throughout the summer research program, demonstrating impressive problem-solving and analytical skills. She has gone above and beyond in her duties as a research assistant, volunteering to cover additional hours or help with laboratory work. I have noticed her attention to detail, as she frequently asks questions to clarify, double check her facts and figures and asks for feedback on her work. Her work ethic has not gone unnoticed by other supervisors in the program, either, as I have verified with my colleagues.

Throughout her time with the summer research program, Cecilia demonstrated not only a high quality and standard of work, but a high level of compassion and understanding. When a fellow research assistant made a mistake, she took it upon herself to help the other student to correct the mistake, apologize to the affected colleague and reassure the other student. Afterwards, Cecilia worked with the other student to ensure the mistake did not happen again and rebuild her confidence. There was a noticeable difference in the other student after Cecilia’s assistance and coaching, in both her confidence and quality of work. Cecilia handled the situation with compassion and skilled interpersonal abilities, assisting another student without taking over or being overbearing. Her careful and kind treatment of her fellow research assistant made an impression on me.

Cecilia was a pleasure to have in the program and particularly during field work. She acted with the utmost professionalism and courteousness both with her fellows, her superiors and outside consultants when conducting field work. She treated everyone involved in the study with great respect and even formed friendly relationships with some of our colleagues, who mentioned to me their great impressions of Cecilia’s passion and enthusiasm. No matter the situation, she demonstrated excitement and passion for the project.

I wholeheartedly recommend Cecilia Guantes as the best candidate for your medical school program. I can think of no other research assistant who has made such a fantastic impression on me and my colleagues. Cecilia will surely make a superior physician thanks to her strong work ethic, compassionate nature and sharp mind. Please contact me if there is anything else I can add to Cecilia’s candidacy.

Would you rather watch a video?

You will still need to submit letters from science and non-science instructors. If it’s been a long time since you’ve been in school (more than 3 years), consider enrolling in some science and non-science courses.

DO school applicants should have at least 1 medical school recommendation letter from a DO physician.

Make sure to waive your right to see the recommendations.

No, do not address any medical schools in your letters. Keep them general.

You can send different letters to different schools in AMCAS, but not in AACOMAS or TMDSAS. 

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

Apple Podcasts

Like our blog? Write for us ! >>

Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Hi! I’m requesting a letter of recommendation from the principal of the school that I work at! He has never written a letter of recommendation for medical school before. What should I tell him about what to put in the letter to make it easier for him?

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hi Naoma. Thanks for your question. You can provide him with a few samples from our blog. Additionally, provide him with the mission statement and values of the schools you are applying to, so he will know what kind of qualities and experiences he should highlight in his praise of you. Then, provide him with your CV, draft of your personal letter, your transcripts, etc., so he can refer back to your achievements when he writes. 

Get Started Now

Talk to one of our admissions experts

Our site uses cookies. By using our website, you agree with our cookie policy .

FREE Training Webinar: How To Make Your Med School Application Stand Out

(and avoid the top 5 reasons that get 90% of applicants rejected).

Time Sensitive. Limited Spots Available:

We guarantee your acceptance to med school or you don't pay.

Swipe up to see a great offer!

• Utility Menu

c4459eb33aea6237e015ff3d1eced73d

72cd7925dc2edbcd3f41327961f666c0.

• Student Handbook
• Harvard Medical School
• Harvard University
• News & Events

MedEd's Custom Google Search

• Letters of Evaluation

All letters of evaluation must be submitted to AMCAS. Applicants are allowed up to six (6) letters of recommendation in support of their application. When considering the total number of letters to submit, please note the following:

• At least two (2) letters should be from professors in the sciences with whom they have taken classes.
• At least one (1) letter should be written by a professor who is not in the sciences.
• We should receive letters from all research supervisors for applicants to the MD-PhD program as well as applicants to the MD program. Applicants may exceed the six (6)-letter maximum if the additional letters are from research supervisors.
• If applicants wish to supplement a premedical advisory committee evaluation packet with additional letters of recommendation, they should count the packet as one (1) letter toward the six (6)-letter maximum.
• We do not require letters of recommendation from employers, but if applicants have been out of school and working they should have a letter sent from their place of employment.

While we strongly recommend meeting the criteria listed above, these are not strict requirements. Ultimately, the letters applicants choose to include are up to their own discretion. Applicants should choose the letters of evaluation they believe will best support their application.

What happens if my letters of recommendation are received by AMCAS after the deadline?

Your materials will still be processed, but you will not receive any confirmation when your file becomes complete. We cannot guarantee that late letters will be included when your file is reviewed by the Committee. We begin reviewing incomplete files shortly after our final deadline, and files are reviewed on the basis of the materials on hand at the time they are presented to the Committee.

• When to Apply
• Selection Factors
• Prerequisite Courses
• Recommendations
• Eligibility Restrictions
• How to Apply

Letters of Recommendation for MD Schools

Find out what lor requirements each medical school has to get accepted..

The AMCAS application for medical school typically includes one or more letters of recommendation (LOR). Each MD letter of recommendation, also known as a letter of evaluation, should highlight a student’s academic or professional achievements.

Since AMCAS does not need a student’s letters of evaluation to verify their application, students may submit their application even if their letters have not yet arrived at AMCAS. Application and letters will be made available to medical schools after the application is verified.

Each medical school for students seeking a MD degree has different letter of recommendation requirements that are summarized below. Sort the schools in ascending or descending order, or narrow the listing by searching for your school of interest.

View:  DO Schools

Related posts:

• USMLE Score Estimator for Step 2
• Med School Admissions Quiz
• AAMC Sample Test Score Conversion Calculator
• AI-Powered Personal Statement Analyzer for Medical School Applicants

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Med School Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are an important factor in the medical school admissions process. This is typically the only area of your application where a medical school will learn about your personal qualities.

AMCAS has also developed Letters of Evaluation Guidelines to help you and your letter writer strategize the organization of the letter and the key competencies to convey in the letter.

To ensure that all of your letters of recommendation have arrived, make sure you open an account with Interfolio , for your letter writers to upload their letters to.

In general, the majority medical schools require at least 2 letters of recommendation. You should have more than 2 letters available, as some medical schools are open to receiving more than three letters. I t is not the quantity of letters that is important but rather, the quality of these letters.

Note: Note: AMCAS has a Letters of Evaluation/Recommendation Service for participating medical schools. Your letters are included as part of your primary application to medical schools. Once your letters are submitted to AMCAS, you can select which letters to distribute to each medical school. Please check individual schools, for more information.

How Many of What Types Letters: It is recommended students have 2 science and 1 non science letter . Typically, science letters are those from biology, chemistry, math or physics faculty. Non science letters would represent letter writers whose discipline is in the social sciences or humanities, such as English, Economics, Women’s Studies, etc. Each medical school ultimately decides whether or not a letter of recommendation from a Nutritional Science or Astronomy faculty, as an example, will be categorized as a science or non-science letter.

Note: Letters going to AMCAS must include your AMCAS Letter ID found on your Letter Request Form. ACCOMAS accepts evaluations electronically by evaluators using the AACOMAS recommended portal Letters by Liaison . Be sure to provide your letter writer your ACOMAS ID# to include in your letter.

Requesting Letters of Recommendation

Who To Ask: Always ask individuals who know you well. At Cal, the large class sizes create a challenging environment for you to get to know a professor and vice versa. It is common practice for Cal students to request a GSI (Graduate Student Instructor) to write a letter and to have the GSI ask the professor to either cosign or co-write the letter of recommendation. Another option is to request letters from professors in an upper division course. 

When To Ask: Letters of recommendation should be requested several months prior to submitting your application.

Note: If you plan to delay your application to medical school for several years, a letter between 3-5yrs. old may not be accepted at a medical school. If you still want the letter that you obtained to be a part of your application, you should maintain contact with your letter writer(s) so that they can submit a more recent letter.

When should I request my letters? When are letters due?

Ideally, after you are finished with their class. Ask a professor what they need and have Interfolio hold the letter/s, until you are ready to apply.

Letters for medical school are due with secondary applications.

Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant

New section.

The guidelines are intended to enhance the letter-writing process by providing a general framework of best practices and relevant content for letter writers to follow. They are optional and can be applied to both individual and committee letters.

• Advisor Information System
• AMCAS® Letter Writer Application
• Medical School Admission Requirements

Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation

1) Provide an accurate assessment of the applicant’s suitability for medical school rather than advocate for the applicant.

2) Briefly explain your relationship with the applicant:

• How long have you known the applicant?
• In what capacity have you interacted (e.g., faculty, premedical advisor, supervisor)?
• Are your observations of the applicant direct or indirect?

3) Quality of information is more important than letter length. Focus on the applicant rather than details of the lab, course, assignment, job, or institution.

4) Only include information on grades, GPA, or MCAT scores if you also provide context to help interpret them. Grades, GPA, and MCAT scores are available within the application.

5) Focus on behaviors you have observed directly when describing an applicant’s suitability for medical school. Consider describing:

• The situation or context of the behaviors.
• The actual behaviors you observed.
• Any consequences of the behaviors.

6) Ask the applicant for permission if you plan to include any information that could be considered potentially private or sensitive.

7) Consider including unique contributions that an applicant would bring to an incoming class, such as:

• Obstacles that the applicant had to overcome and how those obstacles have led to new learning and growth.
• Contributions that an applicant would bring to a medical school’s diversity, broadly defined (e.g., background, attributes, experiences).

8) Admissions committees find comparison information helpful. If you make comparisons, be sure to provide context. Include information about:

• The comparison group (e.g., students in a class you taught, students in your department, co-workers).
• Your rationale for the comparison.

The Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students

Describe how the applicant has, or has not, demonstrated any of the following competencies that are necessary for success in medical school.

Professional Competencies

 Commitment to Learning and Growth: Practices continuous personal and professional growth for improvement, including setting and communicating goals for learning and development; reflects on successes, challenges, and mistakes; pursues opportunities to improve knowledge and understanding; and asks for and incorporates feedback to learn and grow.

Cultural Awareness: Appreciates how historical, sociocultural, political, and economic factors affect others’ interactions, behaviors, and well-being; values diversity; and demonstrates a desire to learn about different cultures, beliefs, and values.

Cultural Humility: Seeks out and engages diverse and divergent perspectives with a desire to understand and willingness to adjust one’s mindset; understands a situation or idea from alternative viewpoints; reflects on one’s values, beliefs, and identities and how they may affect others; reflects on and addresses bias in oneself and others; and fosters a supportive environment that values inclusivity.

Empathy and Compassion: Recognizes, understands, and acknowledges others’ experiences, feelings, perspectives, and reactions to situations; is sensitive to others’ needs and feelings; and demonstrates a desire to help others and alleviate others’ distress.

Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others: Behaves with honesty and integrity; considers multiple and/or conflicting principles and values to inform decisions; adheres to ethical principles when carrying out professional obligations; resists pressure to engage in unethical behavior; and encourages others to behave honestly and ethically.

Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates an awareness of how social and behavioral cues affect people’s interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues; recognizes and manages one’s emotions and understands how emotions impact others or a situation; and treats others with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Oral Communication: Effectively conveys information to others using spoken words and sentences; actively listens to understand the meaning and intent behind what others say; and recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies information as needed.

Reliability and Dependability: Demonstrates accountability for performance and responsibilities to self and others; prioritizes and fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner; and understands consequences of not fulfilling one’s responsibilities to self and others.

Resilience and Adaptability: Perseveres in challenging, stressful, or ambiguous environments or situations by adjusting behavior or approach in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles, and recognizes and seeks help and support when needed; recovers from and reflects on setbacks; and balances personal well-being with responsibilities.

Service Orientation: Shows a commitment to something larger than oneself; demonstrates dedication to service and a commitment to making meaningful contributions that meet the needs of communities.

Teamwork and Collaboration: Collaborates with others to achieve shared goals and prioritizes shared goals; adjusts role between team member and leader based on one’s own and others’ expertise and experience; shares information with team members and encourages this behavior in others; and gives and accepts feedback to improve team performance.

Thinking and Reasoning Competencies

 Critical Thinking: Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Quantitative Reasoning: Applies quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world.

Scientific Inquiry: Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information, solve problems and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in the language of the sciences and uses it to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated.

Written Communication: Effectively conveys information to others using written words and sentences.

Science Competencies

Human Behavior: Applies knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related to the psychological, socio-cultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being.

Living Systems: Applies knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related to molecular and macro systems including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs.

The 17 Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students have been endorsed by the AAMC Group on Student Affairs (GSA) Committee on Admissions (COA) who represent the MD-granting medical schools in the United States. The competency list was developed after an extensive review of the medical education and employment literatures and with input from several blue-ribbon and advisory panels, including SFFP, Behavioral and Social Sciences Foundations for Future Physicians (BSSFFP), Institute of Medicine (IOM), 5th Comprehensive Review of the MCAT Review Committee (MR5), Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Outcome Project, the MR5 Innovation Lab, and others.

Special Note for Writers of Committee Letters

Medical schools value committee letters because they provide an integrated and institutional perspective on an applicant’s readiness for medical school. These letters provide a comprehensive evaluation of applicants based on direct observation and the synthesis of information provided by faculty and others at an institution. This integrated perspective provides unique and valuable information about applicants.

While many committee letters already incorporate the concepts included in these guidelines and key areas of interest, the material provided here can complement the current committee letter process by enhancing its effectiveness. Those who work with individual letter writers can use these guidelines as an educational tool to encourage greater focus in individual letters. Writers of committee letters may also wish to refashion the overarching committee letter produced by their school to more closely reflect the central points provided on this page.

If you would like to view a printable resource, then access the  Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant  PDF.

The AAMC’s prehealth advisor support team offers assistance for the Advisor Information System, AMCAS, MCAT, Medical School Admission Requirements, the Fee Assistance Program, Aspiring Docs, and FIRST.

Monday - Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET Closed Wednesday 3-5 p.m. ET

Need quick access to our most popular printed materials to help premed students?

Request a speaker or materials from the AAMC Premed team.

Get important information, resources, and tips to help guide students on their path to medical school—delivered right to your inbox each month.

Add your contact information to receive information, resources, and to stay up-to-date.

Every Question You Have About Letters of Recommendation for Medical School

By: Rob Humbracht

The topic on which I get the most questions every application cycle is letters of recommendation.  The following FAQ represents every question I've received over the past few years.

Have a question that we haven't answered here?  Please submit a comment, Facebook post , or Twitter message and we will:

• respond to you personally, and
• add the question to this article so that it becomes the most comprehensive FAQ it can be.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION FAQ

• Introduction
• How many letters are required by med schools?
• What's a committee letter?
• Should I get a committee letter?
• How many med schools require two letters? Three? Four? Five?
• Which two schools require five letters?
• What’s the maximum number of letters I can send?
• What's the ideal set of letters?
• Why professors who gave you a grade?
• What qualifies as a science professor?
• What qualifies as non-science?
• Other than professors, who else can write me a letter of rec?
• What letters are bad to get?
• Do I have to have a letter from my major?
• What makes one letter better than another?
• Do I get to see my letters of recommendation?
• When are letters of recommendation due?
• When should I ask for letters?
• Can I submit additional letters once I have applied?
• How do I overcome my anxiety about asking for a letter of rec?
• How should I ask for a letter?
• What are some tips for requesting letters of recommendation?
• What if my letter writer asks me advice for what to say and how to say it?
• Where do I find sample letters of recommendation?
• How should I get to know my professors?
• Do my letters have to be signed and put on official letterhead?
• What if one of my letter writers disappears?

INTRODUCTION

The rule of thumb for letters of recommendation: Get the Best Set of Letters You Can.  

It will be tempting to get lost in the nuances and details of how many letters to get, which people to choose, and what each med school’s requirements are.  When in doubt, refer back to our rule of thumb, and remember that your chances will be helped the most by getting letters from people who support you wholeheartedly, who know you personally, and who can write the best letters on your behalf.

HOW MANY LETTERS ARE REQUIRED BY MED SCHOOLS?

It depends on the school.  US medical schools typically require two or three letters of recommendation, but some require as many as five.

Typically, you'll need the following letters of recommendation:

• Option 1 - A committee letter, or
• Option 2 - Three individual letters, two letters from science faculty and one additional letter

WHAT'S A COMMITTEE LETTER?

A committee letter, or composite letter, is written by the pre-med advising office of your college or university.  Not every college offers such a letter, and a quick glance at your career services website should answer whether your school does.

SHOULD I GET A COMMITTEE LETTER?

If you have the option, then yes, you probably should.  Think of the committee letter as Yelp.  Sure, you might try a restaurant that has no reviews, but you'd probably be more interested in eating at a restaurant with 4.5 stars.

So that analogy isn't perfect, but I think you get the point: it’s better to get a committee letter if you can.  If you don’t, med schools might wonder whether there's something you're trying to hide or whether you were told by the committee that they didn't think you were a strong candidate.

There are dozens of exceptions to this rule:

• Some colleges don't offer committee letters to non-science majors
• Some colleges don't offer committee letters to alums
• Some colleges have several additional hoops you have to jump through that may make you ineligible to get a committee letter

The takeaway: Get a committee letter if you can, but it won't ruin your chances if you can't.

HOW MANY MED SCHOOLS REQUIRE TWO LETTERS?  THREE? FOUR?  FIVE?

We researched how many letters were required at each medical school and then put the results into a histogram.  The chart below shows how many schools require at least 0, 1, 2... letters of recommendation.

WHICH TWO SCHOOLS REQUIRE FIVE LETTERS?

University of Central Florida and University of South Florida.

Here's what those five look like for UCF:

https://med.ucf.edu/administrative-offices/student-affairs/admissions/admissions-process/letters-of-recommendation/

For traditional applicants (applicants who take no more than one year off before starting medical school), UCF requests:

• “three individual faculty letters - two letters from basic science faculty, and one from a non-science faculty member, or one Pre-Med/Pre-Professional Composite Committee Letter
• two character letters - these letters should be from those who can tell us about "who" you are. Authors may be those who have been your supervisor, friend, neighbor, someone you have volunteered with or shadowed, someone from an organization or club that you belong to, clergy, etc. One of these two letters may be from an academic peer.”

To cover your bases, plan to ask for at least three and probably at least four letters of recommendation.

WHAT’S THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF LETTERS I CAN SEND?

Generally, it’s not advisable to send more than five.  The goal is to have the overall quality of your letters be as high as possible.

Imagine that you were giving a letter grade for the quality of each letter of recommendation you are sending to medical schools.  The grade is based on how well the letter writer knows you, with an A being “close personal friend,” and F being “doesn’t know my name.”

You might have letter grades that look like the following:

Science Letter 1   A-

Science Letter 2   B+

Non-Science professor   A-

Other 1   A

Other 2   B

Other 3   B-

Other 4   C

You should pick the set of letters with the highest overall grade point average.  In this case, your best bet is to pick the first four letters of the set.  Those four letters give an average of an A-.  By including each additional letter, you bring down the average of the set and essentially waste the time of your application reader, who now has to wade through a much larger pile of crappy letters.

But of course, if you’re curious what’s the maximum that all medical schools will take, we researched that too and came up with the following histogram:

Even though some medical schools will take up to 13 letters, most cut you off after 6 or 7 letters, and some will take only 3!

WHAT'S THE IDEAL SET OF LETTERS?

Let's outline the "utopian" set of letters for medical school.  I call it utopian, because while it is ideal, most applicants don't actually achieve the following set of letters:

• Science Professor who gave you a grade
• Non-science Professor who gave you a grade

WHY PROFESSORS WHO GAVE YOU A GRADE?

Letters of recommendation should comment on your academic abilities, so professors who have given you a grade are better able to do that.

WHAT QUALIFIES AS A SCIENCE PROFESSOR?

Most med schools prefer biology, chemistry, or physics, but they probably won't disqualify you if you submit a letter from a discipline such as engineering, environmental science, or kinesiology.  While it is ideal to have letters from the basic sciences, see the Rule of Thumb above: get the best set of letters you can.

WHAT QUALIFIES AS NON-SCIENCE?

Any discipline outside of biology, chemistry, or physics.

OTHER THAN PROFESSORS, WHO ELSE CAN WRITE ME A LETTER OF REC?

The most common are:

• Doctors you shadowed
• Principal investigators (or whomever you did research with)
• Faculty advisors of clubs
• Another health care professional (a dentist, a nurse, etc.) who can comment on your abilities to work with patients

WHAT LETTERS ARE BAD TO GET?

Obviously, anyone who isn't positively glowing about your application will hurt you.  Ever hear the expression, "Damned by faint praise?"  That applies to letters of recommendation for med school.

Some letters won't be given a lot of weight:

• Letters from family members
• Letters from clergy
• Letters from "family friends" - if they don't know you specifically in a professional setting
• Letters from teaching assistants - it's not that they hurt your application, but they will not suffice for the science letters required by most medical schools.

DO I HAVE TO HAVE A LETTER FROM MY MAJOR?

No.  Some med schools (a minority of all schools) request one.  In other words, get one if you can, but don't sweat it if you don't.

WHAT MAKES ONE LETTER BETTER THAN ANOTHER?

Check out "How to Write Your Own Letter of Recommendation"

DO I GET TO SEE MY LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION?

No.  You should waive your right to read your letters.  If med schools see that you haven't waived your right, they won't believe a word written in the letter.

If your letter writer knows you’re going to read the letter, he or she simply will not put anything substantial in that letter.  It's like asking your boyfriend whether that dress makes you look fat; pretty much the only response you'll get will be "of course not." (whether or not that’s true, the risk of saying otherwise is worse than the reward of being truthful).

WHEN ARE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION DUE?

Letters of recommendation are typically not due until you submit your secondary application, which at the earliest would be July of the year you apply.

The vast majority of med schools do not read letters of recommendation until every other part of your application has been submitted.  That means they will not read your letters until they receive:

• Your primary application
• Your secondary application
• Your payment for both primary and secondary
• Any pending MCAT scores that you may have

Even for schools that screen before sending secondaries, they rarely read letters of rec to determine who gets a secondary.  Whether you get a secondary is typically based on your GPA and MCAT as well as a read of the primary application, excluding letters of recommendation.

WHEN SHOULD I ASK FOR LETTERS?

You want to give the letter writer at least two weeks and preferably more.  It's not uncommon for a letter writer to take two to three months to write your letter.  If you're applying in June, we recommend asking for letters no later than May 1.

If you have a pre-med committee, then you may need to request letters much sooner.

CAN I SUBMIT ADDITIONAL LETTERS ONCE I HAVE APPLIED?

Yes!  Letters of recommendation is one of three sections of the AMCAS that can be modified after you hit submit (the others: your school list and your contact information).  You just log back into your application and request additional letters.

HOW DO I OVERCOME MY ANXIETY ABOUT ASKING FOR A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION?

I’ve written an entire post on why it feels so awkward to ask for a letter of rec:

http://www.savvypremed.com/savvy-pre-med/2014/7/27/why-does-it-feel-so-awkward-to-ask-for-a-letter-of-recommendation

It doesn't seem like it should be so intimidating to ask a professor for a letter of recommendation, but it is.  Worries race through our minds:

"What if he doesn't remember me?"  

"She has more important things to do."

"What will I do if he says no?"

While it can feel uncomfortable to ask for a letter of rec, remember that you're not the first person to ask this professor.  Professors are used to this process, and they've seen all manner of requests - rude, annoying, meek, bashful - they're expecting you (and many of your classmates) to request a letter.

Second, you're not asking for much.  Most letters of recommendation - even the good ones - follow a template, and letters take maybe 45 minutes to crank out.  You're asking for a solid favor, but it's not that much of a time commitment.

HOW SHOULD I ASK FOR A LETTER?

First off, be sure to ask for the letter in person if possible.  If that's not possible, try to arrange a phone call.  Because you don't get to read the letter, you want to evaluate the enthusiasm of the letter writer to help determine how good this letter will be.  The best clues are the non-verbal ones you can get only by asking for a letter in person.

• Send an email asking to meet to discuss your application to medical school.  Nothing too complicated, just ask to drop by office hours or invite the professor to coffee.  Don’t ask for the letter in the email, because you’d like to ask in person (but if the professor responds by wondering whether you want a letter, then by all means make your intentions clear).
• At the meeting, ask for a strong letter of recommendation.  Asking for a strong letter does several things that are beneficial for you:
• It allows the professor to say no (and trust me, you'd rather her say no than get a bad letter)
• It allows the professor to respond to the word "strong," by either affirming that the letter will indeed be strong or that she cannot write you a strong letter.  Either way, this provides more information as you try to evaluate the strength of your letters.
• After the professor agrees, ask "What can I give you to help you write that letter?"  Listen carefully to what the professor says.  Follow up with whatever the professor requests as soon as you can.  It's easy for the professor to lose track that he agreed to write you a letter, so you want to follow up with the requested materials soon to keep the momentum going on your letter of recommendation.

WHAT ARE SOME TIPS FOR REQUESTING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION?

These are excellent: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/2015/04/14/7-tips-for-nailing-medical-school-letters-of-recommendation

WHAT IF MY LETTER WRITER ASKS ME ADVICE FOR WHAT TO SAY AND HOW TO SAY IT?

Send them this: http://www.aamc.org/download/349990/data/lettersguidelinesbrochure.pdf

WHERE DO I FIND SAMPLE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION?

http://depts.washington.edu/gowwami/AWARE/documents2012/CarolTeitzLORsamples.pdf

HOW SHOULD I GET TO KNOW MY PROFESSORS?

A lot of the students we work with go to huge research universities, where their smallest science class has 50 people in it.  In this environment it's on you, the student, to get to know your professors.

Here are some tips from former students we've worked with about how to be proactive in getting to know their professors:

• Go to office hours when no one else will be there - week 1, right after mid-term exam
• Go to office hours with something outside of the class to talk about professor's research, ask about prof's family and background, how class material applies to one of your other interests
• Take the same professor for more than one class
• Do research with a professor - either in the professor's lab or on independent project
• Become a teaching assistant for that professor

DO MY LETTERS HAVE TO BE SIGNED AND PUT ON OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD?

Some med schools require it.  This past cycle, Boston University notified one of our students that one of her letters was not on official letterhead, so she had to contact the letter writer to re-submit the letter.  It wasn't a huge deal, and no other schools she applied to notified her of the issue.  You should tell your letter writers to put the letters on letterhead, but it probably won't matter much if they don't.

WHAT IF ONE OF MY LETTER WRITERS DISAPPEARS?

It happens every year to several of our students: they ask for a letter of recommendation, the professor says "yes," and he stops returning phone calls and emails.  The students are stuck without a critical letter (usually, it's a science professor who disappears).

You can't help whether this happens to you, but you can do the following to help mitigate the damage:

• Ask for a backup letter in case one of your letters of recommendation does not come through.  You can receive up to 10 letters of recommendation in AMCAS and pick and choose which ones you forward to medical schools later.  It's much better to have too many letters than too few.
• Ask for letters of recommendation early.   March is ideal.  If a professor disappears after asking for a letter early, you still have plenty of time to find another professor to ask.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS!

Will it be looked down upon to not include letters written by science faculty.

I'm a non-trad applicant who is applying 5 years out of college. Will it be looked down upon to not include letters written by science faculty? They would be replaced by MDs that I work with in the ER.

If you've been out of school for five years, your professors are unlikely to remember you.  It seems pointless to ask for those letters, since not only would those letters be average at best, but you're a completely different person.   Surely medical schools will cut you some slack, yes?

- Robert M.

Not really.  If you've been out of the classroom for five years, medical schools want you to go back to school and take classes (this is good advice for anyone who hasn't taken a science course in 3 years or more).  It doesn't matter where you take these classes as long as they are in-person, and these courses are the perfect opportunity to ask for an additional science letter.

And remember, if you can't go back and get two letters of rec, see the words of wisdom at the top of this post: get the best set of letters you can.

- Rob Humbracht  - Medical School Admissions Advisor

ISN'T IT COMMON TO SEND THE SAME LETTER OF REC TO MULTIPLE SCHOOLS USING INTERFOLIO?

Hello, under your link "How to Write Your Own Letter of Recommendation", you say to be specific regarding who it is. Isn't it common to have the same letter send to 10+ schools using Interfolio? Even if it wasn't, wouldn't it be hard to ask your recommender to write a different letter for each school?

- plantat3q via Reddit

Good catch!  That detail applies to most graduate school application processes, but not to medical school.  Although it's technically possible to upload letters aimed at specific schools, a) it's rare, and b) schools definitely don't expect it.  As a result, it's not recommended.  We've updated the original blog post to correct it.  

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEER WORK FROM HIGH SCHOOL?

Are you interested in volunteer work from high school? I ask because I've been volunteering since I was 13 and was curious whether or not that would fit in an application

- mathnerdm via Reddit

The way I have always looked at experiences from high school is that they set the trend for the activities you've pursued more recently.  In other words, if you've been volunteering since you're 13, it shows that you have consistently embodied the spirit of giving back that med schools are looking for.

WHAT TYPE OF CLINICAL VOLUNTEERING STANDS OUT THE MOST TO YOU?

What type of clinical volunteering stands out the most to you? (ie. volunteering in an ER, shadowing GP, etc...)

As for the best clinical volunteering, I would argue that no one type is the best.  You need to establish two things about your application: a) you know what doctors really do (either by shadowing different doctors or by working with them in a medical context), and b) you are able to connect with people from a different background.  Many types of clinical volunteering can show these traits, so you're looking for experiences that give you hands-on experience and memorable stories to tell!

HOW DO YOU SEE UNCONVENTIONAL LETTERS OF REC?

I am a RN applying for med school this app cycle. How do you see unconventional letters of rec? I have a patient that is a PA/NP that I have had the pleasure of caring for for the last 2 years and feel that she can really attest to my dedication to medicine and my character. However, I'm not too sure if I should make the gamble. Thanks!

- ayeeff via Reddit

I'm not sure I see how it's a gamble. If you provide the letter, the schools can simply disregard it. I think it sounds like the letter writer knows you well and can provide context about the kind of care provider you would be. The only caveat would be in the rest of your application to make a critical distinction behind why you want to undergo all of the stress and debt to become a doctor instead of pursuing the path already available to you.

Upcoming Online Classes

SUBSCRIBE AND GET YOUR FREE ADMISSIONS TIMELINE

Learn to be Savvy! Get creative pre-med strategies delivered right to your inbox. FREE Medical School Application Timeline when you subscribe.

We follow the email Golden Rule: we will never send you anything without your permission.

All work on this site is our own. The content for the Savvy med school search was found on the webpages of the respective medical schools.

Doctor of Medicine (MD) section navigation

Step 5: letters of recommendation.

We will accept one of the following via the AMCAS Letter Service:

• A packet of letters or a composite letter from a Pre-Medical or Pre-Health Committee
• A packet of letters from a Career Center or a Letter Writing Service
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals, two of whom should be familiar with your knowledge in the sciences. If your letters are submitted by three individual letter writers rather than your school’s Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee, you will be asked on the Emory Supplemental Application to explain why you are not submitting a Committee letter.

If you are applying to the   MD/PhD Program , you must also submit letters of recommendation from all research mentors, in which case you may send as many letters as needed.

All letters of recommendation must be sent directly to AMCAS no later than 11:59 pm EST on December 1. Instructions for submitting letters to AMCAS are provided within the AMCAS application. Please DO NOT send letters directly to us.

We strongly recommend that you DO NOT send additional letters; however all letters that are submitted via the AMCAS Letter Service (and by the December 1 deadline) will be included in your application.

How To Ask For A Medical School Letter Of Recommendation Via Email

Letters of recommendation are an important aspect of medical school. But when you have so much going on, collecting them can be time-consuming and challenging. 

You may be wondering, how can I ask professors or doctors for med school letters of recommendation via email? Is that even a thing? 

Yes, emailing professors and doctors asking for letters of recommendation is a thing. Pretty much every premed student does this. 

In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps of asking for that letter by email so that you come across as professional and receive the best recommendation possible. 

What To Include In Your Email When Requesting A Letter Of Recommendation

When requesting a medical school letter of recommendation via email, there are certain things you always want to include. 

And don’t worry, I’ll also give you a template you can copy ( See below ). But first I want to explain what needs to be in that email and why. 

• Recap: Professors and doctors are busy people. Remind them of who you are and what you did with them. Maybe that was taking a couple of classes or maybe you shadowed them. 
• The ask: Get straight to the point and politely ask them for the letter. 
• Your Goals: Explain why you are wanting to go to medical school and when you are planning on applying. 
• Offer to meet in person: Meeting your letter writer in person is an extra step but always helpful. During an in-person meeting, you can go more in-depth on your accomplishments and your desire to go to medical school. 

If they agree to meet in person, you will bring your resume, grades, and your personal statement to the meeting. If they say the meeting is not necessary, include those items as an attachment in the reply email. 

Further Reading: Can You Reuse Letters Of Recommendation When Reapplying To Med School?

What To Bring And Discuss In Your Follow-Up Meeting

As mentioned above, you will want to bring in your resume/CV, a copy of your transcript, and your personal statement. 

During this meeting, you want to discuss your motivations for wanting to go into medicine. 

You want to come across as competent and knowledgeable about what you are getting yourself into. In addition to this, you want to bring up your accomplishments and how they will help with your success in med school. 

Make sure to thank the professor for writing the letter and explain the process for submitting it to AMCAS. 

How Many Professors Should I Reach Out To When Asking For Letters Of Recommendation?

This depends on how well you know your professors. This also depends on how big your university is. 

I went to a small undergrad and a large graduate school. So I have experience asking for letters of recommendation from both sides of the equation. 

If you are going to a small university and you know your professors fairly well, you only want to email the professors you need a letter from. 99% of the time they will say yes so a spray and pray method is not necessary. 

At a large university where the professor may not recognize you, it’s better to use the shotgun approach. Reach out to about triple the amount of letters you need. Chances are a third of the professors you contacted will reply. 

Further Reading: Is It Possible To Send Too Many Letters Of Recommendation?

Requesting Letter Of Recommendation Sample Template:

As promised here is an example of an email requesting a letter of recommendation for med school: 

Dear (NAME), I hope this email finds you well. My name is (YOUR NAME) and I have taken several of your science courses in the last couple of years. I was wondering if you would be willing to write me a strong letter of recommendation for medical school.  My plan is to apply to medical school and the application cycle opens up (INSERT DATE). I am very passionate about medicine and I believe I would thrive in medical school.  I’m happy to meet in person to discuss the letter and provide a copy of my resume and transcript. Thanks for your consideration! Best, Your Name

How Do You Ask A Doctor For A Letter Of Recommendation Via Email?

Asking a doctor for a letter of recommendation is a little different than asking a professor. 

First of all, physicians are extremely busy so don’t expect to get an in-person meeting unless you just show up when they are not busy. 

But honestly, just sending an email is fine. I mentioned setting up a meeting with a professor because there is a lot of value in getting some one-on-one time with them. Professors have hundreds and sometimes thousands of students. 

If you shadowed a physician, it is not necessary to meet with them in person again. Just send an email and ask for it. 

Further Reading: Which D.O. Med Schools Require A D.O. Letter Of Recommendation

Here is what I would send to a physician you are asking for a letter from: 

Dear Dr. ______, Thank you so much for the opportunity to shadow you. I found the experience exhilarating and informative.  My plan is to apply to medical school this year and I’m needing letters of recommendation. Could you write me a letter of recommendation that highlights my enthusiasm for the medical profession, work ethic, and character?  All of my letters of recommendation are compiled by my premed department. If you agree, please email the letter to _____ and please send a signed copy to: (Provide address) Thank you again for the amazing shadowing experience. I’m happy to jump on the phone with you if you had any questions about this process. Best Regards, (Your name)

Is It Better To Ask For A Letter Of Recommendation In Person or by Email?

It may seem like a good idea to just ask a professor or physician you shadowed for a letter in person. But honestly, asking via email is better. 

The reason for this is that physicians and professors will forget if you ask in person. 

Everyone in academia and medicine is glued to their emails. If you send an email, chances are a professor or physician will read it and put the task in their calendar.

Further Reading: What To Do When Your Letters Of Recommendation Are A Couple Years Old

Make Sure To Ask Far In Advance

The process of requesting a letter of recommendation and having it uploaded to a committee letter or AMCAS can be quick or very very long. I’ve had letters take months to be completed. 

You must ask at least 3 months before the med school application cycle begins. 

This gives your letter writers plenty of time to write the letters and it gives you time to send reminders.

This brings me to my next point…

Sending Reminders To Your Letter Writers Is Fine

Oftentimes, your letter of recommendation writers will forget about your letter. Don’t take it personally, they’re very busy people. 

It’s totally fine to send a reminder or two. Sometimes they need it!

Just don’t spam their inboxes with requests because that might piss them off. 

Always Send A Thank You Email After The Letter Of Recommendation Is Written

Finally, after your letter of recommendation has been written and submitted, make sure you send a follow-up thank you email. 

It’s a small but important gesture. 

It’s always good to act professionally with everyone you encounter on your med school journey. You never know when you will need their help again in the future. 

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Best practices: letters of recommendation for medical school

Interfolio has provided a platform for requesting, storing and sending letters of recommendation on behalf of pre-med, dental and other assorted undergrad studies since 1999. In the past 20+ years, we’ve learned a lot about our users, including what they expect from us and what we could add on to our service to make this process even simpler.

Below is a compiled list of best practices and informational resources related to the process of applying to medical school with a focus on letters of recommendation. Included are ways Interfolio’s Dossier Deliver subscription can be an irreplaceable component of the application process.

When do I request my letters?

On average, we know it takes approximately 12 days from when a letter is requested to when it is uploaded by a letter writer into our system. This is of course  a general timing guideline—if your letter writer is providing letters for more than just one student, this length of time can expand to multiple weeks or months. Identify who you want to write your letters by spring vacation (mid-March) and submit your requests to them all by the beginning of April. Per the Student Doctor Network, “T his will give them at least 2 months to compose and submit your letters before your AMCAS submission.”

What goes into picking a letter writer?

Assume that your peers applying to med school also have high GPAs, MCAT scores and a thorough resume of extra-curricular and community-based activities. What sets you apart? Who you choose to provide a letter or support may make the difference between early admission or being chosen above other applicants. Do you have a professor, mentor, community leader or even someone in the medical field that can warmly vouch for you?

Based on an article on the Student Doctor Network, “ Most medical schools will require at least 3 letters from professors of undergraduate classes: 2 science & 1 non-science.” Outside of letters related to courses you excelled in, it’s also a best practice to have letters related to extracurricular or community-based activities you were involved in. It’s best to shoot for 4-6 letters of rec that span all avenues of your work and personal achievements.

How do I make the request?

At this point you have identified your 4-6 letter writers and now need to approach them with your request.

• Assuming you know the person well and have a good relationship, ask them in person.
• If you can’t ask them in person, send a well-outlined email including all the details of why you want them to write you a letter, what specific attributes you hope they include, as well as timing of when you need the letter.
• Create your free Dossier account
• Collect letters into your account by requesting recommendations
• Your letter writer will receive an email from Interfolio asking them to submit your letter to your account
• You will be notified once the letter has reached your account

How do I submit my confidential letters?

To keep a letter confidential and ensure it’s approved by AMCAS or another receiver, you should have your letters submitted one of 3 ways:

• Directly to your school
• Via AMCAS or a related health profession’s delivery service
• Interfolio’s Dossier Deliver

If your institution’s pre-medical advising office provides a letter of evaluation service, you may be able to arrange to have all of your letters transmitted to AMCAS through that office. If you choose to use Interfolio you will receive with your account subscription:

• A lifelong place to request and store your letters
• Checking for a signature and official letterhead—so that you don’t risk the letter getting rejected by the schools where you’re applying.
• Making sure the file uploaded is in fact a letter
• Making sure the letter bears both your name and the letter writer’s name
• Making sure the letter is legible
• Guaranteed letter content confidentiality for your letter writer, and for you
• A customer service team ready to field all your questions

Whatever avenue you choose to deliver your letters, be aware of timing for the rest of your application and other related deadlines.

• Interfolio support for medical and dental school applicants
• Prospectivedoctor.com
• Studentdoctor.net

Interfolio’s Dossier enables scholars to collect, curate, polish and send out their materials at all stages throughout their academic professional path.  Learn more about Dossier here.

Privacy Overview

• History, Facts & Figures
• YSM Dean & Deputy Deans
• YSM Administration
• Department Chairs
• YSM Executive Group
• YSM Board of Permanent Officers
• FAC Documents
• Current FAC Members
• Appointments & Promotions Committees
• Ad Hoc Committees and Working Groups
• Chair Searches
• Leadership Searches
• Organization Charts
• Faculty Demographic Data
• Professionalism Reporting Data
• 2022 Diversity Engagement Survey
• State of the School Archive
• Faculty Climate Survey: YSM Results
• Strategic Planning
• Mission Statement & Process
• Beyond Sterling Hall
• COVID-19 Series Workshops
• Previous Workshops
• Departments & Centers
• Find People
• Biomedical Data Science
• Health Equity
• Inflammation
• Neuroscience
• Global Health
• Diabetes and Metabolism
• Policies & Procedures
• Media Relations
• A to Z YSM Lab Websites
• A-Z Faculty List
• A-Z Staff List
• A to Z Abbreviations
• Dept. Diversity Vice Chairs & Champions
• Dean’s Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Affairs Website
• Minority Organization for Retention and Expansion Website
• Office for Women in Medicine and Science
• Committee on the Status of Women in Medicine Website
• Director of Scientist Diversity and Inclusion
• Diversity Supplements
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recruitment
• By Department & Program
• News & Events
• Executive Committee
• Aperture: Women in Medicine
• Self-Reflection
• Portraits of Strength
• Mindful: Mental Health Through Art
• Event Photo Galleries
• Additional Support
• MD-PhD Program
• PA Online Program
• Joint MD Programs
• How to Apply
• Advanced Health Sciences Research
• Clinical Informatics & Data Science
• Clinical Investigation
• Medical Education
• Visiting Student Programs
• Special Programs & Student Opportunities
• Residency & Fellowship Programs
• Center for Med Ed
• Organizational Chart
• Leadership & Staff
• Committee Procedural Info (Login Required)
• Faculty Affairs Department Teams
• Recent Appointments & Promotions

Academic Clinician Track

Clinician educator-scholar track.

• Clinican-Scientist Track

Investigator Track

Traditional track.

• Research Ranks
• Instructor/Lecturer
• Social Work Ranks

Voluntary Ranks

Adjunct ranks.

• Other Appt Types
• Appointments
• Reappointments
• Transfer of Track
• Term Extensions
• Timeline for A&P Processes
• Interfolio Faculty Search
• Interfolio A&P Processes
• Yale CV Part 1 (CV1)
• Yale CV Part 2 (CV2)
• Samples of Scholarship
• Teaching Evaluations

Letters of Evaluation

• Dept A&P Narrative
• A&P Voting
• Faculty Affairs Staff Pages
• OAPD Faculty Workshops
• Leadership & Development Seminars
• List of Faculty Mentors
• Incoming Faculty Orientation
• Faculty Onboarding
• Past YSM Award Recipients
• Past PA Award Recipients
• Past YM Award Recipients
• International Award Recipients
• Nominations Calendar
• OAPD Newsletter
• Fostering a Shared Vision of Professionalism
• Academic Integrity
• Addressing Professionalism Concerns
• Consultation Support for Chairs & Section Chiefs
• Policies & Codes of Conduct
• First Fridays
• Fund for Physician-Scientist Mentorship
• Grant Library
• Grant Writing Course
• Mock Study Section
• Research Paper Writing
• Establishing a Thriving Research Program
• Funding Opportunities
• Join Our Voluntary Faculty
• Child Mental Health: Fostering Wellness in Children
• Faculty Resources
• Research by Keyword
• Research by Department
• Research by Global Location
• Translational Research
• Research Cores & Services
• Program for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Team Science (POINTS)
• CEnR Steering Committee
• Experiential Learning Subcommittee
• Goals & Objectives
• Issues List
• Print Magazine PDFs
• Print Newsletter PDFs
• YSM Events Newsletter
• Social Media
• Patient Care

INFORMATION FOR

• Residents & Fellows
• Researchers

Letters of evaluation (also known as “referee letters”) are a valued component of the review process for appointments and promotions of faculty to advanced rank (i.e., Associate and full Professor on ladder, voluntary, or adjunct ranks; Research Scientist and Senior Research Scientist). They are used to assess how experts and leaders view the candidate’s accomplishments, expertise, and impact on a field. At the department’s discretion, letters of evaluation also may be considered in the reappointment process for faculty with term limits. The procedures described here do not apply to initial appointments at the rank of Instructor, Lecturer, Clinical Instructor, Associate Research Scientist, or Assistant Professor (on the ladder, adjunct, voluntary, or social work ranks).

Selection of Referees

Experts-in-the-field.

Referees should be recognized experts in research, education, and/or clinical service in the field of the candidate being evaluated. If the candidate has a very highly specialized focus, experts in more general areas of research, education, and/or clinical service may be sought in addition to those in the candidate’s specialized area of focus.

Requisite Rank

It is expected that referees are experts who hold positions equivalent to or higher than the rank proposed for appointment/promotion. In most cases, this means that letters for Associate Professor reviews (whether ladder, adjunct, or voluntary) come from Associate or full Professors, and letters for Professor reviews come from Professors. For research rank faculty, evaluations for Research Scientist reviews can come from ladder faculty who are at least Assistant Professor or from scientists with at least mid-level appointment/title at their institution. Senior Research Scientist letters can come from ladder faculty who are at least Associate Professor or from scientists with a senior-level appointment/title at their institution.

Although most letters of evaluation must come from faculty at or above the rank being considered, occasional exceptions are permitted. For all appointments and promotions, at the discretion of the Chair, a maximum of two (2) Arm’s-Length or Non-Arm’s-Length referees can be non-faculty senior experts or authorities in the candidate’s field, such as:

• Senior scientists at non-university affiliated institutes, industry, or Federal agencies
• Presidents or chief executives of health systems or national professional organizations
• Senior leaders of State or Federal government agencies highly relevant to academic medicine

In addition, at the discretion of the Chair, for Academic Clinician and Voluntary track reviews, a maximum of two (2) Arm’s-Length or Non-Arm’s-Length referees can be solicited who do not hold an academic appointment or senior leadership position (e.g., a referring physician), but who are experts able to provide valid evaluations of clinical or educational excellence and professionalism.

Department and Candidate Suggestions

Each candidate collaborates with their departmental leaders, mentors, and colleagues to develop a pool of potential referees to include on the Referee List Template , separately as Department-suggested and Candidate-suggested. Candidates are allowed to communicate to their department the names of faculty in their field who should not be contacted due to professional conflict that might undermine a fair evaluation.

Under no circumstance may the candidate communicate with a referee about the letter of evaluation process. If the candidate is contacted by the referee, they should communicate the strict school policy prohibiting communication about their promotion review and should not provide further information to the referee beyond what was included in the Interfolio case provided to the reviewer.

Notably, all Department-suggested referees should be Arm’s-Length while Candidate-suggested referees are a blend of Arm’s-Length and Non-Arm’s-Length (see section below on the distinction between these two categories of referees).

Number of Letters

The required number and type of referees for each rank and track suggested by the Department and the Candidate are indicated in the tables at the bottom of this page. There are specific numbers required for solicitation and a specific subset that must be received for the academic review to proceed.

The number listed for initial solicitation is the minimum required by OAPD. Faculty and their Department are strongly advised to create a longer or secondary list of referees for the Referee List Template who can be solicited if a number of reviewers are not available. Departments having ready a back-up list of additional names and contact information will help reduce delays in receiving the requisite number of referees to conduct the review.

Arm’s-Length vs. Non-Arm’s-Length Referees

Overarching Principles

The question of whether a referee will be considered impartial (Arm’s-Length) usually can be determined by answers to two general questions:

• Does the referee have a past or present professional and/or personal relationship with the faculty candidate that could impact their actual or perceived ability to provide an impartial review?
• Could the referee or their program be perceived as benefitting from a successful (or unsuccessful) outcome of the faculty candidate's review?

If the faculty candidate and department believe that answers to both questions above are definitely No, then it is usually appropriate to categorize them as Arm’s-Length. If the answer to both questions is a definite Yes, then they should be considered Non-Arm’s-Length. If one answer is Yes and the other No or there is any uncertainty about how to answer either question, please review what follows for guidance. Under no circumstance should the faculty candidate or department reach out to a referee and ask whether they would consider themselves impartial or to discuss any aspect of the review process.

Typical Characteristics of Non-Arm’s-Length Referees

It is sometimes difficult to determine whether a referee’s relationship with the faculty candidate or connection to their work could bias them in a way that would interfere with an unbiased, impartial, or Arm’s-Length evaluation. It sometimes also can be difficult to predict whether or how a referee or their program might benefit from the faculty candidate's career advancement. To help with that determination, the following are lists of relationships that generally exclude a referee from being Arm’s-Length, although they can still provide a valuable Non-Arm’s-Length evaluation:

• Close personal and/or other current professional relationship
• Direct or primary supervisor, advisor, or mentor during training
• Thesis or dissertation advisor or committee member
• Co-editor or Co-author of a book
• Current Yale faculty from another department (see Note at bottom of this section)
• Co-author of a journal article, book chapter, or other scholarly product**
• Collaborator on a clinical or educational program, initiative, or product**
• Co-presenter of a conference paper or poster
• Co-PI, Co-I, or other named collaborator on a grant or contract
• Secondary mentor/mentee, advisor/advisee, or peer during training
• Instructor, co-instructor, or student in a course
• Chair or colleague from a previous department or school

**In addition to the 10+ year exception, if the only relationship is as more recent co-authors or collaborators on a very large (e.g., >25 listed contributors) research consortium paper, educational product, consensus guideline, or committee report, the referee can be listed on your Referee List Template as Arm’s-Length. In the 5th column of that form, include a brief mention of their ‘limited-in-scope’ relationship.

Typical Characteristics of Arm’s-Length Referees

In the absence of roles or relationships listed under Non-Arm's-Length (and with the exceptions noted overall for ‘distance-in-time’* and specifically for ‘limited-in-scope,’** an Arm’s-Length referee is a recognized expert in the candidate's field who is able to provide an unbiased or impartial review and may have one or more of the following qualities:

• Never known, met, or worked with faculty candidate
• From a different institution with knowledge of faculty candidate' area(s) of expertise
• Met or interacted with faculty candidate at professional meetings
• Read, seen, or reviewed faculty candidate's scholarship, grants, presentations, or group contributions
• Served together on study sections or committees in a professional organization
• Editorial board appointments as member, Associate Editor, or Editor-in-Chief
• Editor of a book in which a chapter was published
• Peer reviewer of book manuscript, journal article, grant, or conference submission
• Co-participant or discussant in a conference panel or symposium
• Guest or invited speaker in a seminar, workshop, or Grand Rounds
• Former faculty colleague without direct clinical, teaching, or scholarly collaboration
• Referring patients between faculty candidate for consultation or treatment

Note about letters from Yale faculty

Faculty from other Yale departments (including those with a secondary appointment in faculty candidates department) can provide Non-Arm’s-Length letters of evaluations for review. In addition, at the discretion of your Department Chair, up to half of the Non-Arm’s-Length evaluations considered for Academic Clinician, Clinician Educator-Scholar, and Voluntary (Clinical) track reviews may be completed by faculty from the candidate's own department at or above the proposed rank who have direct knowledge of faculty candidate's clinical or educational skills, expertise, leadership, or professionalism.

Referee Requirements:

• Must be at or above the rank being considered for new appointment or promotion. Internal department referees are not exempted from the rank requirement allowed in some other cases.
• Must have observed the clinical and/or educational activities of the candidate and have knowledge about the candidate’s area of specialization and skill.

Referee Solicitation and A&P Voting:

• Faculty considered for inclusion as referees on the Referee List Template cannot be approached or queried beforehand on their willingness to write an evaluation.
• Referees included on the Referee List Template cannot be listed on the top of this form as one of the faculty consulted about the development of the referee list.
• Referees who submit a letter of evaluation cannot serve as a member of any smaller ad hoc or ad personam committee that may be formed by a department as part of its overall Appointment and Promotion (A&P) review procedures.
• Referees who submit a letter of evaluation may participate in the formal departmental A&P review discussion and clarify any aspect of their written evaluation or opinion. However, they must declare themselves as ineligible to vote and be excluded from the total count. They should not vote to Abstain as any Abstain vote is counted as a No vote in the total.
• Up to half of Non-Arm’s-Length referees can be from the same primary department for the following ranks and tracks.

Letter Evaluation by Track

Clinician-scientist track.

** Up to half of non-arm's-length referees reviewed for Academic Clinician Track reviews can be from home (primary) department.

** Up to half of non-arm's-length referees reviewed for Clinician Educator-Scholar reviews can be from home (primary) department.

** Up to half of non-arm's-lenght referees reviewed for Voluntary Rank reviews can be from home (primary) department.

Jump to content

Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine/CCE

Bookmark/search this post.

You are here

Guidelines for writing letters of recommendation (lor) for residency and fellowship.

Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine designates this Enduring activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ . Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

• 1.00 MA Risk Management
• 1.00 Participation