How to Get Meaningful Letters of Recommendation for Medical School

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University Throughout the undergraduate years, all future medical school applicants should focus on making connections with professors, supervisors, and others early and often. It’s important to nurture those relationships, primarily because they could develop into wonderful mentorships—and also because medical school admission officers want to hear from people have supported you on your educational journey. That means you will need to identify science faculty, research mentors, and/or clinical supervisors to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. You may be familiar with recommendation letters from other applications but, for medical school, the type of recommendation can vary depending on a few factors. What types of letters should I send? In general, you will need a minimum of three letters, but requirements can vary by medical school. Applicants will likely need at least two from professors who taught them science. These letters provide an understanding of the applicant’s ability to handle the rigors of a medical education. Since two letters are typically from faculty, that means applicants will need at least one more from another source. It is strongly recommended that one is from someone who supervised you during a clinical experience. Beyond that, if you are considering a letter of recommendation from a non-clinical experience, think carefully about how each letter of recommendation can highlight different parts of your journey. That means that extra non-clinical letters may be from an employer, a research supervisor, a coach, or someone else. Focus on people who know your work well. For example, your lab supervisor will know your work better than the Principal Investigator (PI) who may not remember your name. More letters aren’t necessarily better; be strategic and thoughtful in who you ask. How do I ask for letters? Provide at least two months’ notice when you request a letter of recommendation. When possible, request it in person and be prepared to send a follow-up email, to share a resume, and to be able to explain to the letter writer why you want to go into medicine. If the recommender isn’t sure what to write, the AAMC has guidelines to help. Just make sure they write on letterhead from their organization or institution, or some medical schools will not accept it. If you plan to take a gap year or more, request that your professor’s letter of recommendation be stored either in the career development center or the pre-med office for future use. How does my letter get sent to medical schools? The vast majority of recommendations are submitted directly to the application provider by the person writing the recommendation (AMCAS, TMDSAS, or AACOMAS). The remaining applicants will have attended an undergraduate college that provides a committee letter, which is written by a pre-health committee or advisor. It advocates on your behalf and can also include information on challenges you may have faced. To find out if your college provides this, and if you are eligible, ask your pre-health advisor! Are you now worried that your college does not have a committee letter? Don’t be! To be very clear: medical schools do not prefer committee letters. Lastly, don’t forget to say thank you and share updates along the way as you get interviews and decisions back from the school!