As you are preparing to apply to medical school, you may be wondering how to get a recommendation letter for your medical school application. Recommendation letters are a requirement for a complete application. And, the a letter from the right writer could actually be of huge benefit to you. Asking for a recommendation letter can be scary. However, it’s essential! Continue reading to learn more about the right types of letters, and how to get a great recommendation letter when applying to medical school.
Best types of recommendation letters for medical school
When applying to medical school, they ask you for recommendation letters. This is not a job at Target where you can ask your friend to be your reference. Recommendation letters can seriously hurt or bump up your medical school application. Therefore, you should take it seriously who writes your letters. If you know someone that is an alumni of a program you would like to apply to, they would be a great option! If not, there are certain expectations for recommendation letters in medical school.
Most medical schools want to see three recommendation letters. You can upload as many as you would like to your AMCAS application, but you will choose which letters to send to which schools. Some will take four, but most won’t read more than that.
Of the three recommendation letters, two should be from science professors or medical professionals, and one a non-science individual. The non-science individual could be someone like the leader of an organization of which you were apart, a mentor with whom you worked closely, or another prominent individual in your life with whom you have developed a significant, positive relationship.
How to get a great recommendation letter for medical school
Identify your writer early, if possible
When you are figuring out how to get a great recommendation letter for medical school, it will benefit you to identify your writer early. This may not be possible, as you may not be able to predict the type of relationship you will have with that individual. However, if they are an alum of a program to which you are applying, then you can easily identify them as a writer before you begin the class, mentorship, whatever that nature of your relationship is.
Develop a relationship with your writer
The earlier you can pick someone who to ask for a great recommendation letter for medical school, the better you can ensure your relationship is. You don’t want someone to write your letter who barely knows you.
You want it to be someone who can write a letter that is a true reflection of your character. Generic letters without much personal detail will not bode you well in your application process.
Make a good impression on your writer
The best way to develop a relationship for a great recommendation letter for medical school is to make a good impression on them. For example, if your writer is one of your professors, and you show up late to class everyday and fail their class, they may not write you a great recommendation letter.
If you want someone to take the time to write something about you, it’s important you give them good things to write.
Here are some tips to make a good impression if your letter writer is a professor:
- Be on time to class
- Pay attention in class and don’t be a distraction
- Go to office hours and schedule one-on-one meetings
- Do well in their class
If the writer is not a professor, but a physician with whom you work or the supervisor of an organization, here are ways to make a good impression:
- Be on time
- Be engaged in the work
- Prepare for the event or shadowing time
- Ask question
- Be a team player
Ask them to write your letter early!
I’m the queen of last minute things. However, that is not what you want to be when you are trying to get a great recommendation letter for medical school. In fact, the earlier you can give writers a heads up, the better. You will be under strict deadlines for your application. If you can set earlier deadlines for you recommendation letters, that’s one less thing to worry about. Give writers anywhere from two weeks to a month to write your letter. Make sure this is weeks prior to when your application is due. A late application because of a recommendation letter is not what you want.
Be very professional and organized when asking
Asking for a recommendation letter is important. Therefore, if you want a great recommendation letter for medical school, you do not want to make the mistake of being too casual. If you have a professor, check the syllabus or class website to see if they have instructions for requesting recommendation letters. If not, schedule a time to talk with the writer, and ask if they would be willing to write your letter.
Have all the instructions from AMCAS printed out, along with a headshot and your resume. These items will help your writer better personalize their letter, and ensure they are writing about the right person. This is especially key if you are asking someone who has hundreds of students. Don’t take it personal if they can’t identify you right away. Just give them the tools to make sure they don’t forget while writing you a great letter!
Gentle reminders and a thank you
After you receive confirmation that they will write your letter, don’t forget to follow up. These individuals are very busy. You cannot assume that your letter is the first thing on their mind. Therefore, it’s perfectly acceptable to gently remind your writers about the letter. In fact, when they agree to write the letter, ask them when they would like you to follow up with them.
This gives you a timeline to appropriately reach out to remind them about the letter. Ensure your reminders are respectful and not pushy, but do convey the urgency of the matter. A sample message looks like this:
“Hi Professor X, I just wanted to reach out to you to check on the status of my recommendation letter? Just a remind, it’s due XX-XX-XXXX. Please let me know if you need anything else or have any questions.”
You can continue to follow up with them up intermittently until your due date. If they don’t respond, then you need to have a back up letter writer available. For a myriad of reasons, your writer may not be able to complete your letter. Be patient with them, and ensure that you cover yourself.
After they do write it, please do not forget to thank them. This can be in the form of a well-crafted email. However, physical thank you cards go a long way. Find a sincere way to let them know you appreciate them taking the time to write you a great recommendation letter.
Key takeaways
If you have a great recommendation letter when applying to medical school, you will increase your chances of getting an interview. Recommendation letters provide admissions committees with more insight into how others perceive you. Because of this, you want your writer to be someone who perceives you well, and can relay that on paper. Develop a positive relationship with several professionals who can fulfill this role so you have a plethora of individual from who to choose.
If you have any other advice or tips for how to get a great recommendation letter when applying to medical school, please leave them below in the comments!