Letters of recommendation are typically in the latter part of
the application process with secondary applications. However,
it's important that you start to think about and solicit your
letters much earlier in the game.
Follow the Instructions
Admissions committees are generally very specific about from
whom they want to receive letters on your behalf. Many committees
require letters from either a premed committee or from senior
science professors. Don't take these requirements lightly. You
should do everything you can to give the medical schools exactly
the kind of letters they have requested.
Typical Requirements
It is fairly typical for a medical school to ask you for a
"pre-med committee letter." These letters are typically of two
types: either an original letter written by your undergraduate
premedical committee on your behalf or a summary of excerpts of
comments made by individuals who have submitted letters (at your
request) on your behalf. While the pre-med committee letter used
to be a standard component of any applicant's application, they
are rarely available today.
Alternatively, you will be asked to submit two or three
individual letters of recommendation, of which some, if not all,
must come from senior science faculty. A letter written by a
teaching assistant seldom, if ever, carries as much weight with
the admissions committee as does a letter coming from a senior
faculty member. However, letters cosigned by both the teaching
assistant and professor are generally acceptable. In addition to
the recommendations from science faculty, some medical schools
request that nonscience majors submit a letter from a professor
in their major. You may also be asked to submit a letter by
someone familiar with your clinical experience, research, or work
history.
Supplemental Letters
Generally, it is permissible to send supplemental letters of
recommendation in addition to the required letters. But note,
these will be additional letters, not letters in substitution of
those requested. As a rule, you should never send more than twice
the number of letters requested (e.g., if you're asked for two,
send no more than four). Additionally, remember that more letters
is not necessarily better. If you're going to send supplemental
letters they should substantively add to your application. To
that end, it is generally best to avoid obtaining letters from
friends, relatives, clergy, or politicians.
Choose People Who Know You
Recommendations are essentially personal sales letters and
it's important to put the best pitch forward. Once you
acknowledge this, you'll begin to realize that the more personal
the letter, the better off you are. This means you need to get to
know your professors or more importantly, you need to give your
professors an opportunity to get to know you. Go to office hours;
become a teaching assistant; volunteer to work in their lab; take
them to lunch! Whatever it takes so that when the time comes,
they will be able to write you a personal letter of
recommendation.
Make It into a Great One
When you approach someone to write a letter of recommendation,
don't hesitate to ask whether he/she can write you a strong
letter of support. If the person hesitates in any way, look
elsewhere. Although this may be embarrassing, it will hurt you a
lot more in the long run to have someone write you a lukewarm or
unenthusiastic letter of recommendation.
Remember, schools fully expect these letters to be glowing
endorsements. Once you have garnered a positive response, be sure
to provide your recommender with a resume to provide a more
complete picture of you as a person. If you have a strong
academic record, you may want to include a copy of your
transcript to showcase your academic prowess and consistency. Any
articles or papers which you think may be helpful should also be
offered. Finally, always provide the writer with addressed and
stamped envelopes to either your premed advisor/committee or the
school in question.
Don't Procrastinate
Pre-meds who procrastinate will be left scrambling to get
recommendations and science professors and teaching assistants
will be overwhelmed with requests. You can imagine the potential
quality of these letters.
Keep track of the status of your letters. If they're late,
call and check on their progress. But do not harass your
recommenders. If you make a pest of yourself, it could negatively
impact what they end up writing about you. Once you've confirmed
that your letters have been sent, thank-you notes are a nice
touch. Personal visits are in order after you've been
accepted.