medical school application letters of recommendation requirements

2024 Medical School Letters of Recommendation Guide

• By Med School Insiders
• January 10, 2024
• Medical Student , Pre-med
• Letters of Recommendation , Medical School Application

Medical school letters of recommendation are often under-appreciated. Not giving your letters the respect and attention they deserve is extremely detrimental to your application and could be the difference between being accepted or rejected.

Letters of recommendation are vital to an effective and successful medical school application. They provide a respected professional’s opinion of you, as opposed to your own claims or the opinion of a biased friend or relative. A quality letter from a professor at an academic institution or someone who works with students through extracurriculars holds a lot of weight.

Letters of recommendation offer an impartial summary of your unique skills from a qualified professional—so they have a big impact on admissions committees.

Learn why letters of recommendation are so important, how to ask, and common mistakes to avoid. In this post, we’ll cover the Why, Who, What, Where, When, and How of letters of recommendation.

Applying through TMDSAS or AACOMAS? We have a guide dedicated to TMDSAS Letters of Recommendation and AACOMAS Letters of Recommendation .

Why Letters of Recommendation Are So Important

Letters of recommendation are a crucial piece of the medical school application. Some argue they’re even more important than the personal statement since the personal statement is naturally biased. After all, a personal statement is all about trying to paint yourself in the absolute best light.

Read our free Step-by-Step Guide: How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement for tips on getting started, what to include, and common mistakes to avoid.

On the other hand, letters of recommendation are written by respected professionals, such as mentors, professors, and physicians. An admissions committee is very likely going to take their word over yours. If the person you ask to write your letter of recommendation has worked closely with you and speaks very highly of you, it’s a big deal.

A negative letter of recommendation is a huge problem. A poor or lukewarm letter of recommendation could do irreparable harm to your application. You must approach this process in advance with plenty of organization, taking care to choose your letters wisely.

Who to Ask For Letters of Recommendation

You’ll need to include a total of four to five letters with your medical school application.

Three of these must be academic letters written by undergraduate professors—two science letters and one non-science letter. The two remaining letters are from your extracurriculars, typically research and clinical experience.

While it may be tempting to secure a respected, recognizable name to write your letters, it’s much more important that you choose someone who knows you well and thinks very highly of you. If you’ve only had a few conversations with the person you’re asking to write your letter, it won’t be effective. They simply won’t have that much to say about you and can’t offer much insight into who you really are.

Choose someone who can speak about your strengths on a deep level. The letter will have a much greater impact on the admissions committee.

Use our framework to maximize your chances of success: How to Choose Medical School Letters of Recommendation Writers .

What to Provide to Letter of Recommendation Writers

The people you’re asking to write a letter are busy with their own careers and lives. It’s up to you to make the process as smooth and simple as possible. In order to do so, there are a number of key pieces you need to provide.

• Submission instructions —Provide the writers of your letters of recommendation with all of the information they need to submit your letter to the submission service. Typically, this is the AMCAS Letter Service (for allopathic medical schools.) Your letter writer won’t be submitting the letter to you; they will need to submit it directly to the service. Provide your letter writer with a Letter Request Form, available in the Main Menu of the Letters of Evaluation section. This form is a PDF generated in the AMCAS application for each of your designated letter authors, and it includes your mailing address, AAMC ID, the Letter ID, and information about how to submit letters to AMCAS. The Letter ID is a unique seven-digit code assigned to each letter entry on your AMCAS application. It must be provided to each letter writer in order to correctly match their letter with the letter entry you created in your application.
• Updated CV —A comprehensive, organized, and professional summary of your academic, work, and extracurricular achievements to date. If you need any assistance crafting your CV, consider our advising services .
• Academic transcript.
• Personal Statement —If available. Ideally, you should have at least a first draft of your personal statement prepared by the time you request a letter, but you may ask for academic letters early in your undergrad. If you don’t have a draft yet, write a brief summary of the reasons you are pursuing medicine, including what makes you a unique and qualified candidate.
• MCAT score —This should be included in your CV, but it’s possible the letter writer will ask for a more verifiable source, such as a score printout. If you haven’t taken the MCAT, don’t delay asking for a letter just because you don’t have your MCAT score yet.
• Submission deadline —Include the date in writing, either through email or printed with the materials you provide to the letter writer. Make sure the date is at least a week in advance of when you actually need to submit the letter. We recommend giving letter writers six to eight weeks to complete a letter after receiving the materials listed above. This means it’s important to start the process two to three months before you plan to submit your application.
• A printed copy of materials —Even though the LOR submission process is completely digital, you may have letter writers who prefer to read and review physical materials. Ask them if they would like you to deliver or mail a printed packet of all of the above. It’s up to you to make this process as simple as possible for them and a crisp manila envelope with all of your materials and submission information is a nice touch for those less digitally inclined.

Where — Asking for Letters of Recommendation Virtually

Asking for a letter of recommendation in-person may not be possible, which means you will need to request a letter via email or possibly over Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and so on. While this may not feel as personal as you intended, all of us need to adapt to our new virtual world.

Virtual meetings are our new normal, so it’s important to cultivate relationships with potential letter writers and mentors online. A mentor could be someone you worked with, someone you met through a mutual contact, or you might find one through professional networks like LinkedIn.

For more advice on how to build relationships with mentors and letter writers online, read our article: Connecting with Mentors Over Zoom .

When to Ask For Letters of Recommendation

Start thinking about your letters of recommendation as soon as possible. It will take time to figure out who to ask and even longer to build strong relationships. If you have someone in mind, they may not have the time or feel they know you well enough, so make sure you have a backup plan and budget extra time in case a letter falls through.

Ask toward the end of your time working together or shortly after the conclusion of a class. Don’t wait months or years. You want the letter writer to have you on their mind so they can write a genuine letter full of fresh enthusiasm.

How to Ask For Letters of Recommendation

If you are requesting a letter of recommendation virtually, you can use our sample request template. Be sure to personalize the request with a sentence or two about your relationship. This could include involvement in their class/organization, the time you spent working together, what you enjoyed or learned, or how they inspired you.

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1 | think about your letters well in advance.

Letters of recommendation can make or break your medical school application. Who you ask can make all the difference. Approach relationships with professors and mentors with the idea that they could potentially be one of your letters of recommendation.

2 | Work to Develop Strong Relationships

Relationships take time. Cultivate your relationships with professors and prospective mentors as soon as possible, and mark how often you check-in with them using a calendar. Share your goals and successes with them so they can clearly see your progress and watch you grow. Express gratitude, and be sure to help them in whatever way you can. Relationships are two-way streets, after all.

If in-person office hours are difficult, be diligent about scheduling virtual meetings . You still need to build strong relationships even if you are unable to meet in person.

3 | Only Ask People Who Will Give You a Strong Letter

This is crucial. If you don’t know a professor all that well or scored anywhere under an A- in their class, do not ask that professor for a letter. Ask someone who you have worked with closely, knows you well, and thinks highly of you.

If the person you ask expresses any hesitation, don’t pursue the letter further. Their hesitation is a sign that they either don’t know you well enough, don’t have positive things to say, or simply don’t have the time. It’s better to catch that hesitation early on as opposed to ending up with a late or lukewarm letter.

More tips: How to Get Strong Medical School Letters of Recommendation .

4 | Make the Process as Simple as Possible

Provide all of the necessary materials to make writing and submitting the letter as smooth as possible. See what to provide in the above section, and ask them if they need anything else ahead of time.

5 | Provide a Deadline to Ensure You Receive Letters on Time

The best letter in the world won’t matter if it’s late. Provide a clear deadline to ensure you receive your letters on time.

Give your letter writers as much time as possible, as they are extremely busy and have likely received plenty of other requests. We recommend two-three months. Set a reminder two weeks out from the due date.

For more tips, check out our advice on How to Ask For Medical School Letters of Recommendation .

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid the following common letter of recommendation mistakes.

• Asking someone who doesn’t know you well.
• Asking for a letter when you haven’t thoroughly prepared.
• Forgetting to provide the writer with the necessary materials.
• Asking people who don’t know you well enough to provide real insight into who you are.
• Not obtaining a variety of letters across science, non-science, and extracurriculars.
• Asking the professor of a class you scored below A- in.
• Coming across as overly-friendly or unprofessional when asking for a letter.
• Waiting too long after working with someone to ask for a letter.
• Getting a letter from someone who was reluctant when you asked.
• Not thinking about letters of recommendation early in your application preparation.

Letters of Recommendation FAQs

How many letters of recommendation do i need.

The medical school letter of recommendation requirements vary from school to school. Most schools require at least three letters, but some may ask for four or five. Make sure you check the specific requirements of each school you hope to apply to.

Since the number varies based on the school, we recommend all applicants plan to have four to five letters of recommendation spread across science professors, non-science professors, and extracurriculars.

How Many Letters of Recommendation for Medical School Are Required?

How do I submit letters of recommendation?

Your letter writers must submit their letter electronically through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application or Interfolio . You do not review or submit your own letters of recommendation.

You will need to provide each of your letter authors with submission information, including your AAMC ID, and a unique seven-digit Letter ID. Each letter writer will be assigned an individual Letter ID when you add them to your AMCAS application, which is needed in order to upload your letter(s).

If you are applying through multiple services, AMCAS, TMDSAS, AACOMAS, etc., Interfolio acts as a go-between so that writers only need to upload once. They will still need their unique seven-digit Letter ID for your letter to be matched to your application. There is a small yearly fee to use Interfolio’s Dossier Deliver service .

Letters submitted through either process will be marked as received—immediately with AMCAS, or within three days with Interfolio. Contact your letter writer and ask them to submit the letter again, if a letter is not marked as received by the deadline you provided.

When are letters of recommendation due?

Include your letters with your medical school application. You can also add letters of recommendation up until you submit your secondary application, though you shouldn’t procrastinate. They are a key piece of your application that shouldn’t be left to the last minute. It takes time to ask for letters, and you need to give the letter writer adequate time to complete it.

Secondary applications are due between July and January, but it’s best to submit yours, along with your letters, by the end of the summer.

Read our Medical School Application Timeline to ensure you plan ahead and don’t miss any important deadlines.

What if a letter writer doesn’t submit a recommendation?

If a letter is not marked as received through the electronic portal you are using, contact your letter writer and ask them to submit the letter again.

In rare circumstances, a letter writer may disappear or stop responding. They are people too, and emergencies happen. This is why it’s so important to have more letters planned than the bare minimum required for your application.

What if a potential letter writer says no?

If a potential letter writer says no, it means they do not feel they know you well enough, they’re already swamped with other requests, or they don’t have confidence in you. Whatever the reason, it’s important to move on and look for another option.

Even if they hesitate before saying yes, it may be better to find someone else. A poor or even lukewarm letter can jeopardize an otherwise excellent medical school application.

Who can write a letter besides professors?

You should have letters from two science professors and one non-science professor. In addition to professors, you may choose to ask a research PI or mentor, a physician you shadowed or worked closely with, or a volunteer activity supervisor.

You could also ask a TA or an employer for a letter of recommendation if they know you better than your other options. What’s most important is that you choose letter writers who know you very well and will speak highly of you.

Are extracurricular letters required?

While not required, we recommend securing letters of recommendation from extracurriculars that were particularly significant. This may include research mentors or principal investigators (PI), physicians that you shadowed, or leadership from other volunteer organizations. If appropriate, aim to secure a letter from each of your three most meaningful activities on your AMCAS.

Who shouldn’t give me a recommendation?

Don’t ask someone who is positively biased towards you, such as a friend or family member. Your letters should come from people who can provide an honest and impartial recommendation.

If the person you ask seems hesitant or unenthusiastic about submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf, don’t push it; instead, find someone else. A poor or even neutral letter can jeopardize an otherwise excellent medical school application.

Can I add additional letters after I submit my application?

Yes, you can add additional letters after your application is submitted, but you cannot delete or change the letters your writers submit.

Although you can add letters of recommendation after submitting your application, we do not recommend it. Strong letters take time, so give your letter writers as much time as possible to compose thoughtful, detailed letters. You should choose four to five strong letter writers—having more won’t increase your chances, but it can dilute your positive recommendations with ones that aren’t as strong.

What types of letters does AMCAS accept?

AMCAS accepts Committee Letters, Letter Packets, and Individual Letters. Committee Letters are authored by a prehealth committee or prehealth advisor representing an evaluation of you by your institution. A Letter Packet is a set of letters assembled by your institution, often including a cover sheet from your prehealth committee or advisor. Individual Letters are written by, and represent, the opinions of one letter writer. All three letter types count as one letter entry.

Can I see my letter of recommendation?

Letters of recommendation are submitted confidentially, and you do not get to see them. Don’t ask letter writers what they have written, as they are under no obligation to show you. You should have absolute confidence that the person you ask knows you well and will speak highly of you.

How should I thank letter writers?

Don’t forget about your letter writers as soon as your application is submitted. Send a thank you email once they submit their letter and consider sending them a handwritten card by physical mail when you are accepted to medical school.

What If You’re Asked to Write Your Own Letter?

You may be asked to write your own letter by people who don’t typically write medical school letters of recommendation, such as those who are not part of the medical school world.

While it does mean more work, it’s important to remember that this is as much a win as earning a strong letter of recommendation. If the person you asked to write you a strong letter asks you to write it yourself, it means you just secured a yes . You have a letter writer, even if you have to write the letter yourself. They want to support you, but you’ve got to do the leg work.

Learn How to Write Your Own Letter of Recommendation , including 7 mistakes to avoid.

Get Help From Professionals

Med School Insiders offers Comprehensive Medical School Admissions Packages that will help you with every step of the application process. Our team of doctors has years of experience serving on admissions committees, so you’ll receive key insights from people who have been intimately involved with the selection process.

Read our Guide to Understanding the Medical School Application Process , which includes an application timeline, what you need to include in your application, mistakes to avoid, and what happens next.

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Preparing letters of evaluation for the AMCAS® application

New section.

Are you preparing to apply to the next AMCAS® application cycle? As you begin planning, it’s a good idea to start thinking about and asking for your letters of evaluation. Learn about the resources available to help you complete this section of the application and help your recommenders write the best letters on your behalf!

The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) application will officially open at the beginning of May, for those applicants planning to matriculate next year. If you are preparing to apply for the upcoming application cycle, it’s a good idea to start thinking about and asking for your letters of evaluation. These letters are designed to provide medical school admissions committees with additional information about your qualities, characteristics, and competencies from people who have worked with you directly. To help you understand the process for completing the Letters of Evaluation section within the application, and to ensure your recommenders have the information they need to write the best letters of evaluation on your behalf, the AAMC has several resources to help you. 

Prepare your letter writers. The Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant   are designed to help letter writers by providing a general framework of best practices and relevant content. These guidelines are optional and can be applied to different types of letters of evaluation, including individual and committee letters. We suggest sharing these guidelines with your letter writers before they begin composing your letter to ensure they are able to capture the competencies medical schools are seeking in their students.

Find out if your medical schools participate in the AMCAS Letter Service. Your letter writers must submit their letter on your behalf. The AMCAS Letter Service enables letter writers to send all letters to AMCAS directly rather than individually to each school. AMCAS will accept letters of evaluation and distribute them to participating medical schools electronically. It’s your responsibility to determine first if the programs you are applying to participate in the AMCAS Letter Service, and then what quantity and type of letters each program requires. The Medical School Admission Requirements ™ has information regarding each program’s requirements for letters, including if they participate, how many letters are accepted, and what type they prefer. You can also review a medical school's requirements for letters of evaluation by visiting their admissions website.

Know the different ways letters of evaluation can be submitted. Letter writers can upload letters electronically via the  AMCAS Letter Writer Application  or  Interfolio . It’s important to provide your letter writer(s) the appropriate AMCAS Letter Request Form (generated after you create a letter entry for your letter author within the AMCAS application), so it can accompany the letter they have written on your behalf, regardless of how the letter will be submitted. The Letter Request form includes your AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID, which your letter writer will need to submit your letter.

Remember! You may submit letters to AMCAS only after you have initiated an AMCAS application. To learn more about completing the letters of evaluation section of the AMCAS application, please see the AMCAS Applicant Guide or watch a video tutorial . 

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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!

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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

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A Guide to Medical School Recommendation Letters

Asking for a letter of recommendation for medical school doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Our guide can help you with your application and references.

What Makes a Great Letter of Recommendation for Medical School?

If you’re applying to medical school, you’ll know that a recommendation letter is one of the requirements. Typically written by a previous tutor or professor, the recommendation letter is designed to present an evaluation of your education and suitability for a career in medicine. In this blog, we look at the reasons behind a recommendation letter and reveal when and how to ask for one. 

The importance of a good recommendation letter for medical school

Your recommendation letters have a considerable part to play in the overall application process for medical school. It is essential to ensure the recommendation letter is written by a person who knows you well and is able to give a good overview of your skills, experience, and accomplishments. For this reason, you must ask the right person to do it. 

As well as knowing you well, the writer should also be enthusiastic about the task at hand. It helps if they’ve written one before and know what to include. The main purpose of a medical school reference letter is to help enhance your application and make you stand out from the competition. These letters are designed to impress you by showing off your personality and accomplishments and highlighting why you deserve a place in the program. 

How many letters of recommendation do you need?

This usually depends on the specific medical school you are applying to, so it’s important to do the appropriate research first. Typically, most schools require at least three different letters — and they’re often quite strict about the numbers. If a school asks for three letters, only submit three, no more. 

There are also different types of medical school letters of recommendation: committee, individual, and letter packet. Your university’s advising committee writes a committee letter representing you as an individual. A letter packet contains multiple letters from your referees and is sent out by your college’s career department — but it does not include a letter from the committee. Individual letters are exactly that — letters written by referees like professors or employers. 

It’s wise to review the application process of each medical school you wish to apply to, as different medical schools will require different letters based on your situation. For example, if you’re a student, you may be required to obtain letters from your teachers, and if you’re employed, you may need to ask your employer to write you a letter. Some also recommend getting more letters than needed if you require a backup later. 

Who should write your letter of recommendation?

This will depend on your current situation and should be outlined in the admission process of your desired medical school. Below, we’ve highlighted some common examples of who would write your letter of recommendation. 

Professors 

Some medical schools will want a letter from your current or previous science professors, mentors, and non-science tutors. These should help you show off a wide variety of skills and experiences. You don’t need to worry about scoring straight A’s in the subjects. If your tutor has seen your ability to work hard, improve, and be dedicated, they can give you a good recommendation. One thing to consider, however, is the number of students that particular professor teaches. If they don’t know you personally, choose someone who does. Your letter should highlight your skills, passion, and drive for your future career. 

Physicians and doctors 

Some medical schools may allow letters of recommendation from a medical professional you have shadowed. Similar to obtaining a letter from your professor, choosing a doctor or physician who knows you well is important — and not just someone you have worked with for an hour or two sporadically. 

If they can highlight how you work — or even better, helped — in a medical setting, that will work in your favor. This includes critical thinking, the ability to make safe decisions quickly , and your interactions with patients. If the medical professional can use real-world examples of your experience, this will likely benefit you. 

Research supervisors

If you’ve been involved in any research projects at school, a research mentor could also be asked to write your recommendation letter. Again, choosing someone who knows you well and has key examples of your strengths is important. The letters that work best to help you stand out will demonstrate your willingness to undertake hours of research and report writing and your ability to solve problems, analyze data, and work individually and as part of a team. 

If you’re no longer a student, your employer may be asked to provide you with a recommendation. What’s more, if you don’t currently work but have undertaken voluntary work, a volunteer supervisor can also write a letter. This is an excellent opportunity to highlight your character strengths and qualities in a work-type setting.  The letter should showcase your leadership capabilities, teamwork attributes, and personal accomplishments. A co-authored letter from multiple individuals can be used if you work  with multiple managers or supervisors. 

When should you ask for a letter of recommendation for medical school?

Wondering how to ask for a letter of recommendation? Typically, it’s requested via email or in person. It’s important not to leave this until the last minute and to consider how long someone might take to write a reference letter. For this reason, you need to start preparing for the application months in advance of the deadline. 

It is beneficial to ask for a recommendation letter after you have finished a certain project or volunteering experience. That way, your skills and achievements will be fresh in the writer’s mind. 

Medical school letter of recommendation requirements

Your letter of recommendation must follow specific formats and adhere to special procedures. These include being written on official letterheads and being signed manually. The letter must also be dated and saved in electronic format.

At MUA , two letters are required — one from a professor and one from a doctor or employer who has supervised you. There are no strict guidelines on how long a letter of recommendation should be, but one or two pages are usually sufficient. You can also find several medical school recommendation letter samples online for guidance. 

Remember, this is your chance to get a place in your dream medical program, so don’t be afraid to ask for a strong recommendation letter. Explain to the writer what this means to you, and keep an eye on the deadline to ensure you deliver your letter quickly. It would help if you were never asked to read the letter, as these are typically considered confidential. Instead, choose someone to write the letter you know will do well. Don’t forget to thank them afterward.

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• Medical School Application

Medical School Recommendation Letter Samples & The Ultimate Guide

Medical school recommendation letters are an important part of your medical school application  for both DO and MD programs. They are meant to present an external, objective evaluation of your suitability for a career in medicine to admissions committees. Although there are some medical schools that don’t require letters of recommendation , such as Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine and Rush Medical School , there are more schools that do require them so learning how to get one is a skill you should learn This article will teach you how to get stellar recommendation letters from referees,  and answer some questions you may have about this intricate process. Plus, we provide you with email templates you can use to send requests for reference letters, as well as templates for deadline reminders and thank you letters!

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

Article Contents 22 min read

Medical school recommendation letters: tips for how to ask from real mds .

Asking for a medical school recommendation letter makes a lot of people nervous, but there are ways to do it – recommended by physicians themselves – that can make the whole process easier. In this article, we’ll talk about the types of people you should ask for medical school recommendation letters, but here we’ll talk about the ways you can approach a practicing physician, or other professionals, such as research and work supervisors, who you can also ask for medical school recommendation letters.

Dr. Neel Mistry, MD, outlines a few of the things that all students should do to approach physicians and other colleagues for LORs. These include:

• Being polite and friendly in your initial approach (email or in-person)
• Explaining to the person why they are the ideal letter writer for you
• Providing concrete examples where you excelled that warrant a LOR

These are the things you should do when asking for medical school recommendation letters. Dr. Mistry has also volunteered what you should avoid when asking for medical school recommendation letters that could end up in rejection. Dr. Mistry advises you don’t:

• Act as if you’re entitled to an LOR (counter this by pointing to specific examples in your history)
• Ask someone you barely know and who barely knows you
• Asking for an LOR even though you have average or below-average stats/performance (MCAT and GPA)

Most medical schools in the US and medical schools in Canada ask for at least three medical school letters of recommendation. Some schools may ask for four or five, so you have more leeway. But you should talk to a medical school advisor about how many medical school recommendation letters to send. A lot depends on your choice of schools, whether you are a traditional or non-traditional medical school applicant and whether you need to send more than two or three to make up for other parts of your application (average MCAT scores or average GPA). Be sure to check this information with the school to which you’re applying. Keep in mind that some medical schools are quite strict with their numbers, so if they ask for exactly 4 letters and let you know that they will not review any more than 4, do not send fewer or more recommendations. 

Check out who you can ask to be a letter writer for your medical school application:

• Former science or non-science faculty
• Research Supervisor
• Volunteer or EC Supervisor

If the school’s requirements allow for it, a physician you volunteered with or shadowed can write you a medical school recommendation letter. This physician should know you very well. You should not ask someone with whom you spent a few hours sporadically. If you haven't participated in any shadowing yet, make sure you understand how to ask to shadow a doctor and how many hours of shadowing are required for medical school .

Your recommender must be able to speak to your personal characteristics, such as professionalism and maturity. The letter must outline why you would be a good doctor, your professional strengths, your passion for medicine, and any other memorable skills and characteristics that make you stand out. For example, if a physician observed your excellent interactions with patients, this should be mentioned in the letter. Your cooperation, teamwork, ability to follow instructions, and other professional qualities can be sources of inspiration for the physician's recommendation letter. Any examples describing your superb qualifications and suitability for medicine are encouraged. Check out the AAMC Core Competencies for an overview of the ideal characteristics that should be highlighted.

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

What are the Different Types of Medical School Recommendation Letters?

Most common types of medical school recommendation letters:

A letter packet is composed of letters from your referees are assembled and sent out by your school\u2019s career center but there is no letter from your pre-med advisor or committee "}]" code="timeline1">

In the US, Committee Letters are common. A Committee Letter is written by your university’s premed advising committee, which represents your school’s evaluation of you as a candidate. This type of letter is not offered at every school, even though many medical schools prefer a committee letter. The Letter Packet is also an option at some schools. The letters from your referees are assembled and sent out by your school’s career center, but there is no letter from your premed advisor or committee. Individual Letters are exactly as they sound and are also quite common.

How to Ask for Medical School Recommendation Letters

Asking for a medical school recommendation letter is what most people struggle with. They either feel shy or are afraid of being rejected, but you have to remember how normal asking for any recommendation letter is within academia. Writing a medical school recommendation letter is regular part of being a professor or supervisor, so you shouldn’t be afraid to ask, but you have to know how to ask the right way. Being too direct and forward can be too impersonal. Being too familiar and informal can be inappropriate

Typically, most people either ask for a medical school letter of recommendation by either:

You can ask in whichever format feels most comfortable for you, because there are pros and cons to both. For example, if you approach a referee directly, this cuts down on the response time. But writing an email may be better if it makes you feel more confident and you’re not ready to ask in-person.

If the answer is yes, in either case, you should arrange for a second meeting, where you will provide all the necessary information for your recommender: your medical school application timeline and important deadlines, information on how to submit their letter of recommendation, your transcripts, medical school CV , a list of awards or medical school scholarships you’ve won or have applied for, and so on. If you are asking through email, wait for them to respond with a yes before sending them all your supporting documents and submission details.

Check out these top strategies for securing strong medical school recommendation letters!

How to Ask as a Non-Traditional Applicant

If it’s been a while since you have taken your professor’s class, or if you’ve been out of school for a few years, it’s a good idea to approach your professor through email. You can remind them of who you are and what class you took with them to get them to remember you. You don’t want to waste time and effort by finding them to ask in-person, as they might not remember you, but writing an short email explaining who you are, why you are writing and what you are asking for would be the best course of action.

Whenever you’re asking someone to be your referee for medical school, always approach with professionalism and enthusiasm. If they agree to write a letter of recommendation for you, you may choose to share your motivation for applying to medical school, your goals, and any helpful information on writing a letter of recommendation for referees who are new to the task. While medical school recommendation letters are written by someone else, the process requires you to be involved, at least in the beginning.

Can You Reuse Your Medical School Recommendation Letters?

The short answer is yes, you can reuse them, as long as you verify with your referees that this is okay and ask them to change the date on the letterhead before you resubmit an application. Dr. Mistry says “If you do decide to resubmit a medical school application, consider updating your letters of recommendation and submitting new ones anyway, since you may have stronger referees now or some letters of recommendation might be outdated.

Things might be a little different for a DO school application . If you’re applying to a DO program, you may also be required to submit a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation. The first needs to come from a physician, preferably a DO and not an MD, though both are acceptable. The other two letters must be written by either a pre-professional committee member or physical science faculty member from your university.

Do Some Medical Schools Require Different Recommendation Letters?

Medical schools may require a variety of recommendation letters based on your current situation or work history. If you’re a student, some schools may require a certain number of letters from science faculty, and some may ask for letters from employers or supervisors if you are in the workforce. The requirements may be completely different if you served in the military. As previously mentioned, be sure to check with your program as to what kind of recommendation letters you are expected to provide.

Medical School Recommendation Letters: How to Choose Your Recommendation Writers

There is not one type of medical school applicant. People apply to medical school at various points in their life, and don’t always take the traditional path. For this reason, we’ll break down each different type of medical school applicant and how you should go about asking for medical school recommendation letters if you fall into one of these categories. 

Recent Grads

Finding referees to ask for medical school recommendation letters can be a challenge. But premed students need not worry because there are many different avenues to explore to find strong medical school recommendation letter writers. If you’re a recent grad, you should choose from among the following:

• Science and non-science faculty who’ve taught you 
• Research supervisors you’ve worked with
• Physicians you’ve shadowed for at least three months

When choosing from among your former professors, make sure to ask professors who taught classes you did well in by participating in class discussions, going to office hours, and who you’ve bonded with. University professors write letters of recommendation all the time so they won’t have a problem writing one for you, especially if you’ve been an outstanding student. But if a former professor seems reluctant to write you a letter or hesitant, you shouldn’t try to convince them. If you need to convince someone to write you a letter, they are not likely to give you a full-throated endorsement, which is what your medical school recommendation letter should be. 

Non-traditional applicants, such as mature medical school applicants, applicants who have taken a gap year before medical school or aren’t in touch with any of their university professors, and international students might have more questions about choosing medical school referees. Non-traditional medical school applicants or medical school applicants who have been out of school for a longer period may not be able to track down a science professor to fulfill the medical school application requirement or be unfamiliar with the entire medical school application process, such as Ranish, one of our students, who wanted to “gain guidance on the process of applying to medical school and getting admission.” Ranish took a gap year of two years, and was a little rusty on his essential skills, such as interviewing. He had to get professional medical school admissions consulting , who were to help Ranish “perfect how I presented myself and really relayed the importance of being a good interviewer.”

 Some medical schools make exceptions for non-traditional applicants, but there are other tricks to get the needed medical school referees. For example, you can ask:

• Work supervisors or mentors you’ve known for years
• Your former school for a committee letter if they provide the service
• Professors or instructors from any post-bac or upgrading courses you’ve taken

Work supervisors and managers can speak to your real-world experiences and talents. They can also quantify your talents and mention specific examples where you worked to improve a problem or a solution you proposed was successful.

International Applicants

Getting a medical school recommendation letter if you’re an international students can be even more complicated. If you haven’t been educated in the US or Canada, who do you ask? Well, if you’re an international student, you should try to complete at least some education in the US or Canada, such as a postbacc course or a master’s degree in Canada for many reasons, among them having someone to ask for a medical school recommendation letter. But you can also get letters from your professors as long as they are translated to English, as long as they are accepted by your medical school. 

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

Medical School Recommendation Letters: Do’s and Don’ts

Dos for getting medical school recommendation letters, tip #1: do choose strategically based on academic performance.

Choose a professor who can speak to your performance. If you got a C in a class, that professor is probably not the best referee to choose. With that said, you don't necessarily have to pick a professor where you scored an A+. If for example, you got a B+ in chemistry, but you demonstrated significant improvement in the class by regularly getting extra help from your professor or getting a tutor, this can be a great way for admissions committees to see your motivation for self-improvement while also addressing the fact that you achieved a lower grade than you would have liked. Medical school GPA requirements are competitive, but addressing the gap in your application can be the key to how to get into medical school with a low GPA .

Tip #2: Do Have a Good Relationship with Your Referees

Many undergraduate classes have hundreds of students, and it is difficult to get to know your instructor on a personal level. However, you must have a good relationship with the faculty member who will write your recommendation. Attend their office hours, ask them questions after class, or volunteer to help with their research. Clinical research as a premed or virtual research as a premed can provide not only excellent referees, but also strengthen your application to medical school. By forging good relationships with your professors, you allow for personal interactions and experiences with you that they can draw on when they describe you as a worthy applicant. Keep in mind that if you have a fantastic relationship with a teaching assistant (TA) but you hardly know your professor, it’s best to ask for a recommendation letter from your TA, who will be better suited to discuss your particular strengths and speak to your suitability for a career in medicine.

Don’ts for Getting Medical School Recommendation Letters

#1 don’t be afraid to ask for a strong recommendation letter.

Take time to explain why a letter from this writer would be valuable and important for your application to medical school. It can be intimidating to ask for recommendation letters, but don’t be shy: professionals, university faculty, and employers know what such letters entail and often consider them part of their job. Most will have written these kinds of letters before. If you don't ask, you won't get! Be confident, but not forceful.

#2 Don’t Annoy Your Writers By Constantly Asking Them How The Writing Process Is Going

Once your referees commit to writing you a letter, be sure to provide them with deadlines for submission. It’s perfectly acceptable to send them an email as the deadline approaches to remind them about submission. If they do not respond, you can follow up with a phone call. If you do not hear back from them at all, you should assume this person is no longer your recommender.

#3 Don’t Forget Your Plan B

It’s vitally important to have back-ups. It is always better to ask for recommendation letters from more people than is required. In case one of your referees backs out or is no longer available as a reference, you will still have enough references to fulfill medical school requirements. Most medical schools will accept external sections of your application, like recommendation letters late, provided your application package was submitted before the deadline.

 #4 Don’t Write Counterfeit Letters

This goes without saying, but no amount of plagiarism is acceptable on your recommendation letters, or for any of your other materials for that matter. You will not get away with fraudulent letters. The admissions committee will detect them easily and automatically disqualify you from admission.

#5 Do Not Ask To Read Your Recommendation Letter

You should trust the person you chose to write you a glowing reference and waive your right to review the letter. The general rule of thumb is that letters of recommendation should be confidential. This allows your referee to provide a truthful review about your performance and provides medical schools with confidence in the review. Of course, this doesn't apply if you are writing your own letter of recommendation.

Note: Most Canadian schools do not give students the option to waive or not waive the right to review your letter and require confidentiality, as they want referees to be honest.

#6 Don't Forget A Thank You Letter

Do not forget to send a genuine thank you letter to demonstrate your appreciation for the writer's support, just as you would send a thank you for a medical school interview . It’s a common professional courtesy and it shows you appreciate your recommendation letter writers. Send it right after the letter is received in the application system.

Be sure to ask your referees to write a recommendation letter well in advance. One student, Sherry, who recently got into the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine, says that “I think I had different challenges for the application.” Sherry was a reapplicant, as her first attempts were rejected. But she took lessons from the first time and applied them to her subsequent applications. She says, “I think it was the first time around it was a lot more than I had expected and just being on top of those it was a little challenging at first.” Those “things” included asking for references and letter-writers, but she also learned something important about when to ask for medical school recommendation letters. Sherry learned that she had to “start early on all those different processes.”

Using Sherry’s example, you should aim to ask them at least one month before the application deadline. It is sometimes beneficial to ask for a letter much earlier. For example, if you participate in a research project during summer between sophomore and junior year, and you plan to finish working on it when summer ends, you should approach your research supervisor about a recommendation letter that summer. This will ensure that your accomplishments and strengths are fresh in your supervisor’s mind. The same can be said 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.

To store these early letters, you can ask your writer to send the letters to your school's career center, your career counselor or advisor, or any similar office. Once the application process begins, simply remind your recommender about the letter, where it is stored, and its deadline. Most universities will be happy to store your recommendation letters for you. Alternatively, you can use an online letter storage service or online dossier service to store your letters.

For the above application services, you should request your letters of recommendation no later than 2-3 months before you plan on submitting your application. If you want to submit by May 31, then you should request your letters starting in March. Contact your referees to remind them of the deadline no later than 2 weeks in advance of the date you plan to submit your application.

For OMSAS , it’s best to adhere to the recommendation to send your reference requests by September 15 to ensure your referees have enough time to complete the request before the deadline. Send your reminders a week after this date if you don’t receive confirmation.

Sample 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

What makes this letter strong?

• It qualifies the relationship with the applicant right away: a strong letter will mention how the writer knows the applicant in the first paragraph. This is important information that will contextualize the supporting details in the letter.
• It gets right to the point: this letter is a great demonstration of the concept of efficient writing. There’s no exposition or unnecessary detail. The topic sentence of the second paragraph introduces the applicant’s important characteristics, such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which help transition into the subsequent paragraphs.
• Evidence is provided: all letters of recommendation need evidence of skills. The writer of this letter, who is a science professor, expounds on the list of skills mentioned by connecting them with course concepts that the student excelled at, for example, Scott’s understanding of embryological systems. 

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.

The skills are specific to the candidate’s role as a research assistant: the traits that your referees mention shouldn’t be arbitrary. They need to be specific to you and your role. For this example, the referee mentioned attributes like analytical skills, which directly relate to the candidate’s performance as a research assistant.

• It proves the candidate goes above and beyond: the referee remarks on how Cecilia not only performed her duties with professionalism, attention to detail, etc., but how she took the initiative to support her colleagues. An apt example is given, which helps round out Cecilia’s applicant profile.
• It employs terse language: recommendation letters with flowery, unnecessary words and structure will debase the quality of the appraisal significantly. In this example, every sentence and word have a purpose. Don’t accept letters that are excessively praising, which typically sound contrived and possibly fraudulent.

I am writing this recommendation letter for Kalvin Foster, whom I have had the pleasure of coaching for the last four years as a member of the X University Pandas basketball team. From his first tryouts to his final accomplishments with our team, Kalvin has consistently shown up and demonstrated why he is an excellent athlete and teammate. The other coaches, myself and the team will miss his presence on the court when he graduates this spring.

From the first day of tryouts in Kalvin’s freshman year, he made an impression on me, not only through his athleticism but his enthusiasm, infectious positivity and tireless commitment to showing up, improving and persevering. Once he had made the team, his energy and tireless optimism never wavered, no matter the final score on the board or the setbacks he experienced from injury, illness, game cancellations or personal troubles in four years of college basketball. He managed to balance his study schedule alongside our practices and games, always bringing a smile to the court.

Kalvin had an undeniable effect on his teammates as well, who looked up to him as a natural leader, mentor and friend. Kalvin is quick to praise, encourage and help, and has never been the type to put anyone down or blame others for mistakes. He is consistently focused on the future and keeping his head up, and this attitude has rubbed off on his teammates.

His most notable accomplishment with the team, however, was due to his medical training. Kalvin is certified in first aid, and this skill became critical when a teammate collapsed on the court during a regular practice. Rushing the to teammate’s side, Kalvin didn’t hesitate to begin first aid, directing other players on what to do and keeping everyone calm and informed on what was happening. Fortunately, the teammate recovered, but Kalvin’s act was inspiring to not only the team but myself. I made the decision to host a series of first aid and sports injury first aid instruction with the team, which Kalvin was instrumental in organizing.

I have no doubt that Kalvin will succeed in becoming an excellent physician. His nature, ambition and enthusiasm are endless, and once he sets his mind to something, he achieves it. Kalvin’s Pandas teammates have nothing but respect and admiration for him, and he will be dearly missed, but we are all excited to see where this next step of his journey takes him. I cannot recommend Kalvin more highly for a spot in your program.

Name of Writer

• Timeline: in the opening paragraph, an overview of the timeline of the coach’s relationship with Kalvin is provided. This not only establishes context, but it helps demonstrate growth and commitment. The writer goes on to mention an impression made on the first day of tryouts, as well as how he influenced the team once he earned his place.
• Stays relevant: this letter keeps the content relevant to medical school, despite the fact that the referee is the candidate’s coach. The anecdote about how Kalvin’s first aid training was critical in an urgent situation, and the exposition about how Kalvin was adept at balancing his studies with his team obligations, shows academic readiness and time management skills – two highly important traits for medical school success.
• Reveals attitude : this letter does a good job at revealing the attitude of the applicant, which is where many recommendation letters fall short. In reading about Kalvin’s infectious positivity and how that changed the team atmosphere, the admissions committee reviewing the letter will see that Kalvin has the right attitude to become a physician.

Medical school recommendations are usually written by people from these five categories:

a) Science and non-science faculty

b) Physicians

c) Research supervisors

d) Employers

e) Volunteer or EC supervisors

Your recommenders must submit the letters electronically through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application or Interfolio. If a letter is uploaded through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application, it is immediately marked as received. A letter uploaded through Interfolio will take approximately three days to be marked as received.

Canadian schools have their own application procedures. Each school and the Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) has its own preferred way of submitting LORs. Although most prefer letters to be submitted online through a specific portal, make sure to check with the program and contact the admissions office directly to confirm.

Ideally, they should be two pages long. A one-page medical school recommendation letter can raise red flags for its brevity; a two-page letter shows that the writers have a lot to say about you, so while conciseness may work for other parts of your application, a longer medical school recommendation letter (at least two pages) is best. 

Absolutely! Due to the high volume of students in most undergraduate classes, you do not always have the opportunity to work directly with your professors. You will, on the other hand, most likely work with and get to know your teaching or lab assistant. It's more important to secure a letter from a TA who knows you best, compared with a professor you've never had a conversation with.

If you are worried about the quality of your recommendations from old professors, then it's best to ask another suitable individual for a letter. If you must send in a letter from a science faculty member, you'll have to contact the professor or TA you interacted with the most. More often than not, a little refresher will enable them to remember you, plus, you may be more memorable than you think!

A professor will usually only refuse to write a letter if they truly feel that they don’t know you and your work well enough to write you the kind of recommendation you need to get into medical school. Don’t be discouraged if this is the case; you’ll simply need to search for someone else, which is better than a poor or ineffective letter of recommendation.

Medicine is a collaborative environment but also one where you will spend time learning from more senior practitioners for a long time. Medical schools do not just want to hear from you, they want to hear from people in supervisory positions who you have worked with. They want to learn about your potential to become a strong physician from people who you have collaborated with and learned from.

You can help your writers by providing them with a draft of your medical school personal statement , your CV or resume, and even the spreadsheet of your extracurriculars for medical school you have prepared to fill out your AMCAS Work and Activities section . Essentially, you want to provide them with any document that can help them write a stronger letter for you.

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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. 

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Medical Education Admissions

Start your journey: apply to rochester.

Our students have a strong foundation in science, evidence of curiosity through research/innovation, and demonstration of human connection through clinical experiences, community engagement, and advocacy.

As required by federal regulations, we are sharing that the MD program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, as a medical school fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), meets the educational requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The school is required to share the contact information for the LCME ( https://lcme.org/contact/ ) for the public to verify the school’s status. 

Important Dates: Application Timeline

If you are interested in Rochester, we recommend you apply as early as possible . Here are the deadlines:

• October 15: American Medical Colleges Application Service (AMCAS) opens for application submission May 30, 2023 . Our deadline for submission is October 15th. Once we receive your verified application from AMCAS, we will send you an email with instructions on how to submit a secondary application form.
• November 15: Secondary application and $100 non-refundable fee due via the applicant portal by November 15th.
• November 22: Letters of recommendation due. These must be submitted via AMCAS Letter Service. Letters of recommendation, submitted on official letterhead may be a composite letter or pre-health advisory committee letter from your school, or a minimum of 3 individual letters.
• September – mid-March: Interviews are conducted by invitation. All interviews will be virtual and are required for admission.
• Early to mid-March: All interview decisions will be completed.

Interview Process

Interview Selection  

Applicants are selected for interview based on a holistic admissions process which weighs a number of different factors including MCAT, GPA, activities and experiences, letters of recommendation, personal statements, background, undergraduate institution, and mission alignment. Selected applicants will be emailed by the Admissions Office to schedule their interview day. A confirmation email will be sent with your interview day schedule prior to your interview date.

Admissions Requirements and Recommendations

• ​​​ In response to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, many colleges and universities offered Pass/Not Pass grades for the 2020 Spring and Summer semesters. We will be flexible in our understanding of the unique circumstances that you may have faced and will accept P/NP grades for these two semesters, including online labs. If your school offered students the option of a grade rather than P/NP, we would prefer a grade, especially for prerequisites.
• We prefer in-person pre-requisite courses, if your school offered you the option. We recognize that this may not have been possible and will accept virtual prerequisite science classes and labs. 
• All special situations  will be considered, please reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

With the exception of applicants in our ( Rochester Early Medical Scholars Program , Early Assurance Program, and Post-bac Linkage Program), all applicants are required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Applicants may submit an AMCAS application and secondary application without an MCAT score, but an application will not be considered complete and ready for review until an MCAT score has posted. MCAT scores must be no more than four  years old prior to matriculation.

The latest exam date that will be accepted for the 2023-2024 application year will be  September 9, 2023.

Please visit AAMC's MCAT site   for additional information.

• One year of biology with laboratory. Biochemistry or botany will not satisfy this requirement. AP credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If your undergraduate college granted you credit through AP coursework, you may take upper level courses in biology with laboratory to satisfy this requirement.
• One year of physics with laboratory. AP credit can be used to meet one semester of the physics requirement.
• One year of chemistry  with  laboratory which must include either one year of organic chemistry  or  one semester of organic and one semester of biochemistry. AP credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If your undergraduate college granted you credit through AP coursework, you may take upper-level courses in chemistry with laboratory to satisfy this requirement. 
• One semester of either calculus or statistics. AP credit can be used to meet this requirement.
• AP credit must be documented on an official transcript.
• All required science coursework must be taken in-person, if available.
• We recommend courses in general chemistry, statistics, genetics, physiology, and biochemistry.

Non-Science Coursework

• 12 credit hours in the humanities and/or the social or behavioral sciences.
• One year of expository writing. This may be met with English or non-science courses that involve expository writing.
• AP credit will not satisfy non-science requirements.
• Evidence of altruism, an accepting attitude, curiosity, empathy, maturity, professionalism, mindfulness, and resilience.

Updates to our admissions policies, procedures, and deadlines will be updated on our MSAR.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average gpa & mcat score of entering students.

The average GPA is 3.8, range of 3.2 - 4.0. The average MCAT score is 516, range of 503 - 528.

If I have taken more than one MCAT, how are the scores viewed?

We look at all test scores. We do not take the best section scores from different exams (super score).

Do you require situational judgment tests (e.g. CASPer)?

Do you accept international applicants.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have permanent residency status or asylee status. The exception is: Applicants for our  Levitan  scholarship.

Can I meet with an admissions advisor?

Due to limited staffing, please email [email protected] with questions.

What’s the status of my application?

Check the applicant portal for application status information.

Where can I find out details about my interview?

Detailed interview day information will be provided in the applicant portal.

When will I learn about Admissions decision following my interview?

Decisions are made approximately six to eight weeks after your interview and communicated via email.

What is your waitlist procedure?

A subcommittee reviews applicants on the waitlist based on a holistic review and their overall committee score. Initial offers to waitlisted applicants begin at the end of April via email notification. The number of students accepted from the waitlist varies from year to year.

Should I send updates to my file if I am waitlisted?

We welcome substantial updates, i.e. awards, a new job or volunteer position, publication or presentation. They may be sent via the applicant portal through the Additional Documents upload.

Do you accept requests for deferment?

Applicants may request to defer their admission for one year for enrichment purposes. All deferral requests must be submitted via email to [email protected] and will be reviewed by the committee. If the request is granted, the deferral period will be for one year only. Applicants are expected to matriculate the following academic year. If a deferred student applies to any other medical school during their enrichment year, we will revoke our offer of admission. Merit scholarship awards cannot be guaranteed post deferral. All deferrals must be submitted prior to April 30th. Any requests submitted after this date will not be entertained. Deferrals will not be granted at any time for MSTP applicants.

Why was my application rejected?

Please email [email protected] if you were not accepted and would like more information to help strengthen your future application.

Do you require COVID-19 vaccinations?

No. While the University no longer mandates COVID vaccinations, staying up to date on COVID vaccines and boosters remains strongly encouraged to protect against the virus’s severe effects, and to mitigate the illness in the community. View our immunization requirements for more information.

Does the University of Rochester offer health insurance?

Yes, please visit University Health Service for more information.

Do you offer tours to prospective applicants?

We offer a virtual tour and self-guided in-person tours. Accepted students will receive an email with more detail regarding guided in-person tours.

Do you have a preference for New York State residents?

No. We are a private medical school that considers geographical diversity an important aspect of our medical school class.

How does University of Rochester affiliation and legacy status impact the admissions decision?

We do not use legacy status or University of Rochester affiliations when screening applicants for interview or when making admissions decisions. We use family information reported on the secondary application to ensure there are no conflicts of interests during our admissions process.

Do you accept transfer students?

We do not accept transfer applications.

Do you have an 8-year medical school program?

Yes, we have a BA/BS+MD degree program called the Rochester Early Medical Scholars Program . For more information, please call the University of Rochester Undergraduate Admissions Office at (585) 275-3221 or toll-free at (888) 822-2256.

Do you have an Early Assurance Program?

Yes, with the following participating schools: Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Carleton College, Colgate University, Hamilton College, Haverford College, Hunter College - CUNY, Middlebury College, Spelman College, Swarthmore College, Williams College, and Xavier University of Louisiana. Please contact your pre-health advisor to learn more about the program.

Do you have a Post-bac Linkage Program?

Yes, with Bryn Mawr College and Columbia University . Please contact your pre-health advisor to learn more.

Do you have combined/dual degree programs?

Yes, view our combined/dual degree programs .

Do you have a DDS program?

The University of Rochester does not have a DDS granting program. Rochester does have advanced degree opportunities in dentistry. If you are interested in the MD-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Resident Program , a four-year training program, contact (585) 275-9004. Applicants to this program must already have their DDS degree.

Do you have a physician's assistant program?

Do you have a medical tech program.

Yes. View our medical tech program .

Do you have a physical therapy program?

Transfer/admission with advanced standing, international students.

We only accept applications from international students who have

• Applied for our Levitan Family Endowed Scholarship    

All other applicants must be U.S. citizens, have permanent residency status or asylee status.

Medical students who are not U.S. citizens or do not have U.S. Permanent Residency are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate visa status when applying for post-graduate training (residency programs).

Per U.S. Federal Regulations, 668.43 (2019 Rule), and in compliance with the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) Manual version 19.2, the University of Rochester provides the following disclosure related to the educational requirements for professional certification and licensure. The University of Rochester has designed the curriculum for professional certification and licensure, that if successfully completed, is sufficient to meet the certification and licensure educational requirements in the state of New York.  For information regarding licensure in another state, enrolled and prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact that State’s licensing body to review all certification and licensure requirements.

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Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

Prerequisites and Application

Prerequisites for admission, profile of the class of 2023.

• Applicants: 6,182
• Matriculated: 119
• Percent of matriculated from Ohio: 60.5%
• Interviews granted: 426
• Male/female ratio: 36%/64%
• Average undergraduate GPA: 3.61
• Average MCAT 2015 score: 506.5
• Underrepresented in medicine: 26%
• Acceptance rate: 3.94%

The  Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)  and three years (90 semester hours or 135 quarter hours) of preparation in an approved college or university in the United States or Canada are required for admission to Boonshoft School of Medicine. Applicants are expected to present the equivalent of the  usual premedical preparation , including the following:

• Two semesters or 3 quarters of college biology with labs
• Two semesters or 3 quarters of college general chemistry with labs
• Two semesters or 3 quarters of college organic chemistry with labs
• Two semesters or 3 quarters of college physics with labs
• Two semesters or 3 quarters of college mathematics (through trigonometry; calculus preferred)
• Two semesters or 3 quarters of college English
• One semester or 2 quarters of biochemistry

Advanced Placement (AP) courses that have been accepted by your university for credit and appear on your transcript will be accepted to meet prerequisite requirements. Community college credit is accepted if it includes a lab component and is comparable in content to a four-year college. Math and English requirements can be taken as online classes. Online science prerequisites are not excepted unless taken online as a result of the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic. Online science prerequisites must have been completed between January 2020 and August 2021 in order to be accepted by the  Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine.

There is no requirement to take these courses within a particular time frame, but most applicants find that courses completed more than 10 years ago will not be current enough to adequately prepare them for the MCAT.

While a basic understanding of the physical and biological sciences is important to medical education, a broad appreciation of individuals and their social, cultural, and artistic efforts is equally necessary. Each applicant's credentials for admission will be individually reviewed and evaluated.

The MCAT is offered many times during the year but must be taken no later than September of the year in which an application is filed. MCATs taken after September of the application year cannot be considered for admission. Ideally, the MCAT should be taken in April of the year in which the application is filed and no more than three years prior to submitting the application. Only the 2015 version and later is acceptable. Only those MCAT scores available at the time of review will be considered by the Admissions Committee. The Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine requires a minimum 495 Composite score on MCAT.

Citizenship Requirements

To be considered for admission, an applicant must be a United States citizen, possess a permanent resident visa, or be a non-citizen with an I-94 Form from the Department of Homeland Security showing "Refugee" or "Asylum Granted" status. If the required prerequisite courses were not completed in the United States or Canada, the applicant will need to have an advanced degree from an approved United States college or university or an international college or university which has been fully accredited by an established United States higher education certifying agency.

Submit Your Application to AMCAS

Application to the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine must be made through the  American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) .  Applications are due by Nov. 1.  To allow ample time for processing, submit your application to AMCAS no later than Oct. 15. 

Boonshoft School of Medicine has a secondary application requirement with an additional fee. Those applicants exempted by AMCAS for fees do not have to pay for a secondary application. After we receive and review your application from AMCAS, we will notify you by email with instructions for completing the secondary application and paying the fee online.  The secondary application fee is due by Dec. 1.

Offers of acceptance are sent electronically and on a rolling basis beginning October 15. If an applicant fails to respond to an admissions offer in the time allotted, the acceptance is withdrawn.

Letters of Recommendation

We prefer to receive a letter of recommendation from the premedical advisory committee at your college or university. If your school does not have such a committee, you may substitute letters from three faculty members who had you in class, including at least two letters from science faculty. For non-traditional applicants or anyone who cannot meet the letters of recommendation standards listed above, choose someone who you feel can best attest to your ability to meet the required competencies for medical school.  The minimum  number of letters is three; the maximum number of letters is five. L etters must be submitted through the AMCAS Letter Service. Letters of recommendation are due by Dec. 1. We do not accept letters sent directly to the medical school.

Contact Information

Every effort is made to keep applicants informed of the status of their applications. Should your address or telephone number change during the application year, please update your AMCAS application.

Frequently Asked Questions

The committee is looking for evidence of intellectual ability, dedication to human concerns, communication skills, maturity, motivation, and potential for medical service in an underserved area of Ohio. Academic factors include undergraduate school(s); science GPA and trend; difficulty of major and course load; MCAT scores; honors and awards for academic achievement; and research experience. Humanistic factors include pre-college and college extracurricular activities; hours worked while attending school; work experiences; volunteer experiences; honors and awards for non-academic achievement; and letters of recommendation.

Students repeatedly mention two things that stand out at Wright State's School of Medicine. Teamwork and team building are emphasized here — not competition. Classmates support and help each other — as do faculty members. Wright State has a low ratio of students per faculty member, and faculty are dedicated to student success.

Simply stated, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, like one-fifth of the nation's 141 accredited M.D.-granting medical schools, does not own or operate a university hospital or academic medical center. Instead, it partners with six major teaching hospitals and two federal institutions for clinical training. That means that you will experience a diverse patient base and observe several types of residency programs. Our alumni tell us that this community exposure prepared them to excel in their residency training. Find out more more about our affiliated hospitals and affiliated health care institutions.

Our graduates enter a wide range of medical specialties and competitive programs across the country. In the last five years, approximately 45 percent of our graduates entered the generalist fields of family medicine, internal medicine, internal medicine/pediatrics and pediatrics; the other 55 percent entered a wide range of specialties and sub-specialties. See "Our graduates get top residencies" for more information about how well Wright State University graduates do in the match.

No. While a basic understanding of the physical and biological sciences is important to a medical education, a broad appreciation of individuals and their social, cultural and artistic efforts is equally necessary. Each applicant's credentials for admission will be individually reviewed and evaluated. Entering students have a wide variety of majors including biology, chemistry, engineering, health, English, foreign language, anthropology, psychology and physics, to name a few.

Boonshoft School of Medicine has a secondary application requirement with an additional fee. Those applicants exempted by AMCAS for fees do not have to pay for a secondary application. After we receive and review your application from AMCAS, we will notify you by email with instructions for completing the secondary application and paying the fee online.  The secondary application fee is due by Dec. 1st.

 We prefer to receive a letter of recommendation from the premedical advisory committee at your college or university. If your school does not have such a committee, you may substitute letters from three faculty members who had you in class, including at least two letters from science faculty.

Your letters should be submitted through the AMCAS Letter Service. Letters of recommendation are due by December 1. We do not accept letters sent directly to us.

Yes. Approximately 20 percent of the students in recent incoming classes were classified as out-of-state.

An applicant must be a U.S. citizen, possess a permanent resident visa or be a non-citizen with an I-94 Form from the Department of Homeland Security showing "Refugee" or "Asylum Granted Status" to be considered for admission.

Boonshoft School of Medicine is not accepting transfer applications at this time.

Yes. Applications for the Early Decision Program must be made to AMCAS by Aug. 1 of the year prior to the year of admission. You must be a resident of Ohio to be considered for Early Decision. All supporting materials, including letters of recommendation, must be received in the admissions office by Aug. 31. Applicants considered for Early Decision will be interviewed during September. The Admissions Committee will make its decisions and applicants will be notified by Oct. 1.

Interviews are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from August through March. Candidates receive two one-on-one interviews lasting about 45 minutes each. The purpose of the interview is to gather information about your preparation and qualifications for a career as a physician. Campus tours, as well as opportunities to meet with faculty and students, are provided the same day as the interview. Learn more about interview day .

 When we have received all the application materials and the application is complete, your entire application is reviewed by members of our preadmissions screening committee. Those selected for an interview will be notified on a rolling application basis. Those not selected for an interview will be notified after the December 1st application deadline and before the end of interviews at the end of March. 

Interviewed applicants are discussed by the Committee and assigned numerical ratings. Ratings are based on both academic and humanistic factors. Academic factors include undergraduate school(s), science GPA and trend, the difficulty of major and course loads, MCAT scores, honors, and awards for academic achievement and research experience. Humanistic factors include extracurricular activities, hours worked while attending school, work experiences, volunteer experiences, honors and awards for non-academic achievement, and letters of recommendation. Acceptances are granted on the basis of the Committee rating. Those with the highest ratings receive acceptances first. Normally, interviewing and the final Committee review are completed by end of March. The Committee then prepares an alternate list consisting of those applicants who were awarded the higher ratings but have not received acceptances.

The Committee selects those who are deemed to be a good fit for the Boonshoft School of Medicine. It also recognizes that it is in the best interest of meeting both societal and educational needs to select a heterogeneous group of students. Students with diverse life experiences, academic preparation, learning styles, and demographic backgrounds are selected.

Admissions Timetable

Student affairs & admissions.

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Admissions and Application Process

Submission deadlines and admissions timeline.

At Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, we look for more than bright minds. We seek students who want to change lives, transform health care, and define the future of medicine. Ensure you are prepared, and learn more about our submission items and deadlines.

Prerequisites and requirements

Review the academic and test prerequisites and technical standards for students applying for admission to the M.D. Program at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Find out more about our M.D. Program's acceptance rate and admissions statistics .

How to apply

Students in the M.D. Program receive outstanding integrated clinical and research training, and also acquire the skills to be leaders in an ever-changing and challenging health care environment. We encourage you to apply and join us for an unparalleled medical training experience.

Application requirements

M.d. program application requirements.

All applications submitted to AMCAS must include the following:

• Online AMCAS application:  Submit your application during the application window, between   June 1-Oct. 1.
• Transcripts:  Transcripts for all previously completed academic programs must be submitted to AMCAS by Oct. 15.
• Application processing/secondary fee: Applicants selected for secondary review will be required to pay a $120 processing fee by Nov. 1 (unless granted a fee waiver by AMCAS).
• Letters of recommendation: Applicants must submit a minimum of three individual letters or one committee letter. Review Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine letters of recommendation requirements and submit letters of recommendation through the AMCAS Letter Service by Nov. 1.
• MCAT: The highest MCAT will be reviewed. Only MCAT scores reported within three years of an applicant's matriculation year are considered. Our current MCAT threshold for further consideration is a score of 508.

M.D.-Ph.D. training program application

If you are interested in M.D.-Ph.D. training, visit the Medical Scientist Training Program website for more information.

Primary application

Complete the online application through the  American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) . Applications are accepted June 1 through Oct. 1. Given the highly competitive nature of our program, early submission of application materials is strongly encouraged.

As a national medical school, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine has one AMCAS application for our three campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. Applicants who meet our MCAT threshold of 508 will be considered to receive our secondary application.

Secondary application

Applicants invited to complete a secondary application will have the opportunity to select and rank up to four campus track options:

• Arizona 4-Year Track.  The Arizona campus is your home base for all four years.
• Minnesota 4-Year Track.  The Minnesota campus is your home base for all four years.
• Arizona/Florida Track. You complete preclinical coursework on the Arizona campus and then clinical clerkships on the Florida campus.
• Minnesota/Florida Track.  You complete preclinical coursework on the Minnesota campus and then clinical clerkships on the Florida campus.

Applicants must select at least one campus track option. Options ranked will be considered at the time of interview invitation and acceptance.

An application is considered complete when the secondary application has been submitted, the $120 fee has been paid or waived, and the minimum number of letters of recommendation has been met.

Secondary application questions

Each essay must be 500 words or less.

• Why are you specifically interested in pursuing your medical education at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine? Please tell us in a few sentences why you are interested in the top track choice you indicated.
• Each of us relates to others through characteristics that make up our individual diversity. Tell us how your diversity is reflected not only in your personal and professional activities, but also in your relationship with others, particularly in diverse learning environments. 
• Letters of recommendation

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine requires a minimum of three letters of recommendation or one composite letter from a premedical committee to supplement your application.

Guidelines for letters of recommendation

• Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine only accepts letters submitted through the  American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) Letter Service . Letters sent directly to the school are not accepted. Applicants are encouraged to visit the letter service page on the AMCAS website for more information. To ensure efficient processing of your letters by AMCAS, carefully follow all instructions.
• We require at least one letter to be written by a science professor in the life sciences or physical sciences. A letter from a teaching assistant is also acceptable.
• Examples of letters writers include: research mentors, employers, volunteer supervisors, physicians with whom you have worked or shadowed, teachers and professors, and other professionals.
• Letters should be written by people who know you well and whose opinions convey the likelihood of your success in medical school.
• Letters from family and friends are not accepted. 
• A maximum of 10 letters are accepted.
• The deadline to submit letters of recommendation is Nov. 1.

Application review process

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine has a separate admissions committee for each campus. Each of these committees is composed of current and retired Mayo Clinic staff, administrators, residents, medical students, and professional members of the community. These three admissions committees report to the Admissions Executive Committee that governs admissions for all campuses of the national medical school.

The admissions committee members review applications until all interview slots have been filled for the cycle. We encourage applicants to apply as early as they can.

Selection criteria

The committee considers these factors when selecting applicants for interview:

• Academic performance
• MCAT score (at or above 508)
• GPA (no minimum GPA requirement)
• Depth and breadth of all experiences, such as community and volunteer service, leadership, research, exposure to and exploration of medicine, artistic and athletic endeavors, and work experiences
• Personal statement

Learn more about the  M.D. Program prerequisites and admissions requirements .

Campus interviews

Interviews allow us to meet the applicants we have read so much about! These interviews also allow applicants to meet the admissions committee members, current students, and some of their potential classmates. We are happy to answer all of your questions and look forward to meeting you!

Interview invitations

Depending on your selection and rank of campus track in the secondary application, you could be invited to interview with any of our three campuses.

Applicants who select more than one campus track option will only be invited to interview with one campus, taking into consideration the specific rank of preference. That interview will count as your interview for the other campus tracks that were selected in your secondary application.

Interviews are virtual, video interviews.

Interview invitations are emailed August through November, and conducted from September through December. These time frames are subject to change.

Before your interview

Each admissions committee reviews completed applications and selects qualified applicants for interviews. Completed applications will start being reviewed on July 19.

If invited to interview, applicants will receive campus-specific information.

Interview day

Applicants invited to interview will participate in:

• Welcome sessions
• Two, one-on-one, 30-minute, virtual interviews
• A virtual tour of campus
• Connecting with current students
• Question-and-answer sessions

Our goal is to make sure you are just as connected to us virtually, as you would be if you were visiting on campus. We want you to feel at home!

After interview day

Our admissions committees meet weekly throughout the admissions cycle to deliberate on applicant interviews. We encourage applicants to stay in touch by uploading update letters into the admissions portal. Our committee members enjoy reading these updates!

Admission decisions

Early decision and rolling admissions.

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine does not have an early decision program or rolling admissions.

Application updates and status

We like to hear from our applicants! Significant application updates are accepted after an applicant has been invited for an interview.

• Updates should be uploaded directly into the admissions portal as a PDF document.
• We do not require or accept any updates to transcripts or grades.
• Materials should not be mailed to our office unless specifically requested.
• Application statuses can be checked through the admissions portal throughout the admissions cycle.

Acceptance, alternate list, and rejections

We make acceptance decisions when all interviews are complete on each campus, and when our admissions committees have deliberated on all applicants. 

Initial offers of acceptance are typically made in mid-February. The Admissions Executive Committee could consider all campus track options that an applicant indicated on their secondary application at the time of acceptance, regardless of where they interviewed. All offers of acceptance begin with a phone call from a member of our admissions committee to the accepted applicant.

Alternate list

Alternate list notifications are sent once initial offers of acceptance have been communicated. Offers of acceptance from the alternate list may be extended between March and June.

Once initial acceptances and alternate list offers are made, we will notify applicants of initial rejections. Rejections from the alternate list will be made at the end of the admissions season.

Second look

Accepted applicants will be invited to attend a virtual second look information session, as well as the opportunity to visit our campus in-person in the spring. 

Deferred matriculation

Requests for deferred matriculation are only available to accepted applicants. 

Accepted applicants who would like to apply for deferral must write to the Office of Admissions stating their reason for requesting deferral and their proposed plans for the duration of the deferral by June 1. Deferred matriculation requests are not guaranteed to be granted. If approved, deferrals are typically granted for one year to two years.

AMCAS: Choose Your Medical School protocol

Applicants can find more information on the AAMC website about the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool .

Applicants should notify all schools promptly of their enrollment plan in accordance with the AAMC Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants . Applicants who do not comply with this protocol may be subject to having their acceptance rescinded.

Please keep in mind the following information and deadlines specific to the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine:

Application window

Applications are accepted June 1-Oct. 1 each year.

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Requirements

AMCAS - Applying to Medical School

CU School of Medicine requires all prospective students to apply through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) based in Washington, DC.

The AMCAS on-line application usually opens in early June. Normally there is a three to four week delay before the school receives the application from AMCAS due to transcript verification. Students are encouraged to apply  EARLY . 

Degree and Coursework

The CUSOM requires that students have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited* college or university prior to matriculation, other than those that have received a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D.) degree without having first obtained a baccalaureate degree. 

The CUSOM recognizes that the experiences and undergraduate academic experience of our applicants varies greatly. We encourage applicants to explore a diverse, interdisciplinary, and balanced undergraduate education, encompassing the necessary foundational knowledge in the biomedical sciences and humanities. Students need to be adequately prepared in the scientific underpinnings of modern medicine and understand the psychosocial elements that are critical to its practice. 

Accordingly, students should provide evidence to demonstrate competencies in the life sciences, social sciences, physics and mathematics, based on the AAMC-HHMI Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians and AAMC-Behavioral and Social Science Foundations for Future Physicians . These competencies, representing the cumulative knowledge, skills and commitment to scholarship needed to undertake training as a future physician, can be met through traditional and/or interdisciplinary courses of study in an accredited institution of higher learning, or by other educational, employment, service, or life experiences. 

Competitive applicants should demonstrate in-depth competency in each of the following areas of study, as reflected by their academic achievements and letters of recommendation.   

Biology: Applicants should demonstrate an understanding of molecular and cellular biology, genetics, and the principles underlying the structure and function of organ systems and the regulation of human physiology.   

Chemistry/Biochemistry: Applicants should demonstrate competence in the basic principles of chemistry as it pertains to living systems, and knowledge of how biomolecules contribute to the structure and function of cells and organs.   

Mathematics/Statistics and Physics:  Applicants should demonstrate competence in the basic principles of physics and mathematics underlying living systems and must be able to apply quantitative reasoning, statistical principles, and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world. A basic understanding of statistics or biostatistics is required to comprehend the quantitative aspects of medicine and biomedical research.   

Social Sciences and Communication: It is important that applicants demonstrate competence in the humanistic understanding of patients as individuals and members of families, communities, and society. Applicants should be aware of factors that influence individual, community, and societal decisions regarding health and health care delivery. Applicants are required to be able to speak, write, and read English fluently.   

Students are encouraged to consider additional coursework in biochemistry, computer sciences, genetics, humanities, and social sciences.     AP and CLEP courses, as well as online courses, are viewed with a degree of comparability to college courses, as long as the U.S. accredited degree-granting institution includes these credits on their transcript as fulfilling certain institutional requirements. Students who have AP or CLEP credit in the basic sciences are encouraged to take upper level courses in these areas. Courses taken abroad are treated comparably to traditional courses if these credits are included on the transcript of a U.S. accredited degree-granting institution.   

*An accredited college or university is one that is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Coursework done internationally can fulfill prerequisites if they have been verified by a credentials evaluator, such as World Education Services, Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, etc. 

Students must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), with the oldest exam accepted no more than three years prior to matriculation year. For example, applicants applying for July 2023 matriculation must have MCAT results from January 2020 - October 2022. If the applicant takes the MCAT multiple times, the Admissions Committee will use the best one time composite score.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants are required to obtain letters to support their candidacy for admission. We require three to five letters, or a committee summary letter; letters can come from a faculty member, clinical experience, research experience, or a current job as the letter transmits cogent information about the applicant’s work. Obtaining a letter from the employer who you are working with during the application year is highly recommended.

Evidence of a successful engagement in a post-college experience is considered a valuable addition to other letters that also may be part of your file.

Some colleges offer a pre-medical advising system and the committee writes letters for their students. A committee letter is sufficient to meet the medical school letter of recommendation requirements.

All letters must be transmitted electronically through AMCAS’ application process. Please visit the AMCAS website for further information on how to apply and submit letters of recommendation,  Letters of Rec FAQ ​ . We strongly recommend that letters not be from family friends or others who know the student only peripherally.  

Secondary Application

​​​Upon receipt and verification of the AMCAS application, the Office of Admissions will email eligible applicants the link to our Secondary Application that is to be completed online and submitted by November 30, 2023.

The secondary application consists of:

• Secondary application processing fee – fee is non-refundable (fee is waived for FAP eligible applicants)
• Required CUSOM essays
• Optional essays of interest in the Fort Collins Branch, Colorado Springs Branch, Rural Program, or combined MD-MS in Aerospace Engineering Sciences
• CASPer and Duet test results

Completed secondary applications are forwarded to the admissions committee who perform a holistic review of applications and invite select applicants for an interview. Interview invitations are distributed from roughly August through February.

CASPer and Duet

All applicants applying to the University of Colorado School of Medicine  are required to complete an online suite of assessments (Acuity Insights, formerly Altus Suite), to assist with our selection process for the 2023-2024 Application Cycle.

Casper and Duet are a standardized, two-part online assessment of non-cognitive skills, interpersonal characteristics,  and personal values and priorities  that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. These data will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation.  

• Casper:  an online situational judgment test (SJT)
• Duet:  an online value-alignment assessment  

Register for  Medicine (UME)  ( CSP-10111 - U.S. Medicine)

Application Fee Payments and Fee Waivers

Students invited to complete the secondary application must submit an application processing fee of $100 with the secondary application. An application fee waiver will be grantedto applicants who received approval from the AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP). The secondary application fee is non-refundable.

Technical Standards for Admission

Applicants for admission to the School of Medicine and continuing students must possess the capability to complete the entire medical curriculum and achieve the degree. In addition to successfully completing all courses in the curriculum, students must be able to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care.

Technical Standards for Admissions

Admissions contact information.

• Jeffrey SooHoo, MD, MBA Assistant Dean of Admissions 
• Karina Goodwin, MA Admissions Manager
• Lamar Cherry, BA ​Senior Admissions Specialist 

Location Building 500, First Floor Mailing Address: 13001 E. 17th Place Mailstop C292 Aurora, CO 80045 Phone: 303-724-6407 Fax: 303-724-8028 Email:  [email protected]

CU Anschutz

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Campus Box C290

Aurora, CO 80045

303.724.5375

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Letters of Recommendation for DO Schools

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

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

Since AACOMAS 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 AACOMAS. Application and letters will be made available to medical schools after the application is verified.

Each osteopathic medical school for students seeking a DO 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: MD Schools

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• Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database
• MCAT Score Converter (Pre-2015)
• USMLE Score Estimator
• Medical School Chance Predictor

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Also review the Association of American Medical College pamphlet, The Road to Becoming a Doctor ; and the American Assocation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine's Becoming an Osteopathic Physician .

Read what the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has to say about this profession.

Pre-Medicine

• Pre-Med Pathways
• Pre-Med Resources
• Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
• Letters of Recommendation: Information & Forms for Medical School Applicants

Pre-Med FAQs

What should my major be, what is so hard about being pre-med.

What's the difference between an M.D. and a D.O.?

What are the admissions requirements?

What is the mcat and when should i take it, what do medical schools consider when evaluating applicants.

What GPA do I have to have to get into medical school?

Is it all over if I have a bad semester?

Will I need letters of recommendation?

Is financial aid available?

How can the Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC) help me?   

Most medical schools do not require a specific major. Therefore, you may major in almost anything. You should consider a major which you enjoy, in which you will perform well and which may serve as a basis for further graduate work or employment should you choose not to apply to or are not admitted to medical school. Admissions committees expect variety in educational programs, so you should take courses in a wide variety of subject areas, no matter what you decide to declare as a major.

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For many students, the most difficult task is to acquire the study skills and self-discipline necessary to attain academic excellence. The success of your transition to college level work depends not only on ability, but also upon preparation, motivation, organization and how well you learn how to learn. It is important that you really learn the material, not just memorize it, as it is crucial to develop your critical thinking skills. The rigorous curriculum of a pre-medical student demands tenacity and stamina. 

What is the difference between Allopathic (M.D.) and Osteopathic (D.O.) medicine? What does it take to be competitive for each? 

In allopathic medicine, a  M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) focuses on the treatment or suppression of symptoms and diseases using drugs, surgery and other forms of conventional or mainstream medicine. Read more at AAMC.org .

A D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) is a licensed, board certified physician, who has attended medical school and has completed a residency in a medical specialty. Osteopathic physicians are known to approach diagnosis and medical treatment in a holistic manner. Many D.O.'s specialize in primary care. Read more at AACOM.org . 

Common prerequisites for health professions programs

*NOTE: Some health professions schools will not accept prerequisites taken online. All prerequisite courses are recommended to be taken in-person.

Generally, most medical schools require one year of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics designed for science majors.  All courses should have laboratory components. 

Many schools also require one year of college-level math and some schools also require or recommend upper level sciences, a year of English composition, humanities and/or social sciences. Students should speak with a PPAC advisor and consult the admissions literature for the specific requirements  at each school in which you are interested. 

Competitive pre-medical students also possess these important qualities:  competitive metrics ,  strong personal attributes  and have  meaningful pre-medical and other professional experiences .   Visit this webpage for more information about these critical components of your application and meet often with a Pre-Professional advisor. 

The Medical College Admission Test is a standardized test that measures aptitude and achievement in science, critical thinking and other areas related to the study of medicine. Medical schools require that you take the MCAT prior to admission. We suggest familiarizing yourself with the MCAT early on and treating MCAT preparation as a full time job over the course of the semester that you will take the test. Understanding the test can positively affect what you learn in class and how you choose to retain it. 

The four sections of the MCAT exam are:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

Generally, you apply to medical schools before the beginning of your senior year (or a year before you plan to enter), so you should take the admissions test by the spring or summer after your junior year.

We encourage you to be as prepared as possible the first time you take the test. If offered during the application cycle, you may repeat the test if you are not happy with your scores  and  have intentionally improved your test preparation strategies. A  Pre-Professional advisor  can discuss preparation plans with you.

Visit the PPAC's MCAT page for more resources and information . 

As you can see, much of the MCAT focuses on reading and writing skills, so students should stretch themselves in their general education courses and read beyond class requirements. The training will serve you well when you take the MCAT. Visit the American Association of Colleges of Medicine ( AAMC ) for MCAT information.

The criteria for admission varies from school to school, but usually include academic record (GPA), MCAT, letters of recommendation, demonstrated knowledge and commitment to the profession through experience and personal attributes and a personal interview.

Personal characteristcs such as integrity and maturity are considered. Early in your college career you should consider exploring the medical field through volunteering, employment, shadowing and research for credit.

What GPA do I have to have to get into medical school? 

This varies from school to school. However, the majority of students accepted to medical school have a GPA of approximately 3.5 or higher. It is particularly important that you perform well in your science courses. It is important for those considering professional school to be realistic about the extent to which performance meets admissions expectations.

Allopathic/M.D. programs

Source: Association of American Medical Colleges (www.aamc.org)

Osteopathic/D.O. programs

Source: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (www.aacom.org)

Admission committees look at the "big picture" as they evaluate applicants. They realize that every student does not hit the ground running when they enter college. Admission committees expect an excellent academic record, but may make some allowances for a problem semester, slow start or rough spot. If academic problems arise, you must bounce back and perform better than ever to show that the problem was an exception, rather than the rule. Use resources such as professor and T.A. office hours, the  Learning Commons  and other  Academic Excellence & Support Services  offices.

Will I need letters of recommendation? 

Yes. Most schools require two letters from science professors that have had you in class and one letter from a non-science professor. Some D.O. programs require a letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician. Some medical schools allow you to have additional letters.

Amounts and types of aid vary from school to school, as does the cost of your education. You should investigate the costs early in your undergraduate career. Knowing that you are probably going to incur a substantial loan debt for medical school may affect the way that you borrow for your undergraduate education. Most applicants are eligible for government originated aid; apply during January of your application cycle, even if you are still waiting to find out whether or not you have been accepted. Apply for aid at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa . For more information on financing your medical education, visit the  AAMC  and the  AACOM .

Health Professions Scholarship Program is offered via the US Air Force ; US Army ; and US Navy . These programs typically cover 100% of medical school tuition and fees, along with a bonus or stipend.

If you are a low-income applicant you may be eligible for the  AAMC Fee Assistance Program  or an  AACOM Fee Waiver . This will help offset costs of taking the MCAT and applying to medical school.

How can the Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC) help me? 

Preparing for admission to medical school requires careful long-range planning and accurate information. The PPAC specializes in providing you with necessary information and helping you develop good planning skills. The staff of the PPAC provides you with help through each step of the way. PPAC provides services including course selection, career exploration, time management tips, information on individual schools, admissions test preparation advice, managing letters of recommendation and links to ways to get experience in health care settings.

You probably have more questions. Please contact us to make an appointment. It is never too early to start planning.