Letters of Recommendation

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Requesting Individual Letters of Recommendation

Purpose:

Your letters of recommendation offer a candid, insightful evaluation of you from someone who has observed your work and can attest to your abilities & strengths on an academic and/or personal level. These individuals will also best speak to your academic and personal readiness and ‘fit’ for a career in medicine.

Descriptive quotes may be incorporated into your Committee Letter and an unabridged copy of every recommendation letter is included with your Committee Letter to be submitted to the medical schools’ admissions committees.  It is important to highlight that ALL individual letters of 

Who to Ask:

  • Applicants should solicit 3-6 letters of recommendation from the following individuals:

    • 1-2 Professor(s) of Science (required)

      • Note: this can be the same faculty member who serves as the primary writer of your CL )

    • A Clinical Supervisor or Physician/Medical Professional (strongly recommended)

    • Professor(s) and/or Don

    • Supervisor(s) from a Research or Scholarly Experience 

    • Supervisor(s) from a professional, community or extra-curricular experience 

    • Coach, Employer(s), etc.  

    • Note: It is not appropriate for letters of recommendation to be written by family members 

 

When to Ask:

Applicants should ask their letter writers at least one month in advance of the deadline. Follow-up with your letter writer and give reminders as the deadline approaches. 

 

How to Ask: 

  • Ask directly in person, online via email, or by phone. This approach varies based on your relationship and access to the individual. You can set up a meeting time to discuss the letter by email, but an in-person meeting is more professional and personal. 

  • Be specific in how you ask and give the recommender a chance to say ‘no’

    • It can be helpful to frame your request with “Do you feel you can write me a strong letter of recommendation?” Ask if they will feel comfortable writing a strong, personal, and enthusiastic letter for you in the time allotted. If someone does not feel they can provide you with a strong, personal, and positive letter, than it is best to know in advance  and look for someone else who can be more enthusiastic. 

 

Materials to Provide your LOR Writers:

  1. SLC LOR Guidelines & Waiver Form: Applicants must present their letter writers with the LOR Guidelines and Waiver form at the time of requesting the letter. 

  2. Be prepared to provide your letter writer with a copy of your resume/CV, a short autobiography offering insight into your motivation for medicine 

  3. Refer your letter writers to the AAMC Letter Writer Guidelines 

 

Submission Instructions:

Please view the  LOR Guidelines and Waiver form for detailed information about having your LORs submitted to the prehealth program. 

 

Express your Appreciation:

After your LOR has been submitted, be sure to write a thank you note or email to each of your letter writers to acknowledge the time and effort they put into writing your letter. Stay in touch with your letter writers throughout the application process and continue to build your relationship with your writers.