If you are planning to apply to osteopathic schools, the AACOMAS allows you to upload up to six letters of recommendation. The AACOMAS does not allow you to upload different letters for different schools, so make sure that your recommenders know that they should write general letters of recommendation. You should request your letters through…
The Best Medical School Letter of Recommendation Advice for 2020
The best letters of recommendation come from persons who have seen you perform in some capacity – student, student leader, employee, researcher, volunteer. The weakest letters are of the “character reference” variety (from the clergy member who knows you only as a person who attends weekly services, for example) or come from influential persons (your…
Which Allopathic U.S. Medical Schools Require Pre-Health Committee Letters?
When preparing to apply to medical school, there are lots of details to consider! One major area of the application that causes a lot of stress is the letters of recommendation. To make the process of deciding which letters to collect easier for you, I did the research! (You’re welcome.) What is a pre-health committee…
Applying to Medical School Without a Committee Letter
Some medical schools like, Creighton University School of Medicine, require a committee letter if your undergraduate pre-professional health advising office provides them. In my experience managing a program that was initially connected to the Office of Admissions, it’s a small number of medical schools that prefer the committee letter. In reviewing applications, I found the…
Collecting Letters of Evaluation for the TMDSAS
There are two options when submitting letters of evaluation to TMDSAS. They request either a committee letter or three individual letters of recommendation. For the committee letter, they will accept three different formats: a committee letter that introduces and includes an unlimited number of letters, a committee letter that includes quotes and excerpts from the…
Optimize Your Graduate School Application: Grades, Scores, Essays, Resume, Activity History, and More [Episode 247]
This show was triggered by a question asked on a recent webinar that I gave when a member of the audience, Glenn, asked “Are there any podcasts or resources that focus specifically on rounding out the application – recommendations, extra-curriculars, etc.” There aren’t. I decided to create one, and this is it. We’re going to…
How to Get Really Great Recommendations [Episode 235]
Joe Pavlisko is the founder of Referrio, a start-up that makes getting and writing recommendations easy. Joe graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a concurrent master’s degree in finance. In addition to English, Joe speaks Spanish and German and taught English in rural Spain. After graduating from college…
How Not to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation
Your recommenders are doing you a favor, so the least you can do is make their job easier by following proper letter of recommendation (LOR) etiquette. Breaking these important rules may result in your recommenders deciding not to dish out the most favorable review. Stay on their good side, help them stay organized, and most…
How to Secure Excellent Letters of Recommendation
When you are requesting letters of recommendation, there are a few strategies you can use to make sure you receive excellent letters of recommendation. 1. Start by determining whom you will ask for letters. Being strategic in selecting who knows you best and can write most positively about your work is the most important part…
3 Tips for Requesting Residency Letters of Recommendation
Have you started collecting recommendation letters yet? The LoR Portal explains the process of submitting your letters to ERAS, but how can you ensure that you receive the strongest possible recommendation letter? 1. Ask as early as possible. Your recommenders are busy people, and you don’t want to wait until the last minute to add your request…
10 Tips for Medical School Recommenders
You’ve taken the MCAT, completed all the pre-reqs, and maybe shadowed a physician, done some research, and volunteered. Now it’s time to make sure you’re all in for the last legs of this long journey. In this series, we’ll discuss how you can continue to navigate your way to a med school acceptance by analyzing…
