Why?

Letters of Recommendation (LOR) are an important component to your medical school application. While most medical schools weight the MCAT score and GPA, LOR allow the reviewing committees to further build a “virtual identity” of your capabilities and weaknesses.

How?

There are actually two options for LOR submission. One is directly through AMCAS and the other is through the Premedical Advisory Committee Office.

The direct AMCAS method allows the applicant to print out a one page cover including your AMCAS # and a bar code that is linked to your application. Simply give this page to your recommender. They will send their LOR directly to AMCAS. Do this if you are NOT going through a committee or if you want to submit your application for early decision where time is critical.

If you decide to have the GSU Premedical Advisory Committee process and rank your application, these LOR are very important. There is a 3-page form available at the Office of Academic Assistance on the 3rd floor of 25 Park Place. Grab several of these and give one to each recommender. They will fill out, attach their letter, and mail back to the premed office. It will be added to your already-established file (which you need to set up in April). The premed committee reads your LORs carefully and quotes excerpts from these letters to construct a “summary” of who you are. Then we rank your credentials and submit this to your medical schools of choice. We, in essence, “pre-grade” your application to make it a bit easier for medical schools to select top candidates for interviews.

When? The best time to ask for a LOR from your professors is immediately after you complete their course, and do this IN PERSON. They will associate your face with any future email correspondences. LOR need to be received by the committee or AMCAS in May/early June. Any delay in this process will delay your submission and may put you at a disadvantage. Many applicants email their professor in June asking for an emergency LOR for their file. Caution: many professors are not in office during mid-May through July. This will cause immense frustration and, in some instances, have actually delayed the applicant for another year! So do not wait! Get on this now before your professors end their term. Also, do not expect LOR to be done on the spot. Give your recommenders at least 2 weeks to write your letter, especially when final exams and grades are being finalized.

Who? Your recommenders need to be people who know you very well. In fact, some professors at large universities may have a two course requirement in order to construct a detailed personal letter for you. How many LOR do you need? I would say a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 LOR should be in your file. The average we usually review for a committee letter is around 5 LOR. Most premed applications have strict requirements for who must submit LOR for you.

1. Academic Letters: You should have at least THREE academic letters. These need to come from professors who can vouch for your classroom and study skills. These should come from rigorous senior level courses in which you earned an A and ranked at the top of the class. On occasion, some premed committees will require one letter from chemistry, one from biology, and one from physics. Please check with your premed advisory committee as to how flexible these rules are. Ideally, it should be between the student and recommender as to whom should qualify for a letter. DO NOT ask for letters from your professor in an introductory course, a teaching assistant in a lab, or a supplemental instructor/tutor. Ask your ranking in the class, and make sure you earned an A and had good classroom etiquette. The recommenders have to grade all aspects of your academic performance, including how well you worked with others, if you showed up for class on time, your attentiveness, if you contributed to class discussions, etc. Do not become upset if the instructor denies your request. This happens! Remember, the LOR is a “favor” that the professor does for exceptional students. Your professors are in no way required to write letters of recommendation for students.

2. Clinical Letters: If you shadowed or volunteered in a clinical setting, please ask for a letter from your supervisor or attending physician. They will need to vouch for the number of hours you logged in and how well you interacted with patients.

3. Research Letters: If you conducted any research, please obtain a letter from your research advisor.

4. Employer Letters: Many students neglect to get a letter from their boss thinking it is irrelevant to their dossier. On the contrary! Your boss will be instrumental in describing your work ethic and interaction with customers and co-workers.

When you ask your recommender for a letter, be courteous. If they agree, then please make it easy for them to write your letter. It is very impressive when the student presents a neat folder containing their transcript, resume, personal statement, and mailing address (or stamped, addressed envelope). A deadline should always be written on the packet so the professor is aware of the time constraint. Please follow up with a kind email and thank you card, as well.