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• Crafting an Outstanding Letter of Intent for Medical School
• Blog & News
• Medical School

The journey toward becoming a doctor is more than just the rigorous years spent in medical school; it starts right from your undergraduate years. Even the earliest decisions, such as course selection , play a pivotal role in defining your path. Every milestone, every choice, adds a piece to the puzzle that shapes your professional future. 

Yet, even with years of dedication, your credentials may not fully convey the depth of your commitment or potential when it’s time to apply for medical school. In such scenarios, a well-crafted letter of intent can make all the difference.

Dive into this guide as we unravel the intricacies of composing a powerful letter of intent for medical school. We’ll guide you through the essential dos and don’ts and provide a sample letter to anchor your understanding. By the conclusion, you’ll be equipped to pen a persuasive letter of intent that resonates with the discerning eyes of medical school admission committees.

What Is a Medical School Letter of Intent?

A medical school letter of intent is a formal document that prospective students can write to express their interest in attending a particular medical school. Such letters are supplementary to the standard application materials, including forms, test scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation.

Such letters must be sincere, well-crafted, and concise, highlighting the applicants’ unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations that align with the values and offerings of the medical school of their interest.

If you’re still in search of the perfect medical school, one that truly resonates with your goals and merits the effort of composing a letter of intent, we invite you to explore our application guide and take the first step to joining our institution .

When and Why To Send a Medical School Letter of Intent

The timing of a medical school letter of intent is crucial for it to fulfill its purpose as a valuable tool to further showcase your commitment and enthusiasm for a particular institution. 

You need to be mindful of deadlines and carefully follow the specific guidelines set forth by the school to find a balance so you don’t send the letter too early or too late. Generally, we recommend you send it after having some form of interaction with the school, such as an interview or being placed on the waitlist.

For example, after an interview, you can take some time to reflect on the meeting, and that can help you write a detailed letter explaining why the institution is a perfect fit for your educational and professional goals. 

Similarly, this letter can be a powerful tool if you’re waitlisted, as it allows you to show your continued interest in the program and update the admissions committee on new accomplishments or experiences since your initial application.

Ultimately, it can make a significant difference, particularly if you are on a waitlist, as it demonstrates to the admissions committee that you are actively engaged and genuinely passionate about joining their program. It also distinguishes you from other candidates, showcasing your proactive approach and dedication to joining their academic community.

Key Components of a Successful Letter of Intent

To ensure your letter captures the admissions committee’s attention and highlights all that you can bring to the table, focus on the following components:

Addressing the right people

First, make sure that your letter of intent reaches the right individuals. Addressing it to the Dean of Admissions or the specific admissions committee members demonstrates your attention to detail and respect for their roles in the selection process.

If you’ve had prior interactions with faculty or staff members, consider mentioning them by name to personalize your communication further. Small details like that demonstrate that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in the institution.

Expressing genuine enthusiasm

It’s also essential to convey your excitement about the prospect of attending the school you’re interested in. Your eagerness to join them should be evident in your words, showing not only your passion for medicine but also your interest in that specific institution.

You can mention distinctive aspects of the program, faculty, or resources that genuinely resonate with you to give the reader a clear picture of your dedication and genuine desire to contribute to the school’s community.

Highlighting the fit

On top of everything, maintain focus on the “intent” of your letter of intent, which is to illustrate the seamless fit between you and the medical school. 

Mention how the school’s values, mission, and educational approach align with your aspirations and principles. Detail specific programs, research opportunities, or teaching methodologies that resonate with you. By emphasizing this alignment, you not only highlight your suitability but also showcase your potential to thrive and contribute positively to the institution.

Sharing accomplishments or updates

If you have had significant achievements or experiences since submitting your application, now is the perfect opportunity to share them. These could include academic awards, research contributions, or clinical experiences that prove your ongoing growth and dedication to the medical field. Each accomplishment demonstrates your potential as a valuable addition to their medical school community.

Concluding your letter of intent

As you approach the end of your letter, it is important to reiterate your enthusiasm for the medical school and your eagerness to become a part of their esteemed community.

End with a strong, positive note that leaves a lasting impression, expressing gratitude for the time and consideration of the admissions committee. Make it clear that you eagerly anticipate a positive decision while simultaneously emphasizing your understanding that the selection process is rigorous and competitive; therefore, you respect any decision they make. This balanced approach reflects your professionalism and mature perspective, qualities any admission committee values.

Finalizing your draft

Lastly, it’s crucial to thoroughly review and revise your writing before sending off your letter. Check for grammatical or typographical errors and ensure the language is clear, concise, and professional. Verify that all names and titles are correctly spelled and that the document is appropriately formatted.

At this step, you could also seek feedback from trusted mentors or advisors to gain another perspective and refine your content. Once you’re confident in the final version, submit it, knowing it represents your genuine passion and suitability for medical school.

Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Letter of Intent for Medical School

Some other tips to keep in mind about what to do and what not to do when writing your letter of intent include:

• Customize your letter of intent for each medical school, highlighting specific aspects of the institution that resonate with your goals and values.
• Include a hook that grabs the reader’s attention and sets the tone for the rest of the letter.
• Provide concrete examples of experiences, skills, and qualities that demonstrate your suitability for medical school.
• Highlight academic accomplishments, research experience, clinical exposure, and relevant skills that showcase your readiness for medical studies.
• Clearly state your reasons for pursuing a medical career, showing a deep understanding of the profession’s demands and rewards.
•  Illustrate your long-term commitment to the field by discussing your career goals and how the specific medical school aligns with them.
• Use an optimistic and passionate tone throughout the letter to demonstrate your genuine interest in joining their medical community. 
• Don’t let your academic achievements overshadow other valuable qualities and experiences.
• Avoid using a one-size-fits-all approach; each letter should be tailored to the individual medical school.
• Don’t exaggerate, but provide accurate information about your accomplishments and experiences.
• Avoid using excessive medical terminology that might be unfamiliar to non-specialists.
• Don’t ignore spelling or grammatical errors.
• Avoid critiquing other institutions or expressing doubt about your qualifications. Stay positive and focused on your strengths.
• Don’t exceed the recommended length.

Sample Letter of Intent for Medical School

Below, we will offer a sample of what a letter of intent might look like. Remember, it’s crucial to emphasize your personal experiences and accomplishments to make the letter truly your own.

Dear members of the admissions committee,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to express my continued enthusiasm for the opportunity to join the ranks of aspiring physicians at ABC Medical School. Since submitting my application, I have been further inspired by your institution’s remarkable achievements and distinguished faculty.

While I eagerly await a final decision, I am grateful for the chance to provide an update on recent endeavors. Since applying, I have had the privilege of leading a community health initiative to provide preventive care to underserved populations. This experience has reinforced my commitment to the field of medicine and underscored the critical role that compassionate and capable physicians play in patients’ lives.

As I reflect on my journey thus far, it is clear to me that ABC Medical School remains the ideal environment for my growth as a future physician. The institution’s dedication to fostering a culture of excellence and its emphasis on clinical exposure resonate deeply with my aspirations. The opportunity to collaborate with both the esteemed faculty and my accomplished peers is one I eagerly anticipate.

I understand the highly competitive nature of the admissions process, and I greatly appreciate the careful consideration given to my application. I remain committed to ABC Medical School and am prepared to join the incoming class should the opportunity arise.

Thank you once again for your time and attention. I look forward to the possibility of being a part of the academic community and dedicated healthcare environment at ABC Medical School.

The Bottom Line

The path to medical school, replete with dedication, effort, and significant milestones, is an intricate one. But beyond the academics, grades, and references, it’s the genuine intent and passion of an individual that truly stand out. 

This guide has meticulously broken down the importance, timing, structure, and nuances of crafting a compelling letter of intent for prospective medical students. Whether you’re an applicant awaiting an interview, placed on a waitlist, or someone still searching for that perfect medical school, remember that every communication, especially a well-written letter of intent, can provide a deeper understanding of your dedication and zeal. 

By focusing on the distinctiveness of the school, emphasizing alignment, sharing updates, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can position yourself in the best light, genuinely reflecting your commitment and desire to be a part of a prestigious medical community. 

Whether you’re starting on your medical journey or are somewhere in the middle, we hope this guide equips and inspires you to articulate your passion and potential effectively.

How long should a letter of intent be?

A letter of intent should typically be around one page in length.

How is a letter of intent different from a  personal statement or a letter of interest?

A letter of intent emphasizes the applicant’s interest in a specific program, while a personal statement is a broader narrative. Additionally, a letter of interest is a preliminary inquiry before applying, whereas letters of intent are typically sent later in the application process.

Can I send letters of intent to multiple schools?

Yes, you can send letters of intent to multiple medical schools , but make sure they’re tailored to each institution.

Do all medical schools value letters of intent?

Though many medical schools consider letters of intent, their importance may vary. Therefore, it’s best to research each school’s policies before sending.

How should I address my letter of intent if I don’t know the specific person’s name?

Address it to the members of the admissions committee or the appropriate department.

Is email or post better for sending my letter of intent?

Email is generally preferred for its speed and convenience, but follow the school’s instructions if provided.

I haven’t received a response, should I send a follow-up or another letter of intent?

Sending a follow-up email after a reasonable waiting period is appropriate, but avoid sending multiple letters of intent without new updates.

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Why I Chose AUA:

“I was confident going into AUA because of their leadership. It was clear to me from the beginning that the staff and administration from top to bottom were pioneers and leaders in medical education. They showed a great deal of commitment by investing in constructing a brand new state of the art campus while I was there. Although the new campus opened shortly after I left the island, it was encouraging to watch its construction. It let us know that AUA was committed to investing back into its students, and are here to stay for years to come.”

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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.

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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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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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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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Which program are you applying to?

Medical school personal statement examples.

Get accepted to your top choice medical school with your compelling essay.

THE TOP 10 MEDICAL SCHOOLS

HAVE AN AVERAGE ACCEPTANCE RATE OF 5.3%

A GREAT MEDICAL SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT IS KEY IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS

If you want to get into the best school, you need to stand out from other applicants.  

U.S. News   reports the average medical school acceptance rate at the top 100 med schools at 6.35% , but our med school clients enjoy an 85% ACCEPTANCE RATE .

How can you separate yourself from the competition successfully? By creating a great personal statement.

body:nth-child(2) > div.body-wrapper > main:nth-child(3) > div:nth-child(1) > div:nth-child(1) > div:nth-child(1) > div:nth-child(1) > div.row-fluid-wrapper.row-depth-1.row-number-6 > div:nth-child(1) > div:nth-child(1) > div.row-fluid-wrapper.row-depth-1.row-number-7 > div:nth-child(1) > div:nth-child(1) > #hs_cos_wrapper_dnd_area-module-12 > #hs_cos_wrapper_dnd_area-module-12_ > h2:nth-child(2)">Medical School Sample Personal Statements and Essays

Here we present medical school personal statement examples to give you ideas for your own essay.

Pay close attention to the consistent format of these effective personal statements:

ENGAGING INTRODUCTION / UNIFYING THEME / COMPELLING CONCLUSION

Give the admissions committee readers a clear picture of you as an individual, a student, and a future medical professional. Make them want to meet you after they finish reading your essay.

Here's what you'll find on this page:

• How Sample Med School Essays Can Help You
• Before you Start Writing
• Writing Your Opening Paragraph
• Writing Your Body Paragraphs
• Writing Transitions
• Writing Your Conclusion
• Common Elements Between Personal Statements

Five Don'ts for Your Medical School Personal Statement

• Personal Statement Examples & Analysis
• Frequently Asked Questions

How can these sample med school essays help you?

You plan to become a physician, a highly respected professional who will have great responsibility over the health and well being of your future patients. How can you prove to the admissions committee that you have the intelligence, the maturity, the compassion, and the dedication needed to succeed in your goal? 

The medical school personal statement examples below are all arguments in favor of top med schools accepting these applicants. And they worked. The applicants who wrote these essays were all accepted to top medical schools - most to multiple schools. They show a variety of experiences and thought processes that all led to the same outcome. However, while the paths to this decision point vary widely, these winning essays share several things in common. 

As you read them, take note of how the stories are built sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, adding to the evidence that the writer is worthy of acceptance. This evidence includes showing a sustained focus, mature self-reflection, and professional and educational experiences that have helped prepare the applicant to succeed. 

As you write your medical school personal statement , include your most compelling, memorable and meaningful experiences that are relevant to your decision to become a doctor. Each sentence should add to the reader’s understanding of who you are, what your strengths are, and why you will make an outstanding physician. Your resulting essay will help the adcom appreciate your intellectual and psychological strengths as well as your motivations, and conclude that you are worthy of acceptance into a top medical school. 

Techniques for creating successful medical school personal statements

Before you start writing your med school personal statement.

Before you start writing your medical school personal statement you will need to choose a topic that will reflect who you are and engage the reader. There are a few strong ways to proceed. Try freewriting with a few of the following topic ideas.

Why medicine? Do you have a personal experience that made you certain about being a physician? How, when, did you know this was the right career for you? Is there a doctor you know (or knew) who emulates an altruistic moral character, someone who won your deepest respect? Can you show this person in action or describe them as they model inherent qualities, those for which you will strive as a physician?

How has a clinical experience been a real growth moment for you? Can you tell that story? Sometimes a clinical experience is deeply personal, something experienced by you or by someone in your family. Sometimes a clinical experience is about a patient whose situation taught you something deeply valuable, something honestly insightful about what good care means, about humanity, about empathy, about compassion, about community, about advantage and disadvantage, about equity and inclusion. 

Choose an experience outside the comfort of your own community, an experience where you were the outsider (uncertain, facing ambiguity) and this experience brought about a fresh, resonant understanding of yourself and others, an understanding that made you grow as a person, and perhaps brought about humility or joy in light of this geographical or cultural dislocation. Often this prompt includes traveling to other countries. Yet, it could work just as beautifully discovering people in close places that were previously unfamiliar to you – the shelter in the next town over, a foster home for medically unstable children, the day you witnessed food insecurity firsthand at a local church and decided to do something about disparity.

Read other successful personal statements in guides and publications. You can read sample personal statements that work here: medical school personal statement examples

The prompts above have great possibilities to be successful because they locate experiences that require better than average human understanding and insight. When we re-convey a moving human experience well, we tell a story that aims to bring us together, unite us in our common humanity. Telling powerful stories about humanity, in the end, presents your deeper attributes to others and demonstrates your capacity to feel deeply about the human condition. 

Be careful how often you use the first person pronoun, though you may use it. Revise for clarity many more times than you might do in other writing moments. Choose precise vocabulary that sounds like you, and, of course, revise so that you present to your readers the most pristinely grammatical you. 

Once you’ve looked at the sample medical school personal statements in the link above, try freewriting again according to one of the themes listed that applies to you. For instance, perhaps your prior freewriting aimed to describe a moment in your life that seeded your interest in medicine. Great. Save that file. Now, start again with a different topic, perhaps one from the linked page of sample personal statements. For instance, let your freewriting explore the time you traveled to another country to participate in a public health mission. What person immediately comes to mind? Hopefully this person is quite different from you in identity and culture. Make sure this comes across. Describe the scene when you first encountered this person. What happened? Tell that story. Why do you think you remember this person so vividly? Did the experience challenge you? Did you learn something deeper and perhaps more complex about humanity, about culture, about your own assumptions about humanity? Hopefully, you grew from this experience. How did you grow? What do you now understand that you did not understand before having had this experience? Hindsight may very well bring about perspective that demonstrates that you now understand the value of that human encounter. 

Here is a cautionary bit of advice about writing about childhood. Yes, it is relatively common to have had a formidable experience in childhood about illness, health, healthcare, medicine or doctors. Right? Most of us have had at least one critical health issue in our own family when still a child. Sometimes it is absolutely true that a moment in childhood began your interest in healthcare. 

One may have had a diagnosis as a child that turned one’s life path toward being health-aware. For instance, are you a juvenile-onset, Type I diabetic? Do you have a cognitive or physical disability? Were you raised in a home with someone who had a critical illness or disability? Did a sibling, parent or grandparent get gravely sick when you were young? 

Upon writing-up any of these situations for your personal statement, there is a catch-22. For medical school application activities, the rule of thumb is “nothing from high school.” So why then is it sometimes a good idea to write about a childhood situation in a personal statement? The answer has to do with the uniqueness of your story and the quality of hindsight through which you narrate it.

Let us slow down for a moment on the issue of writing about childhood. Typically, traditional applicants to medical school are steadfastly dedicated to their academic and pre-professional aims. Science curriculum, especially pre-med curriculum, is demanding and rigorous, and it trains science students to excel in empirical thinking and assessment. 

Sometimes, when asked to write a personal essay, hard core science students feel the rug pulled out from under them. Are you more confident and meticulous about action steps and future plans than you are confident about being a sage looking back on your life? Chances are your answer is “yes.” 

Of course you can write; you’re a smart person and a very good student. Yet, writing a heartfelt, perceptive essay about yourself or an aspect of your life for an application to medical school is unnerving even as you understand why your application might benefit from story-telling. Yes, your application should benefit from your engaging, authorial presence in the essay. An application that lacks this is wholly at a disadvantage. 

Perhaps you are gravitating to the choice to share a story about your childhood. 

For instance, what if you sat down to free-write the following prompt:

Draft an essay about a childhood experience that ingrained medicine as one of your inherent interests. Do so in a manner that demonstrates the value of hindsight while telling it.

Is it hard to stay calm about this prompt right now even though this prompt is precisely what could make your personal statement successful? The idea of this prompt is what many successful applicants have written well, and you can too. Why not seek professional guidance for your personal essay? Accepted has consultants who advise applicants through this process. We advise you on the whole process of developing a successful idea for an essay, help you mine your experiences, outline your strongest ideas, and after you’ve written them up, edit your drafts. You can view these personal statement services here: Essay Package

Back to tips. The key to writing a personal statement that frames a moment in childhood well is to stand firmly in the present and stay descriptive and perceptive. Write up that experience trusting you have insight. Quite a bit of time has passed since then, and that distance has given you the opportunity to see things a little differently now. 

Let’s presume you want to write about how as a child you had an older sibling with a cognitive impairment. You and your family witnessed time and again doors being shut, so to speak, on his ability to be included in school events or community events.

Free writing A: My older brother, G, had moderate cognitive impairment. He was never given field time in soccer games. When this happened, G cried. When this happened, I cried and felt hurt by how much time my parents spent trying to calm him down, eventually leaving the field, holding him close and bringing us back home, another Saturday wrecked. 

Example A has no benefit of hindsight.

Free writing B (with some hindsight): My older brother, G, had moderate cognitive impairment. Most of the time, kids were kind to him. “Hey G, how are you, man?,” they would say and high-five him. Most kids greeted him, offered him snacks and a seat on the sideline blanket. It was touching to see him included and seen at soccer games.

Further hindsight: G was rarely played in the game. 

Reflective comment: No harm would have been done in letting him play. It’s clear to me now how much more work we each need to do about inclusion. Community-based team sports are pretty good about extending kindness at the sidelines, but that is not the same thing as letting all kids play in the game. I am still grateful for every kindness extended to my brother, but perhaps letting him play in the game would have demonstrated to kids and parents alike a deeper message about the importance of inclusion over winning. The coaches meant no harm, but that is precisely how unconscious bias plays. Afterall, community by its very definition is about inclusion.

Standing tall on this matter brings out a maturity and vocabulary to master this kind of personal writing that Free Writing A lacks. You don’t want to go back in time and join your younger self and narrate from that perspective. The “return” to your former child typically results in replicating a childlike emotional capacity – and chances are, that’s not you anymore. You’ve seen more. You’ve grown more. You’re now formally educated. You’re more skilled at making connections between ideas and experiences. You can narrate a scene or circumstance and attach awareness of what you realize now it means – like the over-narratives of documentaries where the author sheds true insight about the meaning of past events. 

Most traditional applicants to medical school are just a few years older than teenagers. 

When hindsight brings great clarity and insight to the significance of an experience, we demonstrate a keener maturity and an understanding that in authoring an experience we have a responsibility to demonstrate how a personal experience becomes a valuable portal to understanding the situation of others. Hindsight done well can be a stunningly beautiful and engaging narrative skill.

Perhaps you would rather write about a clinical experience? If you write about patients, change names, change gender, change some context to assure anonymity. Nearly all healthcare workers are concerned about telling patient stories because we worry about appropriating someone else’s experience, or feel we may not have the right, literally since HIPAA set rules on patients’ privacy rights in 1996. We should be concerned about telling patients’ stories; however, how we tell them is key in honoring them. When we honor patients and convey their stories to others we demonstrate the reciprocity of the professional relationship. Physicians no longer have a prescriptive, patrician role. Physicians are no longer sole authorities. Physicians and patients establish a reciprocal relationship, a two way street wherein a physician steps into a space of illness with the patient and walks with them, with the goal of healing, curing and advocating for them. When doctors tell stories, they establish that patients matter, that these encounters matter, that doctors think about patients and often learn from them. 

How we write patient stories is best done humbly, of course. We can narrate a story that becomes exemplary for its insight and empathy – after all, insight and empathy are desirable traits of a physician. Be sure to show rather than tell, most of the time. Be sure to capture the sensory detail of people and place. For instance, is the patient sitting on a blue plastic chair under ultraviolet lights in the waiting room of a free clinic? Is a woman with her gray hair twisted in a bun wearing a cotton hospital gown, waiting against a concrete wall in a tiny examination room with the door open? (Setting makes a character more real.) 

Finally, your story perspective, what you see and understand, becomes another way of revealing who you are. 

How to write your opening paragraph:

A strong opening paragraph for a story begins “several pages in.” A strong story begins with you, the narrator, already standing in the ocean with water splashing at your knees. This is called a hook: “D began to bleed after the second attempt to start an intravenous line.” 

Then, get the basic narrative facts down, the 5 W’s, the who, what, where, when and why, so your readers will not be confused: “She was a patient in the infusion clinic in the cancer pavilion of a major Boston hospital. She came to the clinic for her first round of chemotherapy.”

What else about this moment engaged you? Did D come to her appointment alone via an Uber ride? Why wasn’t anyone with her? How did that make you feel? Did the two of you hold a conversation while you were trying to start an IV? Why do you think she started to bleed? How did she respond when she saw you were having trouble starting this IV? Why didn’t she have a Medi-port yet? Here, you are building fuller context for her story. Don’t race through the scene; rather, build it, slowing down time, using images and sensory details to “paint” with your words. Smaller details, necessary ones, help you portray D as an individual. 

“Semper Fidelis was tattooed on her forearm. ‘Thank you for your service,’ I said.” 

“‘This cancer thing,’ she said, ‘this is nothing.’”

“D’s comment set me back. She had triple-negative breast cancer. She had blood running down her arm to her hand, between her fingers and onto a stiff, white pillow case on which she rested her arm. Triple-negative breast cancer was much more than nothing. In fact, it was very serious.” 

What questions came to mind that provide several ways of reading this moment? Write them down. For instance,

• Did D not know about the gravity of her diagnosis?
• Was she steely and tough yet informed?
• Did she live through something much worse while enlisted as a Marine?

The questions themselves may wander too much to serve your personal statement as a succinct essay, which it needs to be. However, the answers to those questions may be exactly the additional content you need to develop this story’s acumen and perception as you demonstrate how getting to know the patient is a critical skill in order to help her. And now a theme is starting to come through: a doctor treats a patient, not a diagnosis. Voilà!

Moving forward: How does a doctor reframe clinical assumptions in this instance? What does a future doctor learn from a circumstance like this? 

Notice in the example above that the writing is active, uses details, and vivid language.

This writer has a palpable connection to the moment. One key to choosing one experience over another for your personal statement is how visual and vivid your recollection is. Often, moments worth mining for meaning are easy to recollect because they still have unresolved messages that need to be understood. Writing experiences helps us find their meaning, their sense. 

Notice as well, the scene above captures a moment of ambiguity, a concept particularly difficult for many health science professionals to embrace because there are multiple ways of looking at and understanding something. Stories send empiricism into the wind. People are not solely empirical. There is the self that is the body, which can be understood empirically, but there’s also the self that inhabits the body, the thinking/feeling/being and perceiving self. Stories are not about right answers. Stories attend to sentience and explore humanity. Patients’ lives are rife with uncertain moments, uncertain decisions, uncertain treatments, uncertain consequences, and uncertain outcomes. How does a physician engage with health uncertainty, understand it, and navigate it through pathways of humanity rather than pathways of diagnosis?

How does health care challenge you to grow in humanistic ways?

How to write your body paragraphs:

Once you have written a compelling scene, it might be a good idea to reflect upon why you were drawn to write about this experience in particular before your proceed. How does this scene illustrate meaningfully something worth explaining about becoming a physician? For instance, D’s scene was illustrative of an unexpected shift in perception that mattered when treating a patient with a serious cancer diagnosis. This unexpected shift happened to you, not to her. D’s been living with herself aplenty. Her point of view surprised you, not her, and reveals an incongruence between her perspective on her illness and yours.

Brief moments of ambiguity like this one can make us talk to each other, make us want to do something, can bring us to explore some further niche, specialty or research. Perhaps D brought you to peruse PubMed to research “Issues in Clinical Practice when Caring for Veterans” to see if you could find articles to help you help D and other veterans. Perhaps D’s comment was so truthful that you now volunteer with a veterans’ organization to scribe their stories for a war history museum? This “call to action” is a worthy story in a personal statement. Tell D’s story and conclude it with empathy and action. (Taking action to help is a demonstration of empathy.) Mindfully showing the experience with D as a catalyst to a path of action to help those under duress -- in distress, in crisis, or adrift in inequity -- matters.

Perhaps, follow this conclusion with a brief explanation of what principles now guide your humanistic path to medical school as long as they are principles that matter to your choice schools. 

Here are a few things to avoid in writing your medical school personal statement. Avoid talking about your scholastic path in preparation for medical school in your essay. The essay is not a place to reiterate scholastic achievements, for instance, a high GPA, academic honors, academic awards, publications, or MCAT scores because they’re front and center in other areas of your application. 

Instead, frame your medical school personal statement around a formidable experience that directly or indirectly led you to pursue medicine. This could be a struggle that you’ve overcome that demonstrates your fortitude (the story of a sociocultural disadvantage or disability), the first time you deeply understood the ramifications of health care disparities you will not forget. Likely, this would be a personal story about yourself or a family member, a clinical story or a mission trip, or a story about a patient from some other volunteer work that you’ve done. 

Additional topic ideas for your personal statement: What is a successful doctor? What does a successful life as a doctor look like? What happens to your understanding of best practices when a patient’s situation makes a best practice unrealistic, and what is the remedy? What epiphany, small or large, resides in you now since having mined a critical, clinical experience? Do you see a difference in the way you respond to patients since having had this experience? How has clinical experience matured you, deepened your awareness of living? If a patient experience became a catalyst for you to branch out or deepen your healthcare exposure opportunities, talk about that too. What opportunities? Why?

Writing effective transitions:

You are now ready to proceed to a conclusion that leaves your readers, the admissions committee, with a lasting impression of you – your life, your mind, your character -- as a 21 st century physician. 

Chances are, you’ll need to transition from the previous discussion of a time in the past to squarely speak about yourself here and now or in a comment toward the future. 

Can you sum up your main idea for the past experience? Consider the benefit of using a word or phrase -- thus, just as, hence, accordingly, in the same way, correspondingly -- and present your central idea again but only in a few repetitive words (called parallelism) or with synonymous words, creating internal unity in the essay. 

Be careful how you do this. The phrasing should feel necessary and fluid rather than reductive or even worse, phrasing that sounds like filler. 

The shift you’re making is from then to now, or from then to now and to the future as in “all this is to say.” Would you benefit from a fact, a quote, a statistic, or an informed prediction on the state of medicine, public health, or the future of medicine? 

Grammar tips: 

Transitional words can indicate:

• a process: first, second, next, finally…
• time: by lunch time, that evening, two weeks later…
• spatial sequences: down the block, two miles west, one bed over…
• logic sequences: likewise, however, evidently, in other words…
• meta-thought: as I say this, looking back, I have nothing left to say…

If grammar and idea flow are a concern, have a look at Accepted’s editing services: Med School Essay Package

A consultant will walk you through the inception of an essay, an outline, and editing from first through final drafts, including suggestions for idea development and transitions from one idea to another.

How to write your conclusion:

A strong conclusion for your medical school personal statement can highlight the relevance of a timely issue (for instance, the physician shortage in the U.S.), make broader inferences about something you’ve already discussed (for instance, the broader implications of a particular health care disparity), or a call to action that you now embrace (for instance, community-based work that you did during the pandemic that now has become a central interest). Altruism, or understanding another’s disadvantaged situation, should not be represented in your conclusion as “ideas alone.” Commitment to serve others is not solely aspirational (“As physicians, we must do everything we can about inequity"), but a strong conclusion puts ideals into action (“I have joined Dr. T’s research team to conduct qualitative research about how social strata paradigms impact health care inequity”). Action in the conclusion should be associated with an experience shown earlier in the essay and culminate as a demonstration that you have already begun shaping your path in medicine. You are not waiting to begin but have already begun facing the challenges and responsibilities of future physicians. This kind of conclusion shows vision, maturity, commitment and character.

If the story in the body of your personal statement is about an experience, the conclusion should show your growth since then and keep in alignment how you’ve grown with the medical school values and missions of the majority of schools on your list. So, if you’re applying to top-tier allopathic schools, your growth may be in the depth and orientation of your recent research, or in having established a tighter link between your clinical experience and research. 

If you’re applying to osteopathic schools, your growth should be in keeping with the osteopathic schools’ values and missions on your list and include recent hands-on experience, something with specific tasks and responsibilities, rather than shadowing, since shadowing is often seen as passive experience. It may be that you’ve become a licensed EMT and will work as an EMT in a relevant region or state during the gap year. It may be that you’ve been certified and now work as a harm reduction specialist for a particular organization in a particular city or county. 

If you’re applying to both allopathic and osteopathic schools, each personal statement should align with the academic orientation of each pathway. Using the same personal statement for both AMCAS and AACOMAS applications is rarely a good idea. 

Accepted offers help with the whole application process: Primary Application Package

Other elements that each essay below have in common:

Accepted provides sample medical school personal statements with titles classifying types of narratives that have potential for success. Applicants do have some freedom of choice in what topic will serve their essay best. Why only “some” freedom in topic for this personal essay? Because this essay is one tool you will use to reach a professional goal. 

Not all essays help us reach professional goals. Writers of effective essays must take into account who will read them. Think about who your audience is. In this case, it’s a medical school admissions committee – not a friend, not a parent, not a peer. How will you write an essay on the same topic, let’s say a lab experience that went from bad to revelatory? You’d tell this story quite differently to your lab mates than you would to your professor, than you would to the president of your university, than you would in a grant application. 

Here’s what can happen when the “audience” isn’t considered sufficiently when writing about a passion. Let’s say you love playing soccer, and played on a Division 3 team as an undergraduate. Let’s say it didn’t matter to you that the team was Division 3 as long as it meant you could get on the field and play through your undergraduate years. It’s quite possible that one can write well about playing soccer, but one must do so in such a way that the reader really believes and understands the parallel between doing what you love and a future in medicine. Otherwise, the writer may very well convey that they love soccer. However, when written without the focus that medical school admissions committees will be readers, the essay could end up conveying that the narrator really wants to be a soccer coach, not a doctor. 

So, there’s only some freedom in topic and some freedom in writing approach - and the two must make sense together in order to facilitate accomplishing your goal. 

There is no “one-size-fits-all” to writing a successful medical school personal statement. There are, however, aspects to the sample essays on this site that stand out. 

First, each personal statement example is authored by someone who knows exactly what story they’re telling. No matter what their first draft looked like, by the time the final draft is ready to go, all fuzzy draft moments have been made lucid and engaging. All sections of the essay should have the polish and the same goals. 

• Why am I telling this in this way? 
• To what ends does each scene or moment speak?
• Have I revised enough to make every sentence demonstrate strong writing skills?

Each sample personal statement emphasizes narrative control, engages with a direct voice, has conclusive things to show and say, demonstrates logical steps in idea development, and presents effective framing of the composition as a well-written form that displays strong writing skills. 

Even when an essay includes a “bookend” structure (a narrative structure that begins and ends with X, with middle content about Y), the story of Y (i.e. a mission trip in Mexico) is the primary story framed by the X bookend story (i.e. the love of running) to give ballast to the context in which this writer wants us to understand the mission trip as well, as a parallel story of challenge, commitment, exhilaration, exhaustion and necessity.

The same is true for stories that contain contrasts. If you’ve traveled ten mile or ten thousand miles, it is quite possible you’ve encountered different assumptions than your own about health care, health care access, trust, understanding of middle-class or first-world beliefs about health, understanding beliefs from poor and disadvantaged communities, illness, health care in contrast with a different cultural standard than what you’re used to, different beliefs about health care access, and a lack of or cautious trust in deference to doctors. (See the “Nontraditional Applicant” and “The Traveler.”) The key to this kind of essay is first demonstrating the contrasts between the two realities (yours and the patient’s reality) and their relative assumptions. Second, demonstrate an understanding of beliefs amid the two experiences and aim to reconcile their adverse assumptions.

However you proceed with the paragraph by paragraph progression of your medical school personal statement, be sure to see how there’s deeper intuition or knowledge associated with how the ideas progress. Do not repeat yourself, or reiterate a statement or idea unless you are clearly doing so for rhetorical emphasis.

Then, kiss your draft goodnight. Let it sit for two or three days, and return to it time and again with fresh eyes – to trim, tighten, clarify, improve tone and intention, and importantly, to make sure you have direct regard for your audience, who it is, what they’re looking for, and how you are the person whom they seek, as you maintain a tone and direction consistent with your goals and what you’re seeking from an admissions committee. 

Many students focus on their own or family members’ medical conditions in their personal statements. The essay sometimes reads like a medical history. Taking this approach can hurt your application for several reasons: It may alert them to conditions that could impact your ability to perform in medical school,   indicate that you lack boundaries by oversharing , or suggest a lack of maturity in focusing only on yourself and family – rather than on helping others or serving the community.

Anything you share in your personal statement can be brought up in your interview. If you share details of painful events, losses, or failures that you have not yet processed or come to terms with, that disclosure could come across as an invitation for the reader to pity you. Accepting long-term changes in our lives transforms us; we are constantly evolving through our experiences. Until you have integrated this information into your identity, depending on how impactful it was, you may not be able to use the experience to shed insight on yourself quite yet. Use negative experiences that are at least a year or older depending on how long it takes you to process and reflect. Most importantly,   use them to show growth and resilience , not to create pity.

• DON’T demonstrate a lack of compassion or empathy. One of the creepiest essays I’ve ever read – it still sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it – was a student’s description of how much she enjoyed anesthetizing and removing the brains of mice. Her intention was to share her love of science, research, and learning but the feverish glee with which she described these procedures lacked compassion for the creatures that lost their lives for her research project. This lack of respect for the sacredness of life made it an easy decision to reject her application. Research was probably a better path for her, especially since she wasn’t able to gauge the reaction her statements would have on her audience.
• DON’T bargain. The least fun essays to read are those that contain more promises than a politician’s speech. They include statements like, “If accepted into this program, I will….” The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. If you really want to demonstrate what you are capable of achieving during your medical education,  give examples of what you have already accomplished . This approach is far stronger than making hollow promises.
• DON’T complain. Criticizing or pointing out the failures of healthcare professionals who have treated you or whom you have observed in the past will only reflect negatively on you. Since your application will be reviewed by doctors, as well as admissions professionals, it’s critical that you do not insult those from whom you are seeking acceptance. While it is true that medical mistakes and lack of access to care have devastating consequences for patients, their families and communities, identifying ways to improve in these areas without pointing any fingers would be more effective. By demonstrating your realistic knowledge of patient needs and sharing potential solutions, you can present yourself as an asset to their team.

Be careful what you write. Create a personal statement that is honest (not bitter), reveals your personality (not your medical history), and delivers a compelling explanation for your motivations for entering medicine (not empty promises). 

Do you want our expert advice on your medical school personal statement?

Med School Personal Statement Consultant Dr. Mary Mahoney

Med School Personal Statement Examples and Analysis

Now let’s explore what you can learn from some of these outstanding sample med school essays.

Medical school personal statement example  #1: Emergency 911 

“Call 911!” I shouted to my friend as I sprinted down the street. The young Caucasian male had been thrown fifteen yards from the site of impact and surprisingly was still conscious upon my arrival. “My name is Michael. Can you tell me your name?” In his late twenties, he gasped in response as his eyes searched desperately in every direction for help, for comfort, for assurance, for loved ones, for death, until his eyes met mine. “Flail chest,” I thought to myself as I unbuttoned his shirt and placed my backpack upon his right side. “Pulse 98, respiration 28 short and quick. Help is on the way. Hang in there, buddy,” I urged.

After assessing the patient, the gravity of the situation struck me into sobriety. The adrenaline was no longer running through my veins — this was real. His right leg was mangled with a compound fracture; his left leg was also obviously broken. The tow-truck that had hit him looked as though it had run into a telephone pole. Traffic had ceased on the six-lane road, and a large crowd had gathered. However, no one was by my side to help. “Get me some blankets from that motel!” I yelled to a bystander and three people immediately fled. I was in charge.

But my patient was no longer conscious; his pulse was faint and respiration was low. “Stay with me, man!” I yelled. “15 to 1, 15 to 1,” I thought as I rehearsed CPR in my mind. Suddenly he stopped breathing. Without hesitation, I removed my T-shirt and created a makeshift barrier between his mouth and mine through which I proceeded to administer two breaths. No response. And furthermore, there was no pulse. I began CPR. I continued for approximately five minutes until the paramedics arrived, but it was too late. I had lost my first patient.

Medicine. I had always imagined it as saving lives, curing ailments, alleviating pain, overall making life better for everyone. However, as I watched the paramedics pull the sheets over the victim’s head, I began to tremble. I had learned my first lesson of medicine: for all its power, medicine cannot always prevail. I had experienced one of the most disheartening and demoralizing aspects of medicine and faced it. I also demonstrated then that I know how to cope with a life-and-death emergency with confidence, a confidence instilled in me by my certification as an Emergency Medical Technician, a confidence that I had the ability to take charge of a desperate situation and help someone in critical need. This pivotal incident confirmed my decision to pursue medicine as a career. 

Of course healing, curing, and saving is much more rewarding than trying and failing. As an EMT I was exposed to these satisfying aspects of medicine in a setting very new to me — urban medicine. I spent most of a summer doing ride-alongs with the Ambulance Company in Houston. Every call we received dealt with Latino patients either speaking only Spanish or very little broken English. I suddenly realized the importance of understanding a foreign culture and language in the practice of medicine, particularly when serving an underserved majority. In transporting patients from the field to the hospitals I saw the community’s reduced access to medical care due to a lack of physicians able to communicate with and understand their patients. I decided to minor in Spanish. Having almost completed my minor, I have not only expanded my academic horizons, I have gained a cultural awareness I feel is indispensable in today’s diverse society.

Throughout my undergraduate years at Berkeley I have combined my scientific interests with my passion for the Hispanic culture and language. I have even blended the two with my interests in medicine. During my sophomore year I volunteered at a medical clinic in the rural town of Chacala, Mexico. In Mexico for one month, I shadowed a doctor in the clinic and was concurrently enrolled in classes for medical Spanish. It was in Chacala, hundreds of miles away from home, that I witnessed medicine practiced as I imagined it should be. Seeing the doctor treat his patients with skill and compassion as fellow human beings rather than simply diseases to be outsmarted, I realized he was truly helping the people of Chacala in a manner unique to medicine. Fascinated by this exposure to clinical medicine, I saw medicine’s ability to make a difference in people’s lives. For me the disciplines of Spanish and science have become inseparable, and I plan to pursue a career in urban medicine that allows me to integrate them.

Having seen medicine’s different sides, I view this as a multifaceted profession. I have witnessed its power as a healing agent in rural Chacala, and I have seen its weakness when I met death face-to-face as an EMT. Inspired by the Latino community of Houston, I realize the benefits of viewing it from a holistic, culturally aware perspective. And whatever the outcome of the cry "Call 911!" I look forward as a physician to experiencing the satisfaction of saving lives, curing ailments, alleviating pain, and overall making life better for my patients.

Lessons From Med School Sample Essay #1: Emergency 911

This essay is one of our favorites. The applicant tells a story and weaves a lot of information into it about his background and interests. Note how the lead grabs one’s attention and the conclusion ties everything together.

What makes this essay work?

• A dramatic opening paragraph

This essay has an unusually long opener, but not only is it dramatic, it also lays out the high-stakes situation of the writer desperately trying to save the life of a young man. As an EMT, the writer is safe in sharing so much detail, because they establish their bona fides as medically knowledgeable. With the urgent opening sentence (“Call 911!”) and the sad final sentence (“I had lost my first patient.”), the writer bookends a particularly transformative experience, one that confirmed their goal of becoming a doctor.  

• A consistent theme

The theme of a med school essay in which the applicant first deals with the inevitable reality of seeing a patient die can become hackneyed through overuse. This essay is saved from that fate because after acknowledging the pain of this reality check, the writer reports that they immediately committed to expanding his knowledge and skills to better serve the local Hispanic community. While not an extraordinary story for an EMT, the substance, self-awareness, and focus the writer brings to the topic makes it a compelling read.

• Evidence supporting the stated goal

This applicant is already a certified EMT, which serves as evidence of their serious interest in a medical career. In going on ambulance ride-alongs, the writer realized the barrier in communication between many doctors and their Spanish-speaking patients, which inspired the writer to take steps to both learn medical Spanish and shadow a doctor in a Mexican clinic. These concrete steps affirm that the applicant has serious intent.

Medical School Personal Statement Example #2: The Traveler

"On the first day that I walked into the Church Nursing Home, I was unsure of what to expect. A jumble of questions ran through my mind simultaneously: Is this the right job for me? Will I be capable of aiding the elderly residents? Will I enjoy what I do? A couple of hours later, these questions were largely forgotten as I slowly cut chicken pieces and fed them to Frau Meyer. Soon afterwards, I was strolling through the garden with Herr Schmidt, listening to him tell of his tour of duty in World War II. By the end of the day, I realized how much I enjoyed the whole experience and at the same time smiled at the irony of it all. I needed to travel to Heidelberg, Germany, to confirm my interest in clinical medicine.

Experiences like my volunteer work in the German nursing home illustrate the decisive role travel has played in my life. For instance, I had volunteered at a local hospital in New York but was not satisfied. Dreams of watching doctors in the ER or obstetricians in the maternity ward were soon replaced with the reality of carrying urine and feces samples to the lab. With virtually no patient contact, my exposure to clinical medicine in this setting was unenlightening and uninspiring. However, in Heidelberg, despite the fact that I frequently change diapers for the incontinent and deal with occasionally cantankerous elderly, I love my twice-weekly visits to the nursing home. Here, I feel that I am needed and wanted. That rewarding feeling of fulfillment attracts me to the practice of medicine.

My year abroad in Germany also enriched and diversified my experience with research. Although I had a tremendously valuable exposure to research as a summer intern investigating chemotherapeutic resistance in human carcinomas, I found disconcerting the constant cost-benefit analysis required in applied biomedical research. In contrast, my work at the University of Heidelberg gave me a broader view of basic research and demonstrated how it can expand knowledge – even without the promise of immediate profit. I am currently attempting to characterize the role of an enzyme during neural development. Even though the benefit of such research is not yet apparent, it will ultimately contribute to a vast body of information which will further medical science.

My different reactions to research and medicine just exemplify the intrinsically broadening impact of travel. For example, on a recent trip to Egypt, I visited a small village on the banks of the Nile. This impoverished hamlet boasted a large textile factory in its center where many children worked in clean, bright, and cheerful conditions weaving carpets and rugs. After a discussion with the foreman of the plant, I discovered that the children of the village learned trades at a young age to prepare them to enter the job market and to support their families. If I had just heard about this factory, I would have recoiled in horror with visions of sweatshops running through my head. However, watching the skill and precision each child displayed, in addition to his or her endless creativity, soon made me realize that it is impossible to judge this country’s attempts to deal with its poverty using American standards and experience.

Travel has not only had a formative and decisive impact on my decision to pursue a career in medicine, it has also broadened my horizons – whether in a prosperous city on the Rhine or an impoverished village on the Nile. In dealing with patients or addressing research puzzles, I intend to bring the inquiring mind fostered in school, lab, and volunteer experiences. But above all, I intend to bring the open mind formed through travel.

Lessons From Medical School Sample Essay #2: The Traveler

No boring repetition of itinerary from this seasoned traveler! This student ties their travels to their medical ambitions through the effective use of short anecdotes and vivid images. Can you sense the writer’s youthful disappointment during early clinical experiences and mature satisfaction working in the retirement home?

This applicant effectively links the expansive benefits of travel to their medical ambitions. By sharing vivid anecdotes from and reflections on these experiences, the writer enables the reader to easily imagine them as a talented physician in the future.

• An engaging opening that frames the storyline Many fine application essays open with imagery so vibrant that the writing could be mistaken for fiction. This essay is no different. We meet the writer in the setting of a nursing home overseas, where they question whether their volunteer experiences there will help them determine their career path. Notice how the first sentence reflects a worry, “I was unsure of what to expect,” but by the final sentence, the writer concludes with satisfaction, “I needed to travel to Heidelberg, Germany, to confirm my interest in clinical medicine.” With this framing, we appreciate the essay’s theme.
• Reflections on and contrasts about varied experiences in medicine The writer’s reactions to various encounters reveal a maturing mind-set: the “unenlightening and uninspiring” experience volunteering in a New York hospital versus the feeling of being “needed and wanted” in the nursing home in Heidelberg; the “disconcerting . . . constant cost-benefit analysis required in applied biomedical research” versus the “broader view of basic research and . . . how it can expand knowledge – even without the promise of immediate profit” at the University of Heidelberg. These reflections demonstrate a thoughtfulness born of experience.
• How traveling has expanded his potential as a physician Of the five tightly constructed paragraphs in this substantial essay, the final two paragraphs home in on how travel has had an “intrinsically broadening impact” and stimulated an “open mind” to people and situations. This kind of sophisticated view is a desirable trait to adcoms.
• Out-of-the-box theme Although this essay’s foundation is built on the writer’s sincere and dedicated aspirations for a medical career, they allowed themselves the space to write about the broadening intellectual benefits of travel, linking those benefits to professional potential. Even when writing about children working in a factory in Egypt, this applicant brings an expanded mind-set and greater cross-cultural understanding that will no doubt benefit them in their career.

Medical School Personal Statement Example #3: The Non-Traditional Applicant

"Modest one-room houses lay scattered across the desert landscape, their rooftops a seemingly helpless shield against the intense heat generated by the mid-July sun. The steel security bars that guarded the windows and doors of every house seemed to belie the large welcome sign at the entrance to the ABC Indian Reservation. As a young civil engineer employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, I was far removed from my cubicle in downtown Los Angeles.

However, I felt I was well-prepared to conduct my first project proposal. The project involved a $500,000 repair of an earthen levee surrounding an active Native American burial site. A fairly inexpensive and straightforward job by federal standards, but nonetheless, I could hardly contain my excitement. Strict federal construction guidelines laden with a generous portion of technical jargon danced through my head as I stepped up to the podium to greet the twelve tribal council members. My premature confidence quickly disappeared as they confronted me with a troubled ancient gaze. Their faces revealed centuries of distrust and broken government promises.

Suddenly, from a design based solely upon abstract engineering principles, an additional human dimension emerged – one for which I had not prepared. The calculations I had crunched over the past several months and the abstract engineering principles simply no longer applied. Their potential impact on this community was clearly evident in the faces before me. With perspiration forming on my brow, I decided I would need to take a new approach to salvage this meeting. So I discarded my rehearsed speech, stepped out from behind the safety of the podium, and began to solicit the council members’ questions and concerns. By the end of the afternoon, our efforts to establish a cooperative working relationship had resulted in a distinct shift in the mood of the meeting. Although I am not saying we erased centuries of mistrust in a single day, I feel certain our steps towards improved relations and trust produced a successful project.

I found this opportunity to humanize my engineering project both personally and professionally rewarding. Unfortunately, experiences like it were not common. I realized early in my career that I needed a profession where I could more frequently incorporate human interaction and my interests in science. After two years of working as a civil engineer, I enrolled in night school to explore a medical career and test my aptitude for pre-medical classes. I found my classes fascinating and became a more effective student. Today, I am proud of the 3.7 GPA I have achieved in competitive post-baccalaureate courses such as organic chemistry, biochemistry, and genetics.

Confident of my ability to succeed in the classroom, I proceeded to volunteer in the Preceptorship Program at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center. I acquired an understanding of the emotional demands and time commitment required of physicians by watching them schedule their personal lives around the needs of their patients. I also soon observed that the rewards of medicine stem from serving the needs of these same patients. I too found it personally gratifying to provide individuals with emotional support by holding an elderly woman’s hand as a physician drew a blood sample or befriending frightened patients with a smile and conversation.

To test my aptitude for a medical career further, I began a research project under the supervision of Dr. John Doe from the Orthopedic Department at Big University. The focus of my study was to determine the fate of abstracts presented at the American Society for Surgery of the Hand annual meeting. As primary author, I reported the results in an article for the Journal of Hand Surgery, a peer-reviewed publication. My contribution to medicine, albeit small, gave me much satisfaction. In the future, I would like to pursue an active role in scientific research.

My preparation for a career as a medical doctor started with my work as a professional engineer. From my experiences at the ABC Indian Reservation, I realized I need more direct personal interaction than engineering offers. The rewarding experiences I have had in my research, my volunteer work at the Los Angeles County Hospital, and my post-bac studies have focused my energies and prepared me for the new challenges and responsibilities that lie ahead in medicine."

Lessons From Med School Sample Essay #3: The Non-Traditional Applicant

Here, an older applicant takes advantage of their experience and maturity. Note how this engineer demonstrates their sensitivity and addresses possible stereotypes about engineers’ lack of communications skills.

What works well in this essay?

• A compelling lead This story begins in a hot desert landscape, an unexpected and dramatic starting point. Can’t you just feel the heat and sense the loneliness of the remote Indian reservation? Equally powerful in this first paragraph is when the writer faces the need to suddenly and completely rethink their carefully planned approach to address the tribal leaders. Their excitement is dashed. Their confidence has plummeted. They are totally unprepared for the mistrust facing them and their plan, and they need to improvise –quickly. Who wouldn’t want to read on to see how they resolve this dramatic turn of events?
• Solid storytelling that leads to a satisfying conclusion This nontraditional med school applicant reinvents themself in this essay. After realizing that they want more human involvement and interaction in their work, they take this self-knowledge and show us the steps they took to achieve their new goal. The steps are logical and well thought out, so the writer’s conclusion that they are well prepared in every way for med school makes perfect sense.
• Evidence to support their theme Through taking prerequisite courses in medicine (and achieving high grades) to bedside hospital volunteering (which provides emotional satisfaction) to helping write a medical research paper (which provides a feeling that they are making a meaningful contribution), the writer offers evidence that they are well suited for their new goal of a career in medicine. Each experience shared is relevant to the writer’s story. Any reader will agree that the applicant’s future as a physician is promising.
• A thoughtful perspective From the opening paragraph, the writer shows their ability to adapt to new situations and realities with quick thinking and psychological openness. They assess each stage of their journey, testing it for intellectual value and emotional satisfaction. Journeys of reflective self-discovery are something adcoms value.

Medical School Personal Statement Example #4: The Anthropology Student

"Crayfish tails in tarragon butter, galantine of rabbit with foie gras, oxtail in red wine, and apple tartelettes. The patient had this rich meal and complained of “liver upset” (crise de foie). Why a liver ache? I always associate indigestion with a stomach ache. In studying French culture in my Evolutionary Psychology class, I learned that when experiencing discomfort after a rich meal, the French assume their liver is the culprit. Understanding and dealing with the minor – sometimes major – cultural differences is a necessity in our shrinking world and diverse American society. Anthropology has prepared me to effectively communicate with an ethnically diverse population. My science classes, research, and clinical experience have prepared me to meet the demands of medical school.

I first became aware of the valuable service that physicians provide when I observed my father, a surgeon, working in his office. I gained practical experience assisting him and his staff perform various procedures in his outpatient center. This exposure increased my admiration for the restorative, technological, and artistic aspects of surgery. I also saw that the application of medical knowledge was most effective when combined with compassion and empathy from the health care provider.

While admiring my father’s role as a head and neck surgeon helping people after severe accidents, I also found a way to help those suffering from debilitating ailments. Working as a certified physical trainer, I became aware of the powerful recuperative effects of exercise. I was able to apply this knowledge in the case of Sharon, a 43-year-old client suffering from lupus. She reported a 200% increase in her strength tests after I trained her. This meant she could once again perform simple tasks like carrying groceries into her house. Unfortunately, this glimpse of improvement was followed by a further deterioration in her condition. On one occasion, she broke down and cried about her declining health and growing fears. It was then that I learned no physical prowess or application of kinesiology would alleviate her pain. I helped reduce her anxiety with a comforting embrace. Compassion and understanding were the only remedies available, temporary though they were.

To confirm that medicine is the best way for me to help others, I assisted a research team in the Emergency Room at University Medical Center (UMC). This experience brought me in direct contact with clinical care and provided me with the opportunity to witness and participate in the “behind-the-scenes” hospital operations. Specifically, we analyzed the therapeutic effects of two new drugs – Drug A and Drug B – in patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke. The purpose of this trial was to determine the efficacy and safety of these agents in improving functional outcome in patients who had sustained an acute cerebral infarction. My duties centered around the role of patient-physician liaison, determining patients’ eligibility, monitoring their conditions, and conducting patient histories.

I continued to advance my research experience at the VA Non-Human Primate Center. During the past year, I have been conducting independent research in endocrinology and biological aspects of anthropology. For this project, I am examining the correlation between captive vervet monkeys’ adrenal and androgen levels with age, gender, and various behavioral measures across different stress-level environments. I enjoy the discipline and responsibility which research requires, and I hope to incorporate it into my career.

Anthropology is the study of humans; medicine is the science and art of dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease in humans. From my work at UMC and my observation of my father’s practice, I know medicine will allow me to pursue an art and science that is tremendously gratifying and contributes to the welfare of those around me. My anthropology classes have taught me to appreciate cross-cultural perspectives and their relationship to pathology and its etiology. Firsthand experience with exercise therapy and nutrition has taught me the invaluable role of prevention. Medical school will now provide me with the technical knowledge to alleviate a crise de foie."

[ Click here to view an excerpt from the original draft of this essay. ]

Lessons From Medical School Sample Essay #4: The Anthropology Student

With a diverse background that includes anthropology studies, work as a certified physical trainer, and experience in clinical medical research, this applicant builds a strong case for their logical and dedicated choice of a medical career.

• An engaging opening that frames the storyline This writer cleverly uses an example from anthropology class, linking the description of a heavy, gourmet French meal to an appreciation for cross-cultural understanding that will be an asset during their medical career. Notice that the writer is not describing their own personal experience here but piggybacked on a class lesson to create a colorful, engaging opening.
• A solid variety of relevant experiences In this six-paragraph essay, the writer links their lessons from anthropology studies to a firsthand understanding based on observing how their surgeon-father related to patients, to becoming a physical trainer directly helping others, and then to two different kinds of medical research. Each experience builds logically and chronologically on what came before, adding to the substance of the applicant’s preparation for medical school.
• A powerful personal experience with a client In the third paragraph, the writer’s experience working with a patient with lupus is particularly strong and memorable. Their initial success with Sharon is followed by an almost immediate and radical decline in her condition. This is a moving anecdote that shows the applicant’s understanding of the limitations of medicine – and the power of compassion.
• An excellent summary paragraph that ties everything together The final paragraph isn’t the place to offer new information, and this one doesn’t. Instead, it reminds the reader about the strong foundation the writer built from academics to career and medical research. Readers will be persuaded that after these experiences and reflections, the applicant truly appreciates “cross-cultural perspectives and their relationship to pathology and its etiology,” as well as the “firsthand experience with exercise therapy and nutrition teaching the invaluable role of prevention.”

Don’t Write Like This!

As the time approached for me to set my personal and professional goals, I made a conscientious decision to enter a field which would provide me with a sense of achievement and, at the same time, produce a positive impact on mankind. It became apparent to me that the practice of medicine would fulfill these objectives. In retrospect, my ever-growing commitment to medicine has been crystallizing for years. My intense interest in social issues, education, and athletics seems particularly appropriate to this field and has prepared me well for such a critical choice...

I’ve been asked many times why I wish to become a physician. Upon considerable reflection, the thought of possessing the ability to help others provides me with tremendous internal gratification and offers the feeling that my life’s efforts have been focused in a positive direction. Becoming a physician is the culmination of a lifelong dream, and I am prepared to dedicate myself, as I have in the past, to achieving this goal.

Lessons from Don’t Write Like This

This is an excerpt from the original draft of the Anthropology Student’s AMCAS essay. We are not including the whole thing because you can get the idea all too rapidly from just this brief portion. Note the abundant use of generalities that apply to the overwhelming majority of medical school applicants. Observe how the colorless platitudes and pomposity hide any personality. Can you imagine reading essays like this all day long? If so, then imagine your reaction to a good essay.

More sample essays

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Med school personal statement FAQs

1. when should i start writing my personal statement for medical school.

Typically, traditional applicants who have a goal of submitting their AMCAS or AACOMAS application in June write their personal statement after they take the MCAT in March. Starting the prewriting for the personal statement earlier than that is fine too; however, if an applicant plans to sit for the MCAT in the early spring, writing a compelling personal narrative while preparing for the MCAT can often be too much. Both require very different kinds of thinking. The intensity of studying for the MCAT, and the empirical thinking it requires, can interfere with the imaginative brainstorming needed to find your topic and develop it.  

Before focusing on the personal statement, look at all the elements of the primary application. As a whole, the personal statement, activities, MMEs, MCAT, transcript, biographical information and letters, will portray you. One element alone is not enough to bring out the whole you. It might help to strategize about how (and where) to highlight different elements of your background, experience, and character in the different parts of the primary application. Then work on the personal statement knowing what aspects of you are already represented in the other sections of the application. This way, each element adds value to the application and contributes to a more complete picture of you.

It makes sense to compartmentalize completing different parts of the application. Many applicants take the time they need to focus on one application component at a time, which seems to help them be thorough. 

Don’t underestimate how much time it takes to write well. Exploring ideas in writing, developing those ideas, showing rather than telling a story, staying clear, writing fluidly, surmising maturely and insightfully, takes much more time than most people anticipate. So, don’t wait until Memorial Day to write your essay and intend to submit on June 1. Give yourself the churn time writing well needs. Also, give yourself time to put a draft down for a day or two and return to it when you’re able to read it afresh. Sometimes, we revise over and over again in one sitting to the point that we can no longer hear the story or its sense because we have been rehearsing and revising a draft to beat the clock. Doing this is a risky way to go about the personal statement. Remember, this essay should be a very impressive part of your application, not merely one more part of the application to finish. At the end of the day, the medical school personal statement is a window that allows others to see you, know you as a person, know you better and beyond your achievements.

2. How do I find the perfect personal statement topic? Does one exist?

Certainly, some ideas are better than others, and one idea might work better for one person and not so well for someone else. However, there is no “perfect” topic. In fact, writing an essay with the approach of trying to out-psych this important application requirement is likely not the strongest way to find your best topic, nor is it the best way to engage your readers. 

Instead, consider the following approach. What is an experience you’ve had that matters greatly in helping others understand who you are as a future physician? Why medicine, not in general, but for you, demonstrated by way of a story about an experience that directly ties to being a physician or indirectly demonstrates your sound character as it corresponds with human qualities medical schools desire. When we read what kinds of people medical schools seek, it’s easy enough to identify quite a few character traits that appeal to many schools: compassion, resiliency, adaptability, selflessness, inclusivity, and altruism among them. What experience, when written with key details and description, reveals who you really are?

3. How do you choose the right amount of personal qualities to list?

A strong medical school personal statement should not replicate other parts of the application, with the exception of it being a specific story that stems from a particular experience associated with one of your activities. Otherwise, there’s no listing in this essay. Unfortunately, some applicants do treat the personal statement as an opportunity to list awards, accolades, and experiences, paragraph by paragraph. Meanwhile, medical school admissions officers can see these awards and experiences in the Experiences section of the application. Rarely, if ever, does this kind of writing bring out voice, vision and identity. Instead, tell a true story, revised with care and precision, that shines with voice, vision and identity.

4. Are there any topics I should avoid for my medical school personal statement?

Certainly, one idea might work better for one person and not so well for someone else. So, there’s a subjectivity in what to write and what not to write. Generally, however, there are some topics to avoid. Don’t write about a time you felt cheated, inconvenienced, frustrated or angry. Sometimes, secondary essay prompts will ask you about a struggle or a mistake, and for these answers, it’s best to show how you turned the situation around or keenly learned from it. Don’t get too caught in childhood. Many applicants do write about a time when they were not yet grown; however, don’t get swallowed by it. Write the scene and then stay in the present to demonstrate your maturity and worthwhile hindsight.

Remember -- no matter what the topic, tone matters. 

5. What kind of experience should I include in my personal statement?

6. can the experience i use on my med school personal statement be from outside of college.

Absolutely. It is relatively common for applicants to only portray themselves as students, and this can be a problem. Sometimes, when applicants write about themselves as excellent students the tone of such a personal statement can sound boastful or pleading. Neither quality is advantageous. 

Seeing oneself in any other light can result in a stronger “snapshot” of who you are, as long as the theme or topic of your personal statement still suits the intention of the application in the first place – demonstrating who you are as an appealing candidate for medical school. When we consider the writing task for the personal statement to be much more story-driven, readers go on a descriptive journey. What journey would you like to share?

7. Should I talk about challenges I’ve faced?

If other parts of your medical school application suggest a struggle – whether a lower MCAT score or a notable weak semester on a transcript – it might be advantageous to explain what happened and how you turned that situation around. Whether writing about a challenge in the personal statement or secondaries, the key is to demonstrate resilience. Applicants with physical or cognitive disabilities may choose to write about seeking assistance -- whether a doctor, therapist or a tutor -- and how learning alternative strategies helped them figure out how to attain higher academic achievement. 

Sometimes challenges are circumstantial. Sometimes families face financial hardship (did the family breadwinner become unemployed and therefore everyone else had to work more hours, including you?), emotional stress (due to an ongoing illness, Covid-19, or a divorce?) or trauma (a death of a loved one, a house fire, a veteran/sibling returning home with PTSD). Sometimes an applicant has been a caregiver for someone in the family. Sometimes an applicant has taken a leave from school because of someone else’s struggles, or the emotional fallout on the applicant from someone else’s struggle – the loss of a childhood friend, for instance. Self-care is reasonable. We might need to share a life moment in order to frame the context of a life struggle, showing it in the context of responsibility rather than recklessness or immaturity. Showing how you stepped up in a challenging time can show that you are accountable and caring, as long as the story is told to these ends, rather than suggesting resentment or self-pity. Again, neither of these tones is advantageous, nor is blame. 

Occasionally applicants have been challenged by a course or by a professor, a classmate or teammate and feel unduly subjected to bias. If there’s discrimination involved, that might be a story to tell. If there’s a personality clash, that might not be a good story to tell. 

Finally, as any story of challenge moves along, it’s important to demonstrate what you did, what you learned, how you adapted, or what you now value from having had this life experience that you did not understand before. 

Being a doctor is rife with challenges. In the end, your readers may come to understand how you are an insightful leader with great resilience or a compassionate, problem-solver.

8. How do I focus my personal statement to show that I want to go into medicine and not another field in healthcare?

Great question. On the one hand, it’s a good idea to demonstrate your compassion for others and empathy for people suffering from illness. On the other hand, these are favorable attributes for nearly all healthcare workers -- not only doctors -- but for physician assistants, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers and psychologists too. Since most applicants have done some shadowing of physicians, it’s not unusual for these experiences to contain moments of learning about being a physician through shadowing or through work in a clinic. However, the more clinical the story, the better especially if you’re applying to osteopathic schools of medicine. If you’re applying to allopathic schools of medicine, it’s possible you have some interest in being a researcher, so telling a story about working in a physician’s lab might demonstrate your insights into the value of research in light of disease or patient care. If you already have an affinity for a specialty, telling how you came to know this could be the way to go.

9. Do I introduce my desired field of healthcare in my personal statement?

Maybe. If you’re very committed and have demonstrated a trend in your activities from general volunteer work (older listings) to more specialized experience in a field of medicine (more recent listings), it may be a good idea to write up how you came to know one field of medicine was really your passion. 

Bear in mind that announcing a deep interest in a particular field of medicine may make you “a good fit” or “not a good fit” for some schools. So, if you do write up a story about your desired field of medicine for your personal statement, be sure your list of schools corresponds with this. For instance, if you want to be an obstetrician and you convey this in your personal statement, be certain your schools have clinical exposure or better yet offer specializations in obstetrics, or a required rotation through a hospital for women, for instance.

Lastly, by no means must you announce a desired field of healthcare in your personal statement. You may be asked about your specialized interests in medicine in a secondary or in an interview, so it’s a good idea to think this through, but no, you don’t have to tackle this in the personal statement.

10. What should my character limit be? 

The AMCAS and AACOMAS character limit for the personal statement is 5,300 characters with spaces. The TMDSAS character limit for the personal statement is 5,000 characters with spaces. It’s a good idea to use most if not all of this space for your personal statement. Also, try to avoid the temptation to use the same personal statement for AMCAS and AACOMAS. The osteopathic schools seek applicants who know and prefer an osteopathic orientation to medicine, so the AACOMAS personal statement should demonstrate your fit with osteopathic medicine, based on what story you choose to tell and how you tell it, or at the very least, in the conclusion.

11. How do I know when I’m ready to submit my med school personal statement?

I highly recommend getting feedback about this from a strong mentor, advisor or consultant. Accepted offers comprehensive consultation for every part of the writing process, from brainstorming, to outlining, to mentoring on ideas, and editing until a client has a solid final draft in hand, ready for submission. You can review these services here: Initial Essay Package

Generally speaking, when you’ve accomplished FAQ #2 and #3, avoided the pitfalls in #4, revised for clarity and quality of ideas, developed ideas engagingly, and meticulously revised for quality of writing, then, you may be done.

12. What if I don’t have enough space to discuss everything?

Then your topic is too large or unfocused, in which case you need to focus and narrow the scope of your essays. Or you have a bit of editing to do to eliminate wordiness, digressions, or overstatement Ultimately, you want your essay to be focused, clear, and engaging.

13. Should I personalize my personal statement to the med school I am applying to?

Only if you’re applying to one medical school. Otherwise, your personal statement will reach all schools listed in your AMCAS application or AACOMAS application. It is okay, however, to speak toward the ideals of your first choice, aspirational schools on your list. Other times, applicants choose to write toward the schools that are their safest bets. 

Your secondary/supplemental essays will give you plenty of opportunity to show you belong at an individual school.

14.  Can I talk about mental or physical health in my statement?

15. should i address any bad grades that i got in school.

Generally yes, as long as bad grades are truly bad grades. It’s likely that you do not need to address a rogue grade of B on a transcript. If you had a bad semester or two, the question becomes how and where to address them. The answer is an individual one dependent on the context. The one certainty: You definitely don’t want your entire application to be a rationalization of those bad grades. 

See FAQ #7. 

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Everything you need to know about update letters for medical school.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 10/11/23

Thinking about writing an update letter? We’ll break down how to craft the perfect one for med school.

Applying to medical school is a long, complicated, and involved process. By now, you have completed your primary application, secondary application, and medical school interview . Just getting this far is a huge accomplishment in itself, so you should feel proud of your journey. 

Now comes what may be even more stressful and worrisome than all of the work and preparation you have completed over months and months: waiting to hear about your acceptance to your dream medical school. 

This is where the update letter for medical school comes into play. Writing an update letter for medical school alleviates some of the stress of waiting because it allows you another opportunity to let medical school admissions committees know that you are still interested in their medical school and that you are continuing to work on your professional growth.

In this blog, we will discuss the purpose of the update letter for medical school, when to send an update letter, and topics to include in a strong update letter. We will also review a sample of a medical school update letter and go over what makes it effective.

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

Purpose of the Update Letter for Medical School

The purpose of the update letter for medical school is multifaceted. At its core, an effective update letter accomplishes the following:

• It reminds medical schools that you still exist.
• It mentions any new and relevant professional achievements since submitting your application.
• It makes clear and concise connections between your new activities and the medical school’s mission.

With that said, it is important to note that not all medical schools will accept additional correspondence like update letters from applicants outside of the required and requested application materials. Some medical schools explicitly state that they will discard additional correspondence that isn’t required or directly requested.

It’s a good idea to check with the medical schools to which you have applied to make sure you follow all medical school application requirements, including their guidelines for best practices after you apply.

After all, you don’t want to irritate admissions committees by not following their specified directions regarding their medical school application process.

Knowing the difference between update letters, letters of interest, and letters of intent is essential as you write your med school letters. The update letter is unique in that it primarily focuses on your self-improvement, your growth mindset, your major accomplishments, and your involvement in professional development that were not included in your primary and secondary applications or your interview.

The key takeaway is that the update letter for medical school focuses on you and your professional accomplishments since applying. It does not heavily go into the medical school’s programs and opportunities. 

When to Send an Update Letter for Medical School

Assuming your medical schools will accept an update letter, it is generally sent in the following scenarios:

• You have already interviewed at the medical school.
• You have been waitlisted by the medical school.
• You have not yet received a rejection from the medical school.

In other words, you are in limbo awaiting their final decision. (Please keep in mind that if you have received a rejection, you cannot send an update letter to reverse the decision. A rejection is a final decision by the medical school.)

What to Include in Your Update Letter for Medical School

An effective update letter for medical school addresses what you have been doing since applying to medical school that furthers your professional development. This can include activities such as research projects, new honors and awards, any publication accolades, progress or status updates with extracurriculars, a new job, or additional responsibilities you have undertaken at work.

Medical school admissions committees like to see students continuing to pursue their goals. In other words, it is in your best interest to remain proactive in your development and maintain a growth mindset.

Because getting into top medical schools is highly competitive, you will increase your chances for acceptance if you diligently move forward with your activities and avoid becoming stagnant. 

For your update letter, be sure that the information you are including is new and relevant to the medical school’s mission. You can certainly draw upon the information you already included in your application and/or interview, but make sure that your update letter focuses on new developments and updates.

You don’t want your update letter to rehash the same information that can be found in your application. Rather, think of the update letter as a supplemental document that adds important news about your recent activities.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind about your update letter for medical school:

• Be confident and enthusiastic about your recent activities and professional development.
• Balance your confidence with humility and grace. For example, avoid being boastful or arrogant, and don’t embellish your activities. Be humble about what you have recently learned and what you have left to learn.
• Be gracious to the medical school admissions committees. You don’t have to gush over them taking the time to read your update letter, but do be mindful of your overall tone and language. 
• As a courtesy, keep your update letter short—no longer than one page in length—and simple.

Ultimately, your update letter should convey your dedication to your medical career, demonstrate your achievements, personal growth, and alignment with the institution's values and mission.

Sample of an Update Letter for Medical School

Now that we have established some preliminary guidelines to keep in mind for your update letter, let’s go over a sample of an effective update letter for medical school. We will then review the qualities that make this update letter truly stand out.

Dear Stanford University School of Medicine Admissions Committee:

My name is First-Name Last-Name [AMCAS ID: 123456789] and I am a medical school applicant who interviewed at Stanford University School of Medicine on [XX/XX/XXXX]. I would like to provide you with an update on my ongoing research, recent publications, and latest activities.

My goal is to become a skilled physician-investigator in biomedical research and patient care. Since my interview, I have continued my position as a research assistant and have had several articles accepted in peer-reviewed publications:

Publication #1 - Follow APA format when citing your publication.

Publication #2 - Follow APA format when citing your publication.

Publication #3 - Follow APA format when citing your publication.

I have also begun to volunteer at my local homeless shelter, where I have gained a newfound passion for health equity for underprivileged and impoverished patient populations. Working at the homeless shelter has taught me that the disparity in public health and treatment based on socioeconomic status must be addressed, and I am driven to pursue biomedical research that will help decrease global human suffering.

Additionally, I trained to compete in a semi-professional bodybuilding competition, and ranked third in my region. This activity has cultivated my self-sufficiency and discipline, traits that are important to establish early on and continue for medical students and physicians. 

Thank you for your time and consideration in reading this letter. I appreciate your continued interest in my candidacy at Stanford University School of Medicine.

First-Name Last-Name

AMCAS ID: 123456789

What makes this an effective update letter? Let’s break it down from beginning to end.

The Salutation

Specifying the medical school by name and addressing the admissions committee extends common courtesy and shows professionalism. Avoid the generic and overused “To Whom It May Concern” as that can convey a lack of interest and disregard of the medical school. In other words, if you genuinely want to be accepted by that medical school, take the care and extra step of personalizing your salutation.

The Introduction

Right away, the introduction includes the applicant’s name and AMCAS ID number. The introductory paragraphs immediately connect the applicant with the medical school. The applicant ties in relevant research experience with the medical school’s program.

The Body Paragraphs

Notice how the body paragraphs focus on the applicant’s ongoing and new professional developments. The applicant also includes personal hobbies and endeavors that clearly and concisely show the desirable qualities of a strong candidate and physician.

When writing your update letter, we suggest that the majority of the letter focuses on your professional growth. You can include a couple of personal achievements in your update letter, but just like in the sample, keep your personal achievements concise and only include them if they are relevant to the medical school’s mission.

The Closing/Signature

The closing neatly wraps up the applicant’s interest and goals. The signature includes the applicant’s AMCAS ID number, which is helpful to the admissions committee as they receive thousands of applications.

Overall Comments

The tone of this sample update letter is gracious, professional, and humble. It strikes just the right balance of confidence and humility. It highlights the applicant’s continued interest in the medical school and links that to the applicant’s trackable progress. It provides concrete, specific examples of the applicant’s recent and new activities. It is just the right length that results in effective communication—longer than a few vague lines, but no longer than a page. 

Med School Update Letter FAQs

Still have questions about update letters? Take a look at our answers to these frequently asked questions.

1. What If I Don’t Have That Many New Professional Activities to Discuss in an Update Letter?

Your update letter shouldn’t be long at all. Stick to one page in length or just under one page. Medical school admissions committees have many primary and secondary application materials to read, so be courteous of their time. After all, an update letter is not an application requirement. 

It is simply a gesture on your part to reach out to medical schools that have not yet given you their final decision. Furthermore, an effective update letter will prioritize quality over quantity. Specify the activities that are relevant and detail how they connect to the medical school. Sticking with this formula will ensure that your update letter includes all of your pertinent talking points.

2. How Do I Send My Update Letter to Medical Schools?

Again, please verify with the medical schools to which you have applied that they accept update letters. If they do, you can find instructions for sending your update letter on their website or secondary portal. 

If you have the option of uploading the update letter using their secondary portal, we suggest that the file type is a PDF to keep formatting consistent. Always follow each medical school’s specific application requirements. For example, The University of Colorado Boulder has application tips for sending update letters .

3. How Many Med School Update Letters Can I Send?

You don’t want to annoy the admissions committee by sending excessive correspondence outside of their required application materials. We recommend sending one update letter when applicable (remember, in the cases where you are in limbo, and the medical schools allow update letters).

There are some medical schools that allow up to three update letters. Some medical schools allow letters of interest and letters of intent in addition to update letters. Please check with the medical school to which you have applied to ensure that you follow their application instructions.

4. Is There Anything I Should Avoid in My Med School Update Letter?

Avoid discussing the medical school’s admissions timetable or long passage of time. For example, you don’t want to say something like, “It has been several months since I interviewed at XYZ Medical School.” This sounds negative and slightly accusatory that they are taking too long with their final decision. It is best to be gracious and patient. Furthermore, you don’t want to waste your limited space (one page) on irrelevant or unhelpful topics.

Avoid sounding too casual and vague. Your update letter should maintain the same level of professionalism and detail that was in your primary and secondary applications. Your update letter is a supplemental document in addition to your application, so it should be regarded with the same attention and care.

Avoid listing too many hobbies. It is acceptable to include one or two as long as they are relevant, but you don’t want the entire update letter to consist of hobbies and personal endeavors rather than concrete and trackable progress in your professional growth.

Avoid sending an update letter that’s too short. It is better to send no update letter at all than just a few disinterested and vague lines.

Avoid sending an update letter that’s too long. Your update letter should be one page maximum. Remember, an update letter is supplemental to your primary and secondary applications and interview. It should not be written like a major component of your medical school application. 

5. Do Update Letters Really Make a Difference for Getting Into Med School?

This is really hard to definitively judge, and certainly this is on a case-by-case basis, but let’s take a step back and consider some key things. First, if medical schools indicate that they indeed accept update letters, then you can be assured that admissions committees will read them and take them into consideration when they make their final decision.

At the very least, an update letter can reinforce your interest well after your interview , and may while renew their interest in you as a candidate. It can encourage them to review your application more closely. Secondly, if your update letter lists professional achievements that are of value and in alignment with the medical school’s program, then coupled with your primary and secondary applications, it may just be enough for admissions committees to move forward with you.

You can research real examples of prospective medical students receiving invitations to another interview, or offers of acceptance, based on what they achieved in their update letters.

6. How Can I Get Help Writing My Update Letter to Medical Schools? ‍

If you are struggling with things like grammar, sentence structure, or tone, have another set of eyes look over it. This can be a trusted colleague, mentor, teacher, or friend. Proofreading will ensure that you are sending an update letter that is free of errors. 

If you need assistance with knowing what content to include to make your update letter effective and concise, get in touch with us today to help with all of your medical school admissions consulting needs. We are here for you every step of the way!

Final Thoughts

You are so close in getting into your dream medical school. Sending an effective update letter may help in getting you closer. With our guide on writing an update letter for medical school, you will succeed in communicating your continued excellence. 

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How Do You Submit Letters of Recommendation to Medical Schools

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It is finally time to take the plunge and prepare your medical school application materials after years of preparation. Do not overlook the medical school letters of recommendation . At the same time, you are preoccupied with MCAT preparation or ensuring every word in your personal statement is near perfect.

Letters of recommendation come from instructors and mentors who support your candidacy. They are the most familiar with you and can best explain how you can contribute to your desired medical programs. 

In addition, they can authentically portray what it is like to have you as a student or mentee.

It is challenging to choose the people who will write these recommendation letters. 

Many letters are required for medical schools, and the application process might vary significantly based on your undergraduate university. Hence, begin discussing your goals with your recommenders as soon as feasible.

This article will teach you how to submit letters of recommendation and everything that goes along. If you want to know more, please keep reading. 

What is a Recommendation Letter, and Why Is It Important in Medical School?

For a medical school application to succeed, letters of recommendation are essential. They offer an objective assessment of you instead of your assertions or the viewpoint of a biased friend or relative. 

Some even contend that because the personal statement is inherently discriminatory, letters of recommendation are even more crucial than the personal statement. 

After all, personal information aims to present you in the best possible light.

Contrarily, letters of recommendation are prepared by reputable experts like mentors, professors, and doctors. 

Most likely, an admissions committee will believe them over you. Therefore, it is essential that the individual writing your letter has worked closely with you and has positive things to say about you.

Below is the importance of letters of recommendation for medical school:

Letters of Recommendation Display That You Can Learn and Develop

Being a doctor requires quick thinking, constant adaptation, and constant self-adjustment. 

Therefore, one of the essential things letters of recommendation for medical school accomplish is demonstrating your capacity for learning, growth, and situational adaptation. 

Your chances of impressing medical school admissions officers increase if your letter of reference demonstrates that you accomplish this well. 

Naturally, part of that entails getting high grades and attending class regularly. These show that you have the abilities necessary to succeed in medical school.

Letters of Recommendation Best Display Your Personality

You must be able to get along with people, whether they are patients, physicians, maintenance workers, or nurses. This quality will be highlighted in your letters of recommendation.

This implies being someone the letter writer likes and remembers, necessitating being friendly and considerate of others. 

Remember it as you go to school, work, and volunteer. Befriend those who will remember you and your accomplishments while working together, such as instructors, managers, and other comparable individuals.

Letters of Recommendation Demonstrate Your Achievements So Far

You must also demonstrate significant accomplishments to be a good candidate who admissions committee members consider eligible. The ideal place to do this is in your letters of recommendation from medical school.

In these letters, your recommenders may highlight occasions, achievements, or works of art from your life. They will achieve this by demonstrating your strengths and how you use them to make fundamental changes in the world. 

Additionally, your accomplishments demonstrate drive, commitment, and determination. 

Admissions officers for medical schools will probably be pleased to learn that you don't give up and keep going in the face of obstacles to accomplish your goals. Such tenacity makes you stand out from the crowd.

Letters of Recommendation Emphasize Your Core Competencies

Letters of recommendation for medical school emphasize your soft qualities and the complex abilities you must learn. These are topics that might not be covered in-depth in lectures or textbooks. However, when assessing applications, admissions personnel look out for these abilities.

One important soft quality that letters of recommendation may attest to is empathy. This is difficult to explain through grades or standardized examinations. 

However, your letters are the ideal venue for demonstrating your emotional intelligence. They might tell tales about your capacity to comprehend the feelings and circumstances of others. 

Your letters also demonstrate your ability to communicate clearly. Essays may indicate your writing skills, but letters of recommendation reveal more. They teach medical schools how to share ideas, collaborate with others, and reach a compromise.

A bad recommendation letter is a significant problem. Your application may suffer irreversible damage from a weak or indifferent letter of recommendation. 

Therefore, this process must be approached in advance with excellent order, carefully picking your notes.

What are the Types of Letters of Recommendation for Medical School?

There are three types of recommendation letters in medical school. Depending on what you need, you must research first and visit the medical school website you are applying for. 

For your reference, here are the types of letters of recommendation for medical school that you must secure as part of the requirements.

Committee Letter

A committee letter is written by a pre-med committee or pre-med advisor that reflects how your institution feels about you. 

Additional letters submitted supporting your application may or may not be included in a committee letter. Committee letters are also known as composite letters.

Letter Packet

A letter packet is a collection of letters put together and given by your school, frequently by the career center. 

For example, a cover sheet from your pre-health committee or advisor could be included in a letter packet. However, unlike a committee letter, a letter packet does not contain an evaluation letter from your pre-health committee or advisor.  

Individual Letters 

Individual letters are both authored by and on behalf of a single author. 

Therefore, do not add a separate item for an individual letter if you have previously included it in a committee letter or a letter packet.

How Do You Submit Letters of Recommendation to Medical Schools?

Your letters of recommendation writers must electronically submit their letters via Interfolio or the AMCAS Letter Writer Application . Recommendation letters are not something you review or present on your own.

You must send submission details, such as your AAMC ID and a unique seven-digit Letter ID , to each letter author. 

When you add letter writers to your AMCAS application, each one will receive a unique Letter ID that must be used to upload letters.

Interfolio is a program that applying through different services, such as AMCAS , TMDSAS , and AACOMAS . Writers only need to upload their materials once. However, for your letter to match your application, they will still require their particular seven-digit Letter ID. 

Both AMCAS and Interfolio will instantly or three days later mark as received any letters you submit using either method. If a letter is not listed as received by the specified deadline, contact the writer and ask them to resubmit the letter.

How Do I Submit a Letter of Recommendation on AMCAS?

If you choose to submit your letters of recommendation to AMCAS, please refer to the guidelines and instructions below:

Select the Letters of Evaluation area from the application's Main Menu, then print the Letter Request Form. 

You can generate the Letter Request Form as a PDF in the AMCAS application for your chosen letter authors.

Your mailing address, your AAMC ID, the Letter ID, and details regarding sending letters to AMCAS are all included on this form. 

In addition, each letter writer should receive the Letter ID, a 7-digit number allocated to each letter entry on your AMCAS application. This is to appropriately link their letter with the appropriate letter entry you generated in the application.

The Letter Request Form(s) are not sent to letter authors by the AMCAS program.

You may designate letters to medical schools after adding your designations. 

Your letters of recommendation are not required for AMCAS to validate your application. Therefore, even if your letters have not reached AMCAS, you can still submit your application.

After your application has been confirmed, medical schools will have access to your application and letters. After processing your application, AMCAS will send letters to schools on a rolling basis as they come in.

For more details, please visit the AMCAS Applicant Guide .

When are Letters of Recommendation Due?

This leads us to the precise time that admissions committees for medical schools might view these messages. Most letters will be required once your secondaries are sent in.

Medical schools must receive your primary and secondary applications, payment for both parts, and any outstanding MCAT results . It is only then that they open the letters of recommendation. 

However, it is always preferable to be safe than sorry. Therefore, inform your recommenders of the exact day you want to submit your main and ask them to submit their ratings as soon as possible.

Additional FAQs – How Do You Submit Letters of Recommendation to Medical Schools?

Do letters of recommendation need to be signed by medical school, can you send letters of recommendation after application to medical school, you're no longer alone on your journey to becoming a physician.

How to Write a Med School Update Letter That Actually Works

“Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing.”

Years ago, I had a student open his personal statement with this line, and it has always stuck with me (kudos to him).

It certainly applies to the waiting game period – the span of several months when pre-meds have already turned in secondaries or gone to interviews, and now all they can do is hope, pray, and stew in their feelings of self-consciousness.

Pre-meds are not very good at sitting around idly and waiting. I think that’s why they’re so drawn to the idea of update letters. They want to do everything in their power to help their situation.

But how effective are update letters, really?

That’s a hard question to answer. But I can say that every letter, regardless of its quality, serves at least one important function: it reminds the schools that you exist and that you’re interested. However, you’re a Savvy pre-med, so let’s try to push beyond what’s standard and acceptable.

How can you write an update letter that actually works? Or in other words, how do you write an update letter that actually gets you a second look, an interview, or maybe even that bump off the waitlist?  

*PLEASE NOTE – some schools don’t accept update letters, so make sure you understand each school’s rules before you take action! Don’t piss off your admissions readers before they even hear your message.

Let’s start by looking at an example of a pretty average (not terrible ) example of an update letter:

Average Example:

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Joe Pre-med, and I am a current applicant for XYZ School of Medicine’s class of 2024. Since several months have passed without any news from your admissions office, I wanted to reach out to provide an update on my activities and express how great of a fit I’d be for your incoming class.

Since submitting my secondary application on the first possible day (7/3/2019), I have remained avid in improving my candidacy. I have continued my job as Chief Scribe, where I train younger inexperienced scribes and serve as the catalyst that holds our clinical workflow together. At times, I’ve pointed out key information about patients and their histories that the physicians had overlooked. I feel like this job is giving me a full and accurate look into what my future career will entail, and I’m happy to be getting a valuable headstart that will separate me from my cohort in medical school.

Outside of scribing, I’ve been training for two boundary-pushing physical challenges: a full marathon and a bodybuilding competition. While working with my friend who is a personal trainer, I have been cutting seconds and cutting fat every day. I’ve always been a natural athlete, but these endeavors are testing my limits and elevating me to a new level.

Lastly, I’m currently planning a detailed sailing adventure with my friends, where we’ll be taking a rented boat from Catalina Island all the way up to Portland, with several ports along the way. This will be a great way to escape from all the stress of applications while also testing our self-sufficiency and seafaring abilities. We’ve already started a social media page for our trip, @___________, where we’ll be recording our voyage and making connections with people at different ports. It’s going to be awesome, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it at an interview!

Hope to hear from you soon, especially since I’ve heard that your school tends to send out its second wave of II’s around this time! If you grant me one of these spots, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

Very excited to finally meet you,

Joe Pre-med

AMCAS ID: 123456789

Revising Your Med School Update Letter

Before we get started, go ahead and make a short list of things you might want to correct about the average example.

Done? Here’s what I came up with:

* the tone is arrogant and lacks self-awareness

* there isn’t very much “trackable progress”

* there is no connection to the school itself

These three bullet points will guide our revision of the letter, but let’s break down the average example piece by piece:

The Salutation:

In my opinion, using “To Whom It May Concern” is never a great idea. Yes, you don’t know exactly who will be reading it, but putting something like “Dear XYZ School of Medicine Admissions Committee” looks and sounds a lot better.

The Intro and Conclusion:

Avoid comments about the school’s admissions timetable:

“Since several months have passed without any news from your admissions office…”

“Hope to hear from you soon, especially since I’ve heard that your school tends to send out its second wave of II’s around this time!” These sentences don’t help your case at all; they convey that you’re “playing the admissions game” rather than showing genuine attraction to the school.  

Be humble and polite:

“…how great of a fit I’d be for your incoming class.”

“…I can’t wait to tell you all about it at an interview!”

“If you grant me one of these spots, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!”

It’s good to be confident, but not at the expense of decorum or courtesy. Some letters sound like they’re desperately groveling, which isn’t good either, but you can’t risk any tones of entitlement or self-aggrandizing.

Include something personal about the school:

The more specific, the better. Maybe you read about them in the news, or really liked one of the sample student research projects on their website. It’s nice if you can include some small personal note as part of the impetus behind the letter. If you can personalize it right away, they’re far more likely to finish reading it.

See the example below for reference.

The Body Paragraphs:

Don’t try to impress; show your value to others:

Read the Chief Scribe paragraph again – does it sound like someone you’d want to work with? Sure, he’s in charge of training people and he’s giving doctors important information, but it screams of insecure self-importance.

Cut down on the personal endeavors or hobbies:

It’s great that he’s running a marathon, and the bodybuilding competition and sailing trip could actually stand out as unusual gap year activities. BUT they take up WAY too much space, and they’re given exaggerated importance. They’d actually have more power if they were kept to a line or two.

Show your trackable progress:

Most things in the current letter are either continuations or plans. It’s better if you can show an “after picture” of something you brought up in your application – an event you organized, a publication, a completed project – anything to show your follow through and ability to leave things better than you found them.

Connect your gap year activities to the school’s mission/opportunities:

Right now, for the most part, this letter could be sent to all schools without making changes, which is a bad sign. Yes, you can template your update letter from school to school, but you MUST distinguish the school’s program and show your “fit.”

Strong Example of a Med School Update Letter That Actually Works

Dear XYZ School of Medicine Admissions Committee,

My name is Joe Pre-med, and I am a current applicant for XYZ School of Medicine’s class of 2024. Yesterday I read an exciting news article about the breakthrough CRISPR research going on at XYZ. As someone who’s been involved in genetics research, this gave me yet another reason to be excited about your program. I’m sure your office is incredibly busy this time of the year, but I wanted to provide an update on my activities and express my continued interest in your school. .

Since submitting my secondary application in July, I have continued my job as Chief Scribe, where I train younger scribes and coordinate with staff members to improve clinical workflow. With permission from the hospital, I altered our training program to ensure that new scribes were prepared for different providers’ preferences, while also establishing small informal workshops where we review documentation for hypothetical complex cases. This job is honing my leadership, communication, teamwork, and conscientiousness as a co-worker and future provider. Many of our patients are low-income or underserved, giving me a deeper appreciation for XYZ School of Medicine’s commitment to social justice and health equity.  

Outside of scribing, I’ve been training for a full marathon and a bodybuilding competition, while also planning a sailing trip with my friends from Catalina Island to Portland. These were all personal milestones that I didn’t have enough time for during my undergraduate years, so it’s exciting to be taking action and actualizing these goals in my time before matriculation. I believe these activities are strengthening my discipline, self-sufficiency, and sense of follow-through, all important traits for a medical student and doctor.  

The more I learn about XYZ, the more excited I become by the prospect of potentially interviewing and joining such an amazing program. As mentioned earlier, my past genetics research aligns with some of the pioneering studies taking place at XYZ, and it’d be thrilling to build off my past work among such brilliant faculty and like-minded scholars. Based on my time as Chief Scribe in an underserved clinic, I would love to get involved in your student-run free clinics and take part in your outreach programs that revolve around education and prevention for populations with cost restrictions. Many of our patients have mental health or addiction problems, which are also common problems in the areas surrounding XYZ. In the future, I’d love to collaborate with my cohort of medical school classmates to establish needle exchanges and other social services. Overall, I feel like XYZ is a community where I could thrive and make meaningful contributions on multiple levels.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter. I really appreciate your continued consideration of my candidacy. Please let me know if I could provide any further information. I hope to have the chance to share more about my experiences.

Kind regards,

To re-cap, here are the qualities of strong update letters:

* creates a personalized narrative, cannot be used verbatim for another school

* shows knowledge of the school right away

* maintains humble tone with no hints of entitlement or expectations

* includes your “trackable progress” of accomplishments and improvement

* makes connections to the school’s mission and opportunities

Keep these points in mind, and you won’t go astray! Hopefully it’s the right combination to get you noticed!

What this guide helpful? Do you have any other questions about update letters? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll respond to you personally!

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How to Request Letters of Evaluation

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It can feel intimidating to ask someone for an LoE: you may be unsure how to ask or what information to provide to a potential writer. Learn some helpful tips from an admissions dean.

Letters of evaluation (LoE; i.e., letters of recommendation, LoR) are a required component in a medical school application. For medical schools, letters can further contextualize your attributes, skills, and experiences that are present in other aspects of your application or provide new evidence of these important characteristics. In particular, LoE provide admissions committees a more well-rounded perspective of you as an applicant and future medical student, especially when letters are written by those who know you from different contexts.

Asking for LoE may feel intimidating — you may be unsure how to ask or what information to provide to the potential writer. In some cases, a letter writer may ask an applicant to write their own letter and then the “writer” will modify it slightly and sign/submit or sign and submit as written. Such a scenario is generally seen as unethical by admissions committees. The purpose of the LoE is to provide an assessment and perspective of the applicant from the letter writer’s point of view, with examples of attributes observed and/or other personal characteristics or experiences. If an applicant is asked to write their own letter, the medical school admissions committee is not gaining this additional perspective. Below are some strategies to help you request strong LoE.

How to Navigate “The Ask” for LoE

• Create a Plan: Plan ahead to optimize LoE submission, taking into consideration school deadlines and that your writers may be asked by several other students for LoE as well.
• Brainstorm Potential Evaluators: Think through who you will be asking and try to aim for diverse perspectives, if possible. If you think that you may be requesting a letter down the road from a particular individual, you can give them advanced notice of a forthcoming request.
• Review Medical School Requirements : How many letters do the schools you’re applying to require? Do they require letters from specific types of individuals (e.g., physician or professor)? Does your university have a premedical committee who will write the letter? Do you need to submit recommenders to them? Will your school of choice accept the committee letter in lieu of individual letters? You can use the Medical School Admission Requirements ™ (MSAR ® ) report on LoE to find these details for each school. 
• Update Your Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) : Update your resume or CV and provide it to your letter writers. This will give them even more context about you as an applicant.
• Review the LoE Section of the AMCAS ® Application Guide : Be well-informed about what to provide your letter writer so they can easily upload the letter in the AMCAS portal.
• Offer to Meet: Let them know you are willing to meet to provide additional information. During this meeting, explain your plans to apply to medical school, and if they have a relatively narrow knowledge of who you are, offer more background information about yourself.
• Be Courteous and Provide all the Necessary Information : Regardless if a meeting is necessary, provide all of the information they will need to complete this task including your resume/CV, Letter Request Form (see AMCAS Application Guide ), instructions for submitting the letter to the AMCAS portal (see AAMC website ), your deadline, the AAMC guidelines for letter writers, and the list of AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students in case they observed any of these while working with you.
• Allow for Ample Time : Give letter writers at least one month to write your letter and upload it to the AMCAS portal. 

What To Do if a Letter Writer Asks You to Write Your Own Letter

• Provide Clarification : Tell the letter writer that you respect their perspective and understand how busy they are but feel medical schools would appreciate receiving the assessment and perspective from their point of view. Convey that you are asking them because you have appreciated your time together and feel that they can provide an important perspective to your application.
• Provide Materials : Provide the letter writer with all the materials they’ll need (resume, CV, submission instructions, deadline, etc.) and offer to meet in person to assist them.
• Offer an “Out:”   The letter writer may ask you to draft the letter due to time constraints. Tell the individual that you know they have many responsibilities and your request may not be at an ideal time. Therefore, if they do not feel they can write the letter, you understand.
• Seek Out Advice : If these strategies don’t work, seek out the advice of a health professions advisor or other trusted colleague (without disclosing the name of the individual) for guidance.
• Don’t Be Afraid to Say “No:”  In the end, it is your choice who writes your LoE for medical school. If you cannot resolve the situation in a way that upholds your integrity and ethics, it is okay to let the individual know you appreciate their time, but you are going to request the letter from another individual.

Ultimately you are headed into a highly ethical career, one that requires integrity and navigation of difficult situations. Agreeing to author your own letter and allowing someone else to sign it is dishonest. Maintain your integrity and strengthen your application by finding a letter writer who can authentically speak to your unique skills, interests, and abilities. By Leila Harrison, Senior Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs, Washington State University, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine  

• Request Info

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How to Apply

Submit the aacomas application.

Simplify your application process with a centralized online service that offers you the convenience of completing a single online application for each osteopathic medical school you choose.

Submit KCU Supplemental Application

Upon review of your AACOMAS application, KCU invites qualified applicants to complete our secondary application online.

Submit Letters of Recommendation

Submit two letters of recommendation. If you submitted through AACOMAS, we will download letters to your KCU file.

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Complete Your Interview

Interviews are conducted virtually or in-person and are by invitation only. Interviews start in August and typically end in March. You will be notified of a decision via email within four weeks of your interview.

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Academic requirements.

Admission is competitive and based on factors such as academic achievement, clinical exposure, research experience, leadership skills and community involvement along with other requirements to indicate that an applicant is a good match.

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Medical students interested in transferring to KCU can apply if currently enrolled at an accredited osteopathic medical school. Applicants enrolled in an MD program are not eligible for transfer admission.

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Our College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Biosciences, and College of Dental Medicine accept a select number of international students each year. International students are held to the same application, admissions and matriculation requirements as all other students.

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Learn more about our dual degree programs to earn a second degree while you work towards your DO

Learn More About Dual Degree Program Admissions

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In order to matriculate into the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program, accepted students must submit a number of materials within deadline. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of your seat in the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

COM Matriculation

Admissions Deadlines & Dates

The KCU College of Osteopathic Medicine admits on a rolling admissions process.

Applicants are encouraged to begin the application process a year prior to their anticipated matriculation.

I’m proud of Kansas City University’s absolute commitment to student success and look forward to welcoming the next generation to our long history of graduating exceptional, compassionate osteopathic physicians who make a difference in their communities.

Take the Next Step

KCU offers medical training opportunities for qualified applicants with a dream of becoming doctors.

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