The AMCAS application for medical school typically includes one or more letters of recommendation (LOR). Each MD letter of recommendation, also known as a letter of evaluation, should highlight a student’s academic or professional achievements.
Since AMCAS does not need a student’s letters of evaluation to verify their application, students may submit their application even if their letters have not yet arrived at AMCAS. Application and letters will be made available to medical schools after the application is verified.
Each medical school for students seeking a MD degree has different letter of recommendation requirements that are summarized below. Sort the schools in ascending or descending order, or narrow the listing by searching for your school of interest.
| Medical School | Letter of Recommendation Details |
|---|---|
| Albany Medical College | For students attending schools that do not provide a committee letter service, between 2 to 4 individual letters of recommendation may be substituted. |
Regular MD Applicants with graduate degree or currently in graduate program:
Health Professions Advisory Committee Letter or Minimum (4) individual letters of recommendation; (2) science professor letters, (1) of choice and (1) graduate school letter.
- Category 1: A Science professor teaching the BCPM course (Required).
- Category 2: Other (e.g., Research Advisor, Non-Science Professor, Community Leaders, Employer Superior) (Required).
- Category 3: A Healthcare Provider (Optional).
- Committee Letter (1)
- Individual Letters (3)
- Letter Packet (Containing three individual letters)
1. One Letter from a Research Advisor as well as, two more from science faculty (may add 2-3 others).
We suggest you provide us with two science faculty letters and one non-science faculty letter, but leave it up to you to determine who are the ideal persons to help us assess your candidacy for medical school.
If your school has no premedical committee, a minimum of 3 individual letters is required. We encourage you to submit additional (up to 5) letters from supervisors, employers, and other colleagues who know you well.
If you are in graduate school, a letter from your thesis advisor is recommended as one of the 3 required letters. Please submit all letters through AMCAS using one of their acceptable forms of receipt.
- two letters from individual professors (at least one in science).
- one letter from a non-academic professional (included with AMCAS application).
If a graduate committee letter is not submitted, applicants currently or previously enrolled in a graduate program must submit another letter of recommendation from their thesis or graduate advisor.
In either case, we require a minimum of three letters from faculty members who have taught the applicant. Two of these letters must be written by science faculty members while the third can be written by either a science or non-science faculty member.
- two from science faculty (biology, chemistry, physics, and math)
- one from any other faculty member who has taught the applicant.
If the school has a Health Professions Advisory Committee, it is expected that the applicant will submit a letter of recommendation from that committee with the three faculty letters described above attached to the advisory committee letter.
It is preferred that applicants submit two letters from science faculty who have taught the applicant, and one letter from any other non-science faculty member who has taught the applicant.
- A packet from the applicant’s undergraduate or post-baccalaureate prehealth or premedical office, or a career services office
The admissions committee will consider additional letters that highlight and support facets of an applicant’s application portfolio not previously addressed, and are submitted via the AMCAS Letter Service.
You may use your discretion when selecting letter-writers, however, it is recommended that you submit a balance of academic, clinical, and service recommendation letters.
Graduate students working toward a degree in the sciences are encouraged to submit a letter from your current graduate faculty. Please see below the instructions for submitting a petition for delayed review if you are in a one-year program below in the “Procedural Information” tab.
- At least one from a health care professional (does not need to be a physician – can be a nurse, social worker, physician’s assistant, occupational therapist, psychologist, etc.).
- At least one from an academic professor who is familiar with the applicant’s scholarly work.
- At least one from these or another appropriate source: a physician, a second academic professor, a supervisor who can speak to the applicant’s attributes, a related health care professional who held a supervisory position to the applicant, or service recommendation letter from a mentor.
At least one (1) letter should be written by a professor who is not in the sciences.
We should receive letters from all research supervisors for applicants to the MD-PhD program as well as applicants to the MD program. Applicants may exceed the six (6)-letter maximum if the additional letters are from research supervisors.
If applicants wish to supplement a premedical advisory committee evaluation packet with additional letters of recommendation, they should count the packet as one (1) letter toward the six (6)-letter maximum.
Applicants with Graduate School Education: You may exclude undergraduate letters but must include letters from three of your graduate school professors.
If three individual letters are provided, two of these recommendations must be from science professors and one of the three must be from the applicant's major department.
Letter packet: A packet or set of letters assembled and distributed by your institution, often by the institution's career center.
Two (2) letters from faculty members in science departments who taught you are required if the college/university you have attended does not have a Committee/Advisor AND one (1) letter from a non-science faculty member who has taught you. In addition to the letters, applicants with advanced degrees or significant postgraduate work experience of one year or more, are required to send recommendations from each component of their education and major work experience.
- Collaborative teamwork skills
- Communication skills
- Creativity and resourcefulness
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Cultural humility
- Demonstrated leadership potential
- Integrity and moral standards
- Intellectual curiosity
- Passion for medicine and healthcare
- Persistence and resilience
- Reliability and accountability
- Responsiveness to feedback
- Self-awareness
You can submit letters in one of two ways:
1. One committee letter that integrates comments from multiple recommenders, authored by a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor.
If submitting a compilation packet or individual letters, we prefer, but do not require, two (2) letters from professors with whom you completed course work from the AMCAS course classification of Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.
We welcome letters from research experiences, but prefer them in addition to the requested science letters from professors with whom you completed coursework.
One (1) additional letter is required from a non-science professor, work experience, or service activity.
If your Committee sends a packet of letters without a consensus evaluation, then that packet should contain 3-5 signed, dated letters.
We strongly recommend at least one letter from someone who has taught you in a science class, even if you are a non-traditional applicant.
If you have transferred during your undergraduate career, you may wish to include at least one letter from a faculty member at the previous school(s) you attended.
If you are or were a graduate student, it is in your best interest to request a letter from your graduate advisor and/or any appropriate professors.
We require at least one letter to be written by a science professor. A letter from a teaching assistant is also acceptable. Examples of letters writers include: research mentors, employers, volunteer supervisors, physicians with whom you have worked or shadowed, teachers and professors, and other professionals.. Letters from family and friends are not accepted.
- Committee letter
- Packet of letters
- Two individual letters from classroom professors, one of whom must have taught biology, chemistry, physics, or a comparable science discipline.
Graduate Letters: It is strongly recommended that applicants currently or previously enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program submit one letter of recommendation from a professor or thesis advisor. Applicants recently accepted to or matriculated in a graduate program are not required to submit a letter. You may elect to submit graduate letters of recommendation for undergraduate letters in some circumstances, or when unable to acquire undergraduate letters.
Optional Letters: You may submit up to three optional letters. These letters are not required. For optimal consideration, these should be received by MCW before the application is complete.
If you are applying to the MD/PhD (MSTP) or MD/MS program, it is strongly recommended that you include a letter of recommendation speaking to your ability to become a physician-scientist.
If your college pre-med office prepares a committee letter or packet, this will suffice to complete the LOR requirement.
A committee letter, authored by a prehealth committee or prehealth advisor and intended to represent your institution's evaluation of you, counts as one letter entry. A letter entry may consist of more than one letter. If the committee letter is accompanied by at least two of the individual letters it references, one letter entry will fulfill our requirement. However, if your committee letter is not accompanied by a minimum of two of the individual letters referenced in it, you will need to submit two more individual letters to meet our minimum requirement of three letters.
An undergraduate committee packet is preferred and will fulfill the undergraduate letters of evaluation requirement. A committee letter does not require the names of individual letter writers but it must be signed by at least one of its members.
Individual Letter Requirements (If Applicable)
If your college does not have a premedical committee, a total of three (3) letters of evaluation are required. The names of the individual letters writers must be listed on your AMCAS application.
Two (2) letters must be from science faculty who either taught you in a class or supervised independent research for which you received credit toward your science GPA. Acceptable science courses for purposes of letters of evaluation include: biology, chemistry, physics, bio-medical engineering, or bio-engineering, etc. (Math is not considered a science course for purposes of letters of evaluation.)
The third required letter of evaluation must be an academically oriented letter. Acceptable letters include a non-science course letter of evaluation, a third science letter of evaluation, a letter from supervised independent research, a clinically related volunteer letter, an evaluation from work experience, etc.
One (1) of your three letters of evaluation must be from the department in which you majored as identified on your AMCAS application - whether science or non-science.
If you have completed or are currently pursuing a graduate degree, in addition to the undergraduate letters outlined above the following graduate premedical advisory committee OR individual graduate letters of evaluation are required: Premedical Advisory Committee Letter Requirements (If Applicable)
One (1) letter from your Premedical Advisory Committee from your graduate program will satisfy the letters of evaluations requirement.
A committee letter does not require the names of individual letter writers but must be signed by at least one of its members.
Individual Letter Requirements (If Applicable)
One (1) letter from a faculty member in your graduate department is required who has either taught you in a graduate class or supervised independent research for which you received graduate credit.
A letter from a graduate science faculty member can substitute for one (1) undergraduate science letter.
If your institution does not provide a committee or composite letter, we accept individual letters of evaluation. In this case, a minimum of three individual letters is required, two of which should be from science professors.
If you submit a committee letter or letter packet, that will be sufficient to meet Feinberg School of Medicine’s letters requirement; no additional letters need to be submitted at the time of your application.
If you submit Individual Letters, you will need to submit a total of three separate letters to meet Feinberg’s letters requirement. At least one of these letters should come from a science faculty member who has taught you. The other two letters may come from a variety of sources, preferably faculty members (science or non-science) or a research supervisor, but may also include a long-term employer.
Nontraditional applicants/students are generally defined as those who have taken two or more years off between undergraduate studies and matriculation to medical school. For these applicants, there are three options for meeting Feinberg’s letters requirements:
Option 1: Two letters by science faculty members and one letter by a non-science faculty member, volunteer supervisor or employer.
Option 2: One letter by a science faculty member, one letter by supervisor from research experience and one letter by non-science faculty member, volunteer supervisor or employer.
Option 3: One letter by a supervisor from research experience, two letters by non-science faculty member, volunteer supervisor or employer.
At least one of your letters should be from a professor that has taught you in a math or science course, and who can adequately speak to both your academic readiness and personal suitability for the pursuit and practice of medicine.
Your remaining letters can come from professors, advisors, clinical research coordinators or preceptors, supervisors, coaches, mentors, and personal and professional colleagues.
Applicants who have been out of college for five years or more may submit two letters from employers and one from a teaching faculty member.
- At least one letter from faculty in a non-science discipline
- At least one remaining letter from college faculty, community leader, employer, or others in positions of responsibility that know the applicant well
In either case, no additional letters are required, unless you have multiple degrees. If this is true, you must submit one letter from each of the institutions that has granted you any of the following degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master or Doctorate.
A minimum of three (3) letters from faculty members who know the applicant well; at least one must come from a science faculty member with whom the applicant has taken courses.
Option 2: One letter packet
Option 3: Three individual letters with the following guidelines:
Academic Letter: an individual who can critically evaluate your academic strengths and abilities, as well as your preparedness and suitability for a rigorous medical school curriculum. The academic letter does not need to be written by a science faculty member.
Professional Non-Academic Letter: an individual who has worked with you in a professional capacity and can insightfully address your personal strengths and attributes (e.g. resilience, dependability, social skills, cultural competence, service orientation) and the value these would bring to the diversity of the class, the patients you see, and the communities we serve. Examples might include: work supervisor, volunteer coordinator, physician shadowed.
Personal Letter: an individual who has an in-depth perspective of you and can objectively assess your personal qualities. This letter should be a deeper, more personal letter that discusses who you are as an individual and addresses your personal goals, characteristics and aspirations for a career in medicine. This individual should be someone who has had substantial contact with you during the past 24 months. Letters from friends and family will not be accepted.
Submit as many additional letters beyond the requirements you feel are appropriate in support of your medical school application.
Committee letter (required if your college/university has an officially designated committee or advisor). Authored by a pre-health committee or advisor and intended to represent your institution's evaluation of you. A committee letter may or may not include additional letters written in support of your application.
Letter packet: A packet or set of letters assembled and distributed by your institution, often by the institution's career center.
Evaluation materials/packet from a structured pre-medical committee with at least three contributing members on the pre-medical committee.
1. Submit one pre-health professions committee letter or another composite letter of recommendation.
2. Submit four individual letters. This option requires three letters written by academic sources (i.e., professor or research advisor) and one personal or professional letter.
Pre-medical committee evaluations/letters are not required. However, if submitted, only the individual letters contained within the pre-medical committee packet will count toward the number of letters of recommendation.
If you are enrolled in a graduate program, your faculty advisor/major professor must submit a letter of recommendation. This should be in addition to the letters specified above.
If you have graduated from college and are currently employed or are a non-traditional applicant, you may submit two individual letters of recommendation if you are unable to submit a premedical advisor or a committee letter. One letter should be from a science faculty member who has taught you in one of the science courses required for admission, and the second letter may be from your supervisor at your place of employment, or a faculty member who has taught you recently.
Current Graduate Students: Students in a degree-granting program must submit a letter of recommendation from a graduate advisor or department chairperson. This letter is in addition to the Health Professions Advisor or Committee letter for undergraduate students (see above). For those applicants who have recently started their graduate program, we are looking for a letter of "good standing" from your graduate advisor or department chair. Non-matriculated students taking graduate courses do not need to submit this letter.
Non-Traditional Students: Applicants who graduated from an undergraduate college more than 5 years ago, and are currently employed full-time, may submit one letter of recommendation from a science faculty member with whom a medical school prerequisite was taken and one letter of recommendation from a current supervisor.
Individual letters, letter packets containing at least three letters and/or a committee letter with two additional letters will meet the requirement.
If an applicant is no longer in undergraduate school and cannot obtain an evaluation from their former health professions adviser or health professions advisory committee, they should proceed as follows:
If attending graduate school, one evaluation must be from the applicant's graduate adviser, a major professor or the chairperson of their major department.
If an applicant has been out of college for more than one year and is currently employed or serving in the military, one of the required evaluations must be written by their immediate supervisor or commanding officer.
If self-employed, one of the recommendation letters must be from a business associate. The evaluation must detail the applicant's performance.
Applicants must submit a minimum of either:
- Three individual letters (we do not specify the nature of the authors) that will arrive at the admissions office separately.
- A “package” of letters that will arrive from the applicant’s undergraduate or post-baccalaureate school’s premedical office or career-services office. The nature of the “package” varies greatly from school to school. Some schools write an official premedical committee letter and append individual letters; some schools write “composite” letters which refer to and quote individual letters; some schools simply collect, collate, and distribute individual letters. We accept all variations.
1) A committee letter or a letter of recommendation packet from your pre-medical advising committee
2) A total of three letters of recommendation. It is best to choose letters from people who know you the best and can speak on either your academic ability, your commitment to service, or your passion for medicine. These letters can be from anyone of your choice, but at least one must come from someone with a science/medical background.
If you are out of school or your undergraduate degree is not science based, then choose 3 professionals that know you well.
We offer three options for fulfilling the letters requirement portion of our secondary application:
Committee Letter - Preferred Option
A committee letter is authored by a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor and intended to represent your institution's evaluation of you. A committee letter may or may not include additional letters written in support of your application. If you have committee letters from two different programs/schools, list one as your committee letter and include the other as an individual letter.
Letter Packet
A packet or set of letters is assembled and distributed by your institution, often by the institution’s career center. A letter packet may include a cover sheet from your pre-health committee or advisor; however, in contrast to a committee letter, a letter packet does not include an evaluative letter from your pre-health committee or advisor.
At least one letter from a recent clinical experience is highly recommended.
Additional letters from individuals in a variety of settings are desired: employer, research lab supervisor, community service project leader, etc.
What matters is that the letters convey cogent information about your work. Obtaining a letter from the employer who you are working with during the application year is very important. Evidence of a successful engagement in a post-college experience will be a valuable addition to other letters that also may be part of your file.
Letters of recommendation options:
Option 1
- 1 clinical letter from a person who has seen you interact with patients, family members, and other staff members (i.e. MD, volunteer coordinator, RN, Nurse practitioner or other healthcare provider)
- 2 letters from other professionals
If your institution does not have a Premedical Advisory Committee, or it has been more than two years since you last attended/graduated from your school, you may choose to have three faculty members submit individual letters of recommendation.
At least one of your letters should ideally be from a core science faculty (i.e. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.) who has taught you in a core science course, and who can adequately speak to both your academic readiness and personal suitability for the pursuit and practice of medicine.
Non-Traditional Applicants may submit a letter from a supervisor in lieu of the required faculty letter.
Non-Traditional Applicant – an applicant where at least one year has passed since obtaining the initial bachelor’s degree. This applicant may have completed additional academics possibly leading to another degree, or may have been away from academics for several years.
Your remaining letters can come from professors, advisors, research coordinators or preceptors, supervisors, coaches, mentors and personal and professional colleagues. Keep in mind, if you indicate in your application you have spent a significant amount of time with an individual, such as a physician or research mentor, it is advisable to have this individual submit a letter on your behalf. A physician letter is encouraged, but not required.
- At least one committee letter, composite letter, or premedical advisor's letter.
- A minimum of three individual letters.
Maximum number of letters: five.
The REGULAR MD PROGRAM requires one (1) packet from your pre-professional committee or three (3) letters from individuals who can properly evaluate your strengths as an applicant and future clinician. In addition to our letter requirement, we will accept up to a total of 5 letters. If you choose to submit three (3) letters, we suggest you request two (2) letters from individuals who can evaluate your performance in science coursework or medical settings.
Evidence of a successful engagement in a post-college experience is considered a valuable addition to other letters that also may be part of your file.
A specific distribution of recommenders is not required; however, the letters are a very important part of the application. Applicants are advised to select recommenders who can collectively best address in detail the range of competencies in all 4 categories outlined by the AAMC.
The most useful letters are from faculty members.
We encourage applicants to provide letters from a variety of individuals qualified to assess personal (as well as academic) qualities, such as work ethic, reliability, communication skills, leadership, altruism, compassion, and motivation for medicine. Letters of recommendation from family members are discouraged.
If you are currently enrolled in an academic program and your school issues a committee letter, that letter is required.
If you are several years removed from college, you are strongly encouraged to provide letters from individuals with whom you have had meaningful recent experiences.
Options for letter submissions (choose one):
Option 1: Individual Letters - Your letter writers may submit individual letters to AMCAS Letter Service. This selection requires 3 letters (2 academic and 1 non-academic), but no more than 4 total letters.
Option 2: Committee Letter - Your school may submit a committee letter or comprehensive report. If this includes fewer than 3 individual letters, you may also submit individual letter(s) not to exceed 4 total letters.
Committee letter: If the applicant is an undergraduate student at a school that has a premedical committee, the applicant must use their recommendation process and forms.
Letter packet: A premedical advisor may furnish a composite evaluation compiled from contributing faculty at the applicant’s school.
Individual letter: If there is no committee or advisor, the applicant is required to provide three letters of recommendation, at least one of the three recommendations from a faculty member in the major area of concentration and at least one from a science area.
Applicants who have previously applied and supplied letters of evaluation must submit two new individual letters of evaluation with their revised and updated AMCAS application.
Candidates may submit two additional letters, ideally, from sources that speak to the candidate’s suitability for medicine.
A letter of recommendation from the Premedical Advisory Committee or the official Premedical Advisor is required if your undergraduate school has such a Committee or Advisor. If you are unable to have this letter sent you should:
- Write a letter to the Committee on Admissions explaining why you are unable to have this letter sent and;
- Ask the Premedical Committee or advisor to write to the Committee on Admissions indicating that they will not be able to send an official letter.
All letters of recommendation must be written on official stationery and sent directly to AMCAS. If you have a recommender who does not write his/her letter on stationery we will still accept it as long as the letter comes from AMCAS.
If your school does not have a Premedical Advisory Committee, your letters of recommendation must come from three of your undergraduate and/or graduate school faculty. At least two letters must come from science faculty and one from non-science faculty.
A composite premed committee letter is expected when a committee letter is available to you from your undergraduate institution. Applicants who do not submit a committee letter should explain in our secondary application why a committee letter was not provided. Additional letters (see below) can be submitted.
If a pre-med committee letter is not available at your institution, please submit letters from:
Two biology, chemistry, biochemistry or physics professors. These individuals should know you well enough to comment on your personal attributes.
Additional letters may be written by mentors, advisors and supervisors from academic, research, employment, volunteer and service opportunities.
If you are enrolled in or have completed a post baccalaureate or graduate program in biomedical sciences, a letter from the program director is expected in lieu of the undergraduate letter requirements.
In addition to the letters described above, applicants may submit a maximum of two more letters to support their application.
For students applying to Duluth, an ideal mix of letters might be one from a science faculty person, one from a work/volunteer experiences supervisor, and one from a rural family medicine physician. Please note that we do not specifically require letters from any type of person and not every accepted student has this mix of letters.
The Twin Cities and Duluth admissions committees require either:
- Three individual recommendations
- Evaluation materials/packet from a structured university or college Pre-Medical Committee
Traditional Applicants:
One letter from a professor who taught and issued the applicant a grade is required. It is strongly recommended that the letter from a professor who issued a grade be from science faculty. Letters from teaching assistants will not satisfy this requirement. Applicants may submit a pre-med committee or composite letter in lieu of the three individual letters.
One clinical evaluation, written by a physician (MD or DO), a Nurse Practitioner (NP) or a Physician Assistant (PA) who can evaluate, based upon direct observation, an applicant’s interactions within a clinical environment, pre-professional competencies, and passion for medicine.
One academic evaluation written by an instructor or faculty member with direct knowledge of your commitment to academic excellence and who can provide information about your thinking and reasoning skills as well as pre-professional competencies that directly impact academic performance.
It is suggested that applicants obtain letters from the following:
- Two letters from professors/faculty instructors.
- One letter from a clinician, such as a nurse or physician with whom you performed your clinical experience.
- One letter from a person with whom you worked on a project (research mentor, program director, commanding officer or work supervisor).
For applicants who are currently undergrads or have graduated fewer than two years ago:
- We require at least two letters of recommendation from professors who know you well and have taught you in a formal classroom setting. We suggest one of the two letters should be from a professor in your most recent major or degree-granting department, and the other may be from any professor of your choice.
- OR-
- If the undergraduate institution has a Pre-Health Committee, it would be preferable to have letters from this committee. Please keep in mind that the individual letters should be included in the packet sent by the Pre-Health Committee. If your Pre-Health Committee does not include the individual letters, it will be your responsibility as the applicant to garner additional individual letters.
For applicants who graduated undergrad more than two years ago:
- Two letters of recommendation are required from mentors who know you well and have interacted with you in an academic setting. This could be a professor with whom you have maintained regular contact, a research PI, or another advisor. These mentors should have recent knowledge of how you work in an academic setting.
For applicants who have completed, or are currently completing, an advanced degree program or significant post-grad work experience:
Choose one of the following options to satisfy the letters of recommendation requirement:
Option 1: Submit three Individual Letters of recommendation. If you submit more than three letters, only the first three will be forwarded to the Medical School Admissions Committee. OR
Option 2: A Committee Letter (which we count as equivalent to two letters of evaluation) and one Individual Letter of recommendation, which is not part of your Committee Letter.
A Committee Letter, regardless of how many additional letters it contains, counts as two letters of recommendation. In order to meet the requirement of three letters of recommendation, you must submit one more individual letter. For many applicants, this final letter is from a supervisor.
Option 3: A Letter Packet, which will account for all three letters of recommendation required.
The committee letter should be buttressed with individual letters of recommendation.
A composite evaluation or letter packet prepared by the premedical committee of your undergraduate college is preferred.
If your college has no such committee or system for providing a composite evaluation then you must submit five (5) letters of recommendation:
- Three (3) letters of recommendation from faculty who have taught you - one letter must be from science faculty
- Two (2) letters of recommendation from people who have known and observed you on a personal basis
Graduate students enrolled in a degree-granting program must submit a letter of evaluation written by your major advisor or department chair containing the anticipated date of fulfilling your degree requirements. All coursework must be completed prior to entering medical school.
Consideration will be given to non-traditional applicants in the makeup of their letters who have not done any academic work for 5 or more years. Interested applicants should contact our office for more information
If your undergraduate institution prepares a Premedical Advisory Committee letter, we will accept that to fulfill the minimum letter requirements.
While five (5) letters of recommendation are recommended, it is required that a minimum of two (2) letters come from science faculty who have taught you in a formal course: (a Teaching Assistant is not considered faculty.)
Letters can originate from basic science faculty. Science faculty includes but is not limited to: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
Additional letters of recommendation can be non-science faculty letters or character letters from individuals who can speak of your abilities and attributes outside of an academic setting. Character letters should not be from a family member, peer or a relative. Character letters should corroborate your experiences in AMCAS. They should include but are not limited to: Physicians you’ve shadowed, Research Mentors, Volunteer Coordinators/Supervisors, etc.
Non-science faculty includes but is not limited to: Math, Psychology, English, Humanities, Anthropology, History, etc.
If your school has a Letter Packet that includes the letters, submit the pre-professional Letter Packet from your undergraduate institution directly to AMCAS. No further Letters of Recommendation are needed.
Premedical Advisory Committee, a letter packet, or individual letters from the college or university from which you will graduate or have recently graduated. Often letters are from three (3) faculty members with whom you have studied. Meaningful letters are typically from individuals who can address features of your personality, history, and motivation in addition to your academic accomplishments.
Premedical committee letters will not be accepted.
Individual letters included in a premedical letter packet can be submitted towards your four (4) letters of recommendation.
If your school does not have an advisor or committee, you must provide three letters as follows:
- Two letters from professors in the sciences with whom you have taken classes, and
- One additional letter from a non-science professor with whom you have taken a class.
- Academic ability
- Commitment to service
- Leadership potential
- Clinical or research experiences
- Interpersonal skills
- Interaction with patients
- Ability to function on a team, and/or potential as a physician
- Respect for others
- Compassion
- Maturity
- Communication skills
- Work ethic
One letter packet – This packet should include letters from three faculty members and a letter from a nonacademic source. A letter packet is a packet or set of letters assembled and distributed by an institution, often by the institution’s career center.
Four individual letters – Three academic letters of recommendation from faculty members and a fourth nonacademic letter from a mentor. An individual letter refers to a letter authored by, or representing, a single letter writer. If there is already a nonacademic letter included in either a committee letter or a letter packet, there is no need to add a separate AMCAS letter request entry for the nonacademic letter.
Academic letters may be from faculty members in any discipline.
Nonacademic letters may be written by anyone an applicant considers to be a mentor who can attest to his/her personal qualities and characteristics. In the past, admitted applicants have had letters written by employers, volunteer coordinators, individuals they shadowed, and community leaders, to give a few examples. Nonacademic letters should not be written by a family member or peer.
- One Health Professions Committee Packet.
- One Health Professions Committee Packet.
A letter packet is assembled and distributed by your school. It may or may not include a cover letter from your pre-health advisor or committee, but it does not include a committee evaluation. If the letter packet contains at least three individual letters, it will fulfill our requirements. However, if the letter packet includes fewer than three individual letters, you will need to submit additional individual letters to meet our minimum requirement of three letters.
If you have taken time off between college and medical school, you should also send a letter of evaluation from a person who can comment about experiences during that period.
At least one should be from an individual who has taught you in the sciences.
These recommenders should be asked to provide an in-depth evaluation of your accomplishments, skills, talents and character rather than mere recapitulations of your academic achievement or course grades. Letters may also come from research mentors. If you have had a particularly significant extracurricular or postgraduate experience, you may also invite mentors or supervisors from this experience to submit a letter of evaluation.
If your college does not have such a committee, we require two letters of evaluation from those who know you well and can discuss your capabilities, accomplishments and character. A teacher, whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, should be one who has worked with you personally.
Letters must come from individuals with firsthand knowledge of the applicant’s qualifications, skills, attributes and values by direct observation and who can comment on academic achievement as well as personal qualities including work ethic and motivation for a medical career.
Two of the letters are recommended to be from faculty members who have been the applicant's undergraduate or graduate instructors or mentors, or employment supervisors in the case of non-traditional applicants.
If your school does not have a Premedical Committee, you may submit at least three individual letters of recommendation. These letters should come from individuals who are in a position to comment knowledgeably on your accomplishments, abilities, experience, and/or personal qualifications. They may come from those who have taught you or worked with you in undergraduate or graduate school classes, in research settings, clinical settings, extracurricular or community service activities, professional settings, or other contexts.
