How Do Letter Writers Upload Letters Through Amcas Letter Service

Whom, when, and how to ask for groovy medical school recommendation letters, including word-for-word scripts

(Note: A version of this commodity can also be constitute in our free, 102-page comprehensive guide to medical school applications, Become Into Medical Schoolhouse: half dozen Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat .)

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Introduction

Similar to writing the AMCAS personal statement, the thought of asking for medical school letters of recommendation (or in AMCAS terms, letters of evaluation) makes almost students cringe.

Therefore, information technology's not surprising that nosotros receive a ton of questions and concerns nigh recommendation letters, such as:

• "How am I supposed to discover iii letter writers?!"

• "Would information technology be a good idea to get a letter from Dr. Johnson? I don't actually know her, but she works at Duke Med, loves my mom, and offered to write a alphabetic character on my behalf."

We decided to write a comprehensive guide to medical schoolhouse recommendation messages to answer all of your questions. If your question isn't covered, please get out it in the comments section below and so nosotros can answer it and add it to the guide, since other students surely share it.

Click on whatever question below to jump straight to it:

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Questions about whom y'all should request messages of recommendation from

Whom should I request letters of recommendation from?

Nosotros recommend you compile the post-obit set of six recommendation messages:

1. Science professor ane whose class you took for a letter class

2. Scientific discipline professor 2 whose class y'all took for a letter grade

3. Non-science professor whose form y'all took for a letter grade

4. A professional—preferably a physician—who has observed you providing patient intendance

5. Extracurricular observer 1

6. Extracurricular observer two

Your two "extracurricular observer" messages could come from anyone who can speak well to your distinguishing activities.

For instance, if you're a standout researcher, go one of those letters from a main investigator (PI). If y'all don't know your PI well, request a letter of the alphabet from a postdoc with whom you've worked closely, and asking that the PI co-sign information technology.

If, on the other hand, yous're an splendid fundraiser, request a letter of the alphabet from your superior within the organisation y'all were part of or from a high-ranking member of the organization you supported who knows you well.

A practiced rule of pollex is to inquire for a letter of the alphabet from a supervisor from an extracurricular activity that you designated as a 'Most Meaningful Experience' in your AMCAS Work and Activities department.

Some letters can exercise "double duty"—that is, they tin check 2 boxes at in one case. For instance, if you took a neuroscience course with a professor whose lab yous also worked in, a letter from that professor can satisfy one science professor letter and ane extracurricular observer alphabetic character. Therefore, yous don't necessarily need half-dozen distinct messages.

The nigh important consideration is that you submit outstanding letters. Outstanding letters come up from individuals who can speak highly of your skills and qualities and, more importantly, how your claim make y'all an first-class medical school candidate. Unenthusiastic letters, even if written by a well-known person, are non desirable.

From whom should I inquire for recommendation messages as a non-traditional applicant?

Medical schools want to see contempo (i.due east., within the last 3 years) information near your academic achievements. Therefore, if yous've been out of schoolhouse for a while, y'all should aim to enroll in a few science courses—locally or online—to build relationships with professors.

Who qualifies every bit a science professor?

Strictly speaking, medical schools would similar to encounter your scientific discipline letters come up from biology, chemical science, or physics (BCP) professors. While many schools volition also accept a science letter from a math, information science, engineering, or other science professor, other schools won't. Therefore, y'all should bank check directly with your pinnacle-choice schools if you intend to submit a scientific discipline letter from a non-BCP professor.

Who qualifies as a not-science professor?

Whatever professor whose field falls outside of biology, chemical science, or physics.

Do I accept to transport a letter of the alphabet from a professor in my major?

A very small number of schools require a letter from a professor in your major. Since this isn't necessary for the bulk of schools, you probably shouldn't worry about this.

Practice I demand to get a letter from a Do physician when applying to Do programs?

Yes, if you're looking to apply to osteopathic medical schools, make sure to request a letter from a Do doctor you've shadowed.

DO programs are witting of the reality that nearly applicants would prefer to attend an Physician plan if given the chance. Therefore, they like to see that applicants take demonstrated a specific involvement in osteopathic medicine and have fabricated an try to put this interest into practice.

(Farther reading: MD vs DO: The Biggest Differences (And Which is Better))

What recommendation messages should I avoid?

By and large speaking, you should avoid any messages that are negative, neutral, or slightly positive. In other words, you should avert a letter from anyone who won't gush well-nigh you.

In add-on, yous'll want to avoid sending letters from family members, clergy, or family unit friends who can't speak intimately about your professional qualities.

Students routinely ask whether they should go a letter from a family friend who happens to exist a well-known physician or faculty member at a school on their list, thinking that their ascendancy will carry significant weight in admissions decisions despite not knowing the bidder professionally. Avoid these letters as well. At best, they'll be overlooked. At worst, they'll hurt your awarding because they'll be seen every bit an endeavour to gain an unfair reward.

Volition I exist able to see my recommendation letters?

You can, but you shouldn't. In other words, you should e'er waive your right to read your letters. Otherwise, medical schools won't accept your letters seriously.

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Questions virtually how many letters of recommendation you demand

How many letters of recommendation exercise I demand for medical school?

Schools vary with regard to the number of required recommendation letters, ranging from two to five. Iii letters is the well-nigh mutual requirement.

At minimum, about schools will ask you lot to submit one of the following:

• Three private messages: Two messages from science professors and one letter from a non-scientific discipline professor. These letters are to be sent directly to AMCAS by individual professors or by your school via a letter parcel.

• A committee letter: Some schools take a pre-wellness commission or pre-health counselor who writes a letter of the alphabet representing your school's evaluation of you. If your school offers the committee letter option, you should take it. Otherwise, medical schools could wonder whether y'all're fugitive the commission letter because you're trying to hide something or were told by the pre-wellness committee that you're not a competitive applicant.

Yet, the better question is, "How many letters of recommendation should I get when applying to medical schoolhouse?" considering:

• Some schools crave that you submit iv or five letters.

• Many schools optionally allow you to ship additional recommendation letters beyond their requirements.

• Some alphabetic character writers can exist flaky and even disappear when you demand them most. Therefore, it's best to take a backup alphabetic character.

Our respond to that question is you should gather six letters (see our response to the offset question for farther details).

How many letters of recommendation should I send to schools?

Nosotros recommend that you send no more than five or six letters to med schools, even if they offer a college limit on the number of immune messages.

The quality of your letters and what they collectively say about y'all are much more than important than sending a large number of letters. Negative or fifty-fifty so-then letters tin can bandage a shadow over your other, strong letters, so be thoughtful about which to include or go out out.

How many recommendation messages can I upload to AMCAS?

AMCAS allows you to upload up to x letters of recommendation.

How many recommendation letters can I upload to AACOMAS?

AACOMAS allows you lot to upload up to 6 messages of recommendation.

How many recommendation letters can I upload to TMDSAS?

TMDSAS allows y'all to upload upward to 4 letters of recommendation.

Can I ship different recommendation letters to different schools?

It depends on which application system y'all're using. AMCAS allows you to send different recommendation letters to dissimilar schools, whereas AACOMAS and TMDSAS do not.

In other words, when applying via AMCAS, you can "overcompile" letters of recommendation and pick and cull individual schools that you'd like to ship each alphabetic character to. When applying via AACOMAS and TMDSAS, every schoolhouse you apply to will receive all the letters that y'all've uploaded into that arrangement.

Can I choose where to send each recommendation letter?

As noted in a higher place, only AMCAS allows you to choose individual schools as recommendation letter of the alphabet recipients. Across this, you lot can simply select the application system to which you'd like to send each recommendation letter.

For instance, let's say you lot're applying to both MD and Practise schools, and you lot have eight letters, including letters from both MD and DO physicians, stored in a dossier service such as Interfolio. You lot could so cull the appropriate letters to upload to AMCAS and AACOMAS, bearing in listen both the types of medical schools you're applying to and the maximum number of letters each system allows.

Do my recommendation messages have to be addressed to specific medical schools?

No, this is not expected.

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Questions about how to ask for letters of recommendation

Should I ask for a letter of recommendation in person or via email?

Nosotros strongly encourage you to ask for letters from professors in person whenever possible, and definitely if it'due south been a while since you've been in their grade or interacted with them.

Before you lot ask for a recommendation letter, you should prepare a packet that includes:

1. A list of your grades, separated by science and not-science courses

2. Your CV or resume

3. Your final or near-final personal statement draft

4. AAMC'south guidelines for writing a strong letter of evaluation, including a reminder to write the letter on official letterhead and sign information technology. You should provide this packet only later a professor or other recommendation letter of the alphabet writer agrees to your request.

How should I ask for a letter of the alphabet of recommendation in person?

Below are exact email scripts you tin apply to request a letter of the alphabet in person:

Word-for-word electronic mail script when planning to enquire someone you know well in person

Dear [Professor'due south Name],

I hope this electronic mail finds you lot well. I'yard planning on applying to medical school this upcoming summertime, and was hoping you'd be willing to offering your perspective on the process since I've always valued your guidance. If so, please allow me know some days/times that work well for you to come across, and I'll make sure to accommodate. Thank you for your consideration!

Best,

[Your Name/Last Name]

Word-for-word email script when planning to ask someone in person whom you haven't seen or spoken with in a while

Dear [Professor's Name],

I hope this email finds you lot well. My name is [Proper name/Last Name], and I was a educatee in your [Course Number/Title] course during [Semester/year]. I really enjoyed your grade because [accurate reason].

I'm planning on applying to medical school this upcoming summer, and was hoping yous'd be willing to offer your perspective on the process. If so, please let me know some days/times that work well for you to meet, and I'll make sure to accommodate. Cheers for your consideration!

Best,

[Your Name/Final Name]

Additional guidance for asking in person

Whenever yous meet with a professor to request a letter of the alphabet in person, make sure to let them know why y'all would value a letter from them, including why yous value their perspective and which of your qualities and experiences they tin speak to.

Don't be shy near priming them to do this because it volition help their messages corroborate how you describe yourself throughout the balance of your primary and secondary applications.

Once a alphabetic character writer agrees to write you a letter, provide the packet mentioned earlier.

How should I ask for a letter of recommendation by email?

Hither is an exact email script you tin can utilize to request a letter via e-mail:

Word-for-word electronic mail script when planning to ask someone you know well via email

Dear [Professor's Name],

I promise this email finds you lot well. I'thou planning on applying to medical school this upcoming summer, and was wondering whether you'd experience comfortable writing a strong letter of recommendation. [Authentic judgement describing why y'all would value a letter from them (e.chiliad., why you value their perspective, which of your qualities they tin can speak to, etc.)].

If yous're willing to provide a letter, I will provide the following supporting materials: one) a list of my grades, ii) my CV, 3) a typhoon of my personal statement, and 4) the AMCAS recommendation letter guidelines. Cheers for your consideration!

Best,

[Your Name/Terminal Proper noun]

(Notation: We have non included a script for requesting a alphabetic character via e-mail from a professor who may not remember you because you lot shouldn't ask them for one.)

When and how should I remind my letter writers to submit?

Recommendation letter writers often procrastinate on submitting letters on time. Therefore, you should electronic mail them using the following email script ii to iii weeks prior to your primary awarding submission:

Dear [Professor's Name],

I hope this e-mail finds yous well. I plan on submitting my medical school applications [on engagement or  in # of days/weeks], and so I wanted to send a reminder regarding your recommendation letter of the alphabet. Please allow me know if at that place's any additional information I can provide.

Cheers over again for your back up!

Best,

[Your Name/Terminal Name]

Beyond this first reminder email, feel free to send additional reminder emails every one to weeks if you don't hear back from a letter author. If you're unable to get a response via email, call them.

What should I include in my thank you notes to letter of the alphabet writers?

Once a person submits a letter, y'all can use the following thank you annotation script to express appreciation (personalize this even so y'all'd like):

Dear [Professor'due south Name],

Thank you again for supporting my medical schoolhouse applications by offering your perspectives on the process and submitting a recommendation letter. I feel very fortunate to have great mentors like y'all.

I'll make certain to update you every bit the application flavor progresses!

Best,

[Your Name/Last Name]

Practice you have tips on how to become to know my professors?

Of course! Here they are:

• Consistently attend office hours, especially during "off-height" times, similar the first of the term.

• During role hours, talk over something other than course material (east.thou., the professor's research).

• Take multiple classes with the same professor.

• Invite the professor to java or lunch after the term to discuss their work, too equally your career aspirations.

• Piece of work as the professor'south educational activity assistant.

• If y'all're interested in their inquiry, enquire to join their lab. Your research interest will not only better your relationship with that professor, merely will likewise look cracking on your awarding.

When should I request messages of recommendation?

Ideally, yous will want to enquire for recommendation letters no later than two to 3 months before you plan on submitting your principal application (i.due east., AMCAS). Therefore, if yous plan to submit AMCAS in June, you should inquire no later than the beginning of May.

Professors receive a ton of recommendation letter of the alphabet requests during the medical schoolhouse application process. Request in advance will give your letter writers the fourth dimension to write a strong letter, and also to prioritize getting yours done before those who asked later.

Finally, your school has a pre-wellness committee or pre-health advisor who assembles and distributes letters on your behalf. If then, you should follow their suggested timeline for requesting recommendation letters.

(Further reading: The Ideal Medical School Awarding Timeline)

When are messages of recommendation due?

You should aim to have your letters sent to programs no later on than the date of your secondary awarding submission (i.e., July at the primeval) because nigh med schools do not read recommendation letters until the residuum of your materials—primary application, secondary application, fees, MCAT score—have been submitted.

That said, nosotros encourage you to request that recommendation messages be submitted by the end of June to avoid feet. That style, even if your writers procrastinate for a calendar week or two, you'll still have your messages in on time.

Information technology's of import to note that letters of recommendation are rarely used to decide whether or not to send you a secondary application (which most schools ship to almost applicants anyway). Nonetheless, they are used to make interview decisions.

When practise medical schools wait at letters of recommendation?

As noted to a higher place, most medical schools look at letters of recommendation afterward all of your application materials have been submitted. Therefore, the primeval that your letters volition be read is typically July.

Can my letter writers submit letters of recommendation before AMCAS opens?

No, writers cannot submit before the mean solar day AMCAS opens.

Does AMCAS require that my recommendation letters be uploaded to verify my application?

No, it does non. Your submitted AMCAS application will begin to undergo verification fifty-fifty if your letters of recommendation have not nonetheless arrived.

Can I add new messages of recommendation afterwards I submit my AMCAS application?

Yes, you can add new letters of recommendation after your AMCAS application has been submitted, and so long equally you haven't yet reached the 10-alphabetic character maximum. Nonetheless, if you lot've already submitted your application, you must make sure to resubmit your application after you lot assign a new letter to ensure that it's sent.

Even if your awarding has already been transmitted to a medical school, you can still add and assign new letters to that schoolhouse as long every bit information technology'southward before the schoolhouse's deadline.

Can I edit or delete letters of recommendation after I submit my AMCAS awarding?

No, you lot cannot delete or personally edit letters of recommendation afterwards your AMCAS awarding has been submitted. However, your recommenders may upload a new version of a letter they've already submitted, and so long every bit they employ the same Letter ID number that was assigned to the original letter.

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Questions about storing and reusing messages of recommendation

Where can I shop my messages of recommendation?

You may have two options for storing letters of recommendation that you request alee of time (e.g., a year or ii before your application bicycle):

1. Through your school: Most universities offer to store your recommendation letters, either through the career center, pre-wellness advising center, or a similar service on campus.

2. Via an online third-party letter storage service (likewise called a "dossier service"), such as Interfolio.

Regardless of which option(s) is available to you, you will have to ask your recommenders to send their letters directly to the storage service. As with any other recommendation letter, stored letters must be signed and ideally written on official letterhead. Once you're fix to apply to medical school, you can request that the storage service send your messages to the awarding system.

What are the benefits of using Interfolio or some other storage service?

As noted in a higher place, one reason why med schoolhouse applicants use Interfolio or other letter storage services is to obtain a fresh, and therefore more than enthusiastic, alphabetic character of recommendation well in advance of the awarding cycle.

Storage services also simplify the recommendation process for your letter writers by requiring them to only upload their letter in one case. Fifty-fifty if you aren't collecting letters far in advance, you may still find this beneficial if yous're either submitting applications inside multiple systems (e.1000. both AMCAS and TMDSAS) or yous conceptualize needing a letter of recommendation over again, such as for a scholarship or a future med school application cycle, and don't want to repeatedly ask your recommenders.

That said, whether or not to store your messages is upward to you. Information technology isn't strictly necessary if you can maintain great relationships with your recommenders.

Does AMCAS store recommendation letters from one bicycle to some other?

No, AMCAS does not store recommendation letters from 1 bicycle to another.

Do I demand to submit letters of recommendation as a reapplicant?

Yes, because AMCAS does not shop messages of recommendation, y'all must either resubmit your existing letters or submit new letters of recommendation each fourth dimension you apply to medical school.

Tin can I reuse the same letters of recommendation if I reapply to medical school?

When reapplying to medical schoolhouse, you can choose to ship the same letters from a previous wheel—ideally, with a revised date and, if appropriate, with updates—entirely new letters, or a combination of the 2. Even if your letters are stored in Interfolio or a similar service, nosotros encourage you to inquire your rec letter writers for a letter of the alphabet with at least an updated appointment.

(Farther reading: Reapplying to Medical School: Every Major Question Answered)

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Source: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/medical-school-letter-of-recommendation

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