{"id":116,"date":"2020-01-27T14:54:08","date_gmt":"2020-01-27T19:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/departments\/pre-health\/?page_id=116"},"modified":"2026-07-22T07:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T11:52:14","slug":"letters-of-recommendation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/departments\/prehealth\/applying\/letters-of-recommendation\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters of Recommendation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Committee Letter<\/h2>\n

It is your responsibility to identify faculty members (ideally three STEM and two non-STEM) who can write meaningful, positive letters of recommendation for your application to medical school. Click here<\/a> for an information sheet for students requesting a committee letter of recommendation. The letter must be submitted to the Prehealth Advising Program Office. Once all of the letters that you have requested have been received, the Director of the Prehealth Advising Program writes a composite letter of evaluation that includes the faculty letters in their entirety. If you are applying to other types of health-related professional programs, you may not need a committee letter. Check with the individual schools to which you are applying to determine whether they prefer a committee letter or separate individual letters.<\/p>\n

Here is a list of things to keep in mind when soliciting letters of recommendation:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Get to know your faculty instructors. <\/strong>This may mean consulting them outside of class if you have questions, or simply making an appointment with them to talk about your career goals and personal aspirations. If the faculty do not know you, they cannot write anything that will help medical schools determine what kind of person you are and what your personal strengths and skills are. Make sure the faculty knows more than what grade you received in their course; if the letter focuses only on your academic credentials, it may not reveal much beyond what your GPA or MCAT scores already indicate. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has prepared “Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant<\/a>,” which also includes “The Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students<\/a>.” You should discuss these guidelines and competencies with the faculty who will be writing letters for you. The AAMC has developed a “Premed Competencies Self-Assessment<\/a>” worksheet that you can fill out and provide to each faculty instructor from whom you are requesting an evaluation so that they will have more information about your “readiness for medical school.” If you do laboratory research, it is especially important for you to get a letter from your research mentor. This should be one of the five individual faculty recommendations. If you cite research experience on our application, but do not include a letter from your mentor, the medical schools may become concerned.<\/li>\n
  2. Ask for positive recommendations. <\/strong>If the faculty member is not willing to commit to a positive letter, then thank them for their time, but do not ask them to write a recommendation for you.<\/li>\n
  3. Ask the instructor to write a letter soon after you have finished the course, assuming you will not be taking any additional courses with that faculty member. <\/strong>If you wait until your junior year to ask your first-year chemistry professor, chances are they will not remember enough about you to write a meaningful letter. The letters will be kept on file in the Prehealth Advising Program Office until you are ready to apply.<\/li>\n
  4. The official written request for a letter of recommendation is sent to the faculty instructor by the Prehealth Advising Program Office. <\/strong>You should request the forms as soon as you identify professors who are willing to write\u00a0 positive letters. You will be asked to sign a form for each letter writer indicating whether or not you waive your right to see the individual letters of recommendation. You do not have to waive your right to see the letters, but if you do not do so, this fact will be conveyed in the committee letter to the medical schools. Some schools may then be concerned that the nonconfidential letters were not written with full candor. The forms, once signed by you, will be distributed to faculty by our office; do not distribute the forms yourself.<\/li>\n
  5. It is preferred that all letters are received by the Prehealth Advising Program Office ideally by March, but at the latest by May. <\/strong>The office will update you when each letter is received and send reminders to writers who have not yet completed their letters.<\/li>\n
  6. If you are a student athlete or have an on-campus job, you should also ask your coach or job supervisor to write a letter, especially if you have made significant contributions<\/strong>. It should now be apparent that simply showing up for such activities is not enough; you should strive for leaving a legacy of accomplishment to which a reputable supervisor can attest. This can be a very powerful and persuasive part of your application. A letter from a coach or job supervisor should be in addition to the five faculty letters and not as replacements for faculty letters.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Committee Letter It is your responsibility to identify faculty members (ideally three STEM and two non-STEM) who can write meaningful, positive letters of recommendation for your application to medical school. 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