Medical School Requirements: Who Should Write Your Letters of Recommendation?
Securing letters of recommendation for medical school is a key part of assembling your AMCAS® application. These reference letters are important because they have the potential to impress admissions committees by showing them your diverse attributes from an external perspective. To ensure you’re being presented in the best light, you’ll want to submit medical school recommendations from accomplished individuals who can paint a flattering picture of you through vivid descriptions, concrete examples, and sincere praise. In this guide, we’ll help you determine who you should approach to write you a letter of recommendation for medical school.
[ RELATED: Requesting Medical School Recommendation Letters After a Gap Year ]
Requirements for Medical School Letters of Recommendation
Each medical school has its own set of standards and formats for securing letters, so you’ll want to research the specific schools you’re interested in attending. If you’re applying to U.S. allopathic (MD) medical schools, visit the AMCAS website and check out the latest Medical School Admissions Requirements™ (MSAR®) guide. If you’re applying to osteopathic (DO) medical programs, you should visit the AACOM website to learn more about admissions requirements for these schools. Alternatively, visit the admissions requirements section of individual school websites for their letter of recommendation requirement.
Factors to consider when requesting letters of recommendation for med school:
- Deadlines for submitting your letters of recommendation
- The number of letters required (three is the average for most schools, but requirements can vary)
- Types of recommenders (see more below)
How to Choose Recommendation Writers for Medical School
Learn how to choose the right people to write letters of recommendation for your medical school applications. Keep in mind that some medical schools will require specific types of recommenders (for example, science professors from whom you took an in-person class and received a letter grade). Whoever you choose to ask, don’t wait until the last minute. Give your recommender plenty of time to write you a glowing letter.
Listed below are the individuals you should contact to write your medical school letters of recommendation.
If you are reapplying to medical school, you must include new or updated letters of recommendation accounting for your past year’s activities, credentials, and successes.
Characteristics to Look for in Medical School Recommenders
When choosing recommenders to help you meet your med school requirements, it’s important to note that your letter writers’ credentials of don’t carry more weight than what they write about you. In other words, just because someone is a respected authority in a specific field doesn’t necessarily make them the right person to pen one of your letters of recommendation.
It’s far more important that recommenders know you as an individual and can speak to your qualities and qualifications. Along the same lines, you want to avoid the dreaded “form letter” recommendation because it says nothing unique about your personal attributes versus any other applicant’s.
Your goal is to identify medical school recommenders who are knowledgeable about three things:
- Your unique characteristics and credentials
- The demands of medical school
- What makes you qualified for medical school
Ideally, each letter of recommendation will highlight two or three of your many admirable qualities and experiences so that when your letters are viewed as a whole, med school admissions committees will have a vivid and well-rounded impression of your character.
The AAMC & admissions committees have identified the following standard qualities people in the medical profession should have:
Professional Competencies
- Commitment to Learning and Growth
- Cultural Awareness
- Cultural Humility
- Empathy and Compassion
- Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
- Interpersonal Skills
- Oral Communication
- Reliability and Dependability
- Resilience and Adaptability
- Service Orientation
- Teamwork and Collaboration
Science Competencies
- Human Behavior
- Living Systems
Thinking and Reasoning Competencies
- Critical Thinking
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Scientific Inquiry
- Written Communication
Looking at the list above, which of these qualities do you possess? Who are the people in your life who can attest to them? Answering these questions will go a long way toward helping you identify and choose the people who are best suited to write your letters of recommendation for medical school.
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Written by Kaplan experts, reviewed by Maria Lofftus, JD and Claudia Mikail, MD, MPH. Maria has extensive experience in graduate admissions and was part of the AAMC’s National Committee on Diversity. Dr. Mikhail is a practicing physician, professor, author, diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine, and a member of the American College of Medical Genetics.
