How many rec letters medical school

Skip to main content. Main Menu Utility Menu Search. When considering the total number of letters to submit, please note the following: At least two 2 letters should be from professors in the sciences with whom they have taken classes.

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 are advised to select recommenders who can collectively best address in detail the range of competencies in all 4 categories outlined by the AAMC. University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine A minimum of two letters of recommendation or a composite report from a Premed Committee are required.

You may submit more, but for practical purposes you should not exceed five letters. The most useful letters are from faculty members. University of Houston Submit a minimum of three 3 letters of recommendation. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Carle Illinois College of Medicine A minimum of three individual letters of recommendation and a maximum of four letters of recommendation.

Regardless of length, applicants with a committee report or composite letter may optionally submit a single, additional letter of recommendation. University of Illinois College of Medicine Premedical committee evaluation. OR Three letters from instructors any field of study from whom the candidate has taken courses.

One of the letters can be from a research mentor. Personal letters of recommendation are not acceptable. If you are currently enrolled in a graduate program or professional school, one letter must be from a faculty member at the graduate or professional school. University of Iowa Roy J. Carver College of Medicine Three letters of recommendation are required.

You may provide a fourth letter from a person associated with a meaningful extracurricular experience. 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. 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. Option 3: Packet of Letters - Your school may submit a packet of at least 3 individual letters. University of Kansas School of Medicine Applicants must have between three and five letters of recommendation five strongly recommended submitted on their behalf.

Applicants whose premedical advisor or advising committee writes one summary letter must have submitted between two and four additional letters of recommendation. We request letters from a variety of sources — faculty, employers, supervisors, or other persons who know you well and can be regarded as objective evaluators.

University of Kentucky College of Medicine The following letters will be considered as part of the application: 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. 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.

Submit no more than 5 letters. If your school attaches a committee letter, it counts as three letters. University of Louisville School of Medicine Each applicant is required to submit a pre-med advisory committee report. These letters must be on college letterhead and specifically, they should be from 2 science professors and 1 non-science professor.

University of Maryland School of Medicine The following policies and procedures apply: 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.

At least two letters must come from science faculty and one from non-science faculty. If you are not currently enrolled as an undergraduate student and are unable to submit a composite letter of recommendation, please arrange to have at least one letter sent from each component of your education undergraduate and graduate and major work experience to date.

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. Applicants may exceed the six letter maximum if the additional letters are from research supervisors.

University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine The Committee on Admissions requires either a letter of evaluation from the premedical advisory committee at your school greatly preferred , or three letters of recommendation from faculty members who can provide an evaluation both of your academic ability and of your personal qualifications for a career in medicine.

Both issues should be addressed in all individual letters of recommendation. Individual faculty members should also indicate in what capacity they have known you, for how long they have known you, and how well they know you.

It is also helpful if they describe how you compare with other candidates for whom they have written letters. In addition to the letters described above, applicants may submit a maximum of two more letters to support their application. These letters may not be substituted for the required letters. Letters that can add substantially to the overall picture of you as a candidate for medical school are most desirable.

Letters from relatives and friends of the family, roommates or teaching assistants, or elected officials are strongly discouraged unless they can provide truly unique information about you that is not available from other sources. University of Michigan Medical School A minimum of 3 letters of recommendation are required or one committee letter that includes multiple letters up to a maximum of 6 letters.

Your recommenders can be any individuals who can objectively assess your personal qualities such as integrity and ethics; reliability and dependability; social, interpersonal and teamwork skills; resilience and adaptability; altruism; and a desire to learn. There are no specific requirements regarding how you select these individuals.

However, if you choose to include someone from your academic experiences, we strongly recommend an experienced faculty member Associate Professor or Professor rather than a graduate student instructor GSI.

University of Minnesota Medical School Recommendations should be requested from people who know you well and can evaluate you based on your demonstration of our Essential and Desired Qualities of an Ideal Medical Student. Example of letter writers can include a physician, your faculty, research or volunteer supervisor, employer or mentor. Please note that we do not specifically require letters from any type of person and not every accepted student has this mix of letters.

While this is acceptable, submitting more letters will not necessarily make you more competitive in the selection process. Be selective and add a letter only if the writer offers new insights into your candidacy. University of Mississippi School of Medicine Evaluations must be written by either faculty who taught the applicant, preferably courses used to satisfy admissions criteria, or faculty who supervised the applicant conducting research outside the classroom.

A minimum of three faculty evaluation letters is required: however, one composite evaluation from a pre-professional advisory committee will suffice. University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine Applicants should submit three letters of evaluation. Additional letters beyond the three required may be submitted to supplement or validate other aspects of your candidacy, but no more than six letters.

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. Non-Traditional Applicants: If the applicant has completed an undergraduate degree before September , please have three letters of evaluation sent from individuals who are familiar with the applicant's recent scientific work, study experience or professional experience.

University of Nebraska College of Medicine Two letters of recommendation from undergraduate faculty members are required; one in the Pre-medical science area. An official report of a pre-medical advisory committee will fulfill the two-letter requirement.

If more than three letters are submitted, the admissions committee reviewers may not read additional letters. 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.

Your third required letter should be from someone who can offer a professional evaluation of how your pre-professional competencies, personal attributes, and life experiences have prepared you for success in medical school and as a physician. We suggest a supervisor, research advisor, volunteer coordinator, clinical provider, or a faculty member. University of New Mexico School of Medicine The Committee on Admissions requires applicants to submit a minimum of three letters of recommendation, with a maximum of four, from individuals who know them well.

These individuals should be chosen carefully by the applicant to honestly evaluate their abilities and their motivation for the practice of medicine. Applicants who have been away from degree-granting academic programs for more than three years may elect to submit letters from individuals other than professors.

University of North Carolina School of Medicine All applicants may submit up to three 3 additional letters, which must be submitted no later than October 1st. Suggestions for these additional letters are leaders with whom you have interacted closely in service, research, or healthcare training experiences.

We strongly encourage you to utilize this opportunity to garner additional letters. 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. 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: - For applicants who have advanced degrees or significant post-grad work one year or more , two letters of recommendation are required from mentors who have interacted with you in an academic setting and know you well.

We suggest acquiring letters from a diverse group of people college instructors, faculty, supervisors, etc. Non-traditional applicants who have been out of school for a number of years may choose to include more letters from supervisors than faculty.

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 Medical School Admissions Committee will only read the first three letters of a letter packet.

University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Either a premedical committee letter and one faculty letter or three faculty letters. Applicants currently enrolled in a graduate degree program are required to submit a letter from the program director or chair of the department which states the applicant is in good standing and that they are supportive of the application.

University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Recommendation Letters: - 1 premed committee and 1 faculty letter. OR - 3 faculty letters. If you are enrolled in a graduate degree program, you must submit a letter from the program director or chair of the department stating you are in good standing and that they support your application to the program. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Three recommendations at a minimum or a committee letter no maximum.

The committee letter should be buttressed with individual letters of recommendation. We prefer three letters of recommendation from professors or important mentors such as research mentors. The best are letters from those who know the applicant well and can comment on the above competencies. Supplemental recommendations from the supervisors or peers of extracurricular activities or work positions are encouraged as well.

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine Letters of recommendation: two from professors in the major field, one from a professor in another department.

University of South Alabama College of Medicine Letters of Recommendation must meet the following criteria: 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 you are currently employed, we strongly encourage but do not require a letter of recommendation from your employer.

We highly recommend two of these be from faculty in the sciences, so that we may better understand your abilities in the basic sciences. University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville At least three letters of recommendation, with a maximum of five letters. If your undergraduate institution prepares a Premedical Advisory Committee letter, we will accept that to fulfill the minimum letter requirements. We do not have requirements for the types of letters you must submit.

Letters should be written by individuals who know you well: a faculty professor at your undergraduate institution; a physician with whom you have worked closely; a research mentor; or an employer. It is important to make sure that the individuals or premedical advisory committee members submitting letters on your behalf know you well and are able to comment on your work ethic, interpersonal and communication skills, attention to detail, passion for medicine and compassion for your future patients.

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. Non-science faculty includes but is not limited to: Math, Psychology, English, Humanities, Anthropology, History, etc. No further Letters of Recommendation are needed. A committee letter is sufficient. Do not send more than 3 letters! University of Tennessee College of Medicine A recommendation from the official pre-professional Advisory Committee where such a committee exists , or recommendation letters from three faculty members, is required.

Additional recommendations may be submitted, although, they should number no more than three 3. OR Three individual letters of evaluation. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas Three or more letters of recommendation, including letters from all research mentors. University of Toledo College of Medicine A maximum of six 6 letters may be submitted. 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. University of Utah School of Medicine Three 3 letters of recommendation are required, but up to four 4 will be accepted. 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.

University of Vermont College of Medicine We require a committee letter or a letter packet if your college or university provides it. 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. You can provide up to six 6 letters in total. University of Virginia School of Medicine The School of Medicine prefers a premedical advisor evaluation, or if this service is not available, a minimum of two letters, preferably from science professors or the equivalent.

While there is no limit to the number of letters you may submit, it is better to have a few meaningful letters from individuals who know you well than to have a larger number of superficial letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation from people who know you well can give the committee a better understanding of who you are.

Consider current employers, people at your volunteer or shadowing opportunities, teaching assistants, etc. University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health One committee letter and one individual letter from a nonacademic source. 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. 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. Letters written by faculty supervisors in research labs can be considered either academic or nonacademic. OR - Three individual letters of evaluation. UTHealth John P.

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine A letter of evaluation or letter packet should be sent from your Premedical Committee. If your university does not have this committee, send three letters of evaluation. Vanderbilt University supports the movement for letters to cover the AAMC Guidelines and encourages applicants to solicit letters from evaluators who can address competencies.

If you have advanced degrees or at least one year of postgraduate full-time employment, it is advisable to ask your supervisor at work or a member of the graduate faculty to send a letter of recommendation. 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 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.

If there are special circumstances or potential concerns raised within your application ex: lower grades one semester, compelling reason for withdrawal from a class, minor institutional action , consider securing a letter that could validate or clarify the situation.

At least one recommendation should come from a science or math faculty member. Letters from a medical professional and a research mentor are strongly recommended. Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine If your premedical advising office provides a committee letter compiling feedback from multiple sources, this committee letter will meet the required letters of evaluation.

If you do not have access to a premedical advising office, three individual letters will meet the letter requirement. If recently in school, try to include at least one faculty member who has gotten to know you during the course of your studies. If you have been out of school for some years, consider an employment supervisor.

Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine Letters should come from three instructors at a college or university you attended who know you well enough to write on your behalf. 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. You are permitted to submit a letter prepared by a premedical advisor or committee, either in addition to individual letters, or as a substitute for them if this is the typical practice at your school.

Wayne State University School of Medicine Submit a statement from the pre-medical advisory committee at your college or university, or three letters of recommendation — with at least two from faculty members.

One letter must have been written within the past 12 months. If you are in a postbaccalaureate or graduate program, we strongly encourage you to submit at least one letter from your program. If you are applying to the M. Weill Cornell Medical College If your college has a preprofessional advisory committee, you must either submit a letter from this committee or inform us in writing why you cannot obtain a committee letter. 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. If you have had substantial research, work, clinical or service experience, you should submit a letter from your supervisor in that experience.

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 students apply from a university that provides a composite letter from a premedical advisory program, the composite letter will be accepted in lieu of the two letters recommended from faculty. Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine We prefer to receive a letter of recommendation from the premedical advisory committee at your college or university.

If your school does not have such a committee, you may substitute letters from three faculty members who had you in class, including at least two letters from science faculty.

For non-traditional applicants or anyone who cannot meet the letters of recommendation standards listed above, choose someone who you feel can best attest to your ability to meet the required competencies for medical school.

The minimum number of letters is three; the maximum number of letters is five. If your school does not have a Premedical Committee, you may submit at least three individual letters of recommendation. 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.

It is helpful to have at least one of the letters from someone in the sciences, but this is not mandatory. What is important is that the letters provide information and support that will be informative and helpful to the Admissions Committee, supplementing the information that appears elsewhere in your application.

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Telegram. Close Search for. 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. Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Applicants who have attended a school at which there is no Pre-Professional Advisory Committee must have at least two letters of recommendation from faculty members who have taught the applicant in the classroom setting.

Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Three individual letters of recommendation from your premedical or research adviser, professors at the institution where you last studied, or other individuals of your choice.

Baylor College of Medicine. Health professions committee packets are acceptable from those institutions who offer this service. Boston University School of Medicine. California Northstate University College of Medicine. Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation from the categories listed below: - 3 letters are required with a maximum of 6 letters.

California University of Science and Medicine. Central Michigan University College of Medicine. We require a minimum of three 3 letters of recommendation or a committee letter and allow a maximum of five 5 letters. Candidates must choose one of the following options to satisfy our letters of recommendation requirement: - Committee Letter 1 - Individual Letters 3 - Letter Packet Containing three individual letters No more than three individual letters, one committee letter, or one letter packet containing a maximum of three individual letters will be considered in evaluating your application.

Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. We require students to submit three to five letters of recommendation. We welcome letters of recommendation from individuals and premedical advisory groups Committee Letters with genuine knowledge of applicants and their capabilities, who can provide more than routine praise.

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Creighton University School of Medicine. A committee letter is preferred if available , but not required.

Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine. We require a composite recommendation from your school's premedical committee or a packet containing a minimum of 3 individual letters from your school.

We require 3 to 5 letters of recommendation and 2 letters must be from instructors. In selecting those from whom you will request letters, we recommend that they be faculty, supervisors, and others that know you well and know your strengths.

If your school does not have a Premedical Committee, or a considerable amount of time has passed since graduation, you may submit three individual letters of recommendation: - two letters from individual professors at least one in science. Drexel University College of Medicine. Applicants whose college or university has a pre-medical advisory committee should send a pre-professional committee letter or a composite letter of recommendation, which should include science and non-science professors.

Duke University School of Medicine. Each applicant must submit a minimum of four 4 letters of recommendation; two of which must be from science faculty. Quillen College of Medicine. The Admissions Committee continues to recommend that you provide us with a pre-professional committee evaluation from your school if one is available to you, but we no longer require it.

Eastern Virginia Medical School. If your undergraduate or graduate school has a premedical advisory committee, we strongly urge you to have a letter sent by that committee.

Emory University School of Medicine. Schmidt College of Medicine. The College of Medicine prefers to receive a committee letter through AMCAS authored by a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor which is a composite or summary evaluation of the applicant's readiness and personal suitability to study medicine. HWCOM requires a minimum of three letters of recommendation: - two from science faculty biology, chemistry, physics, and math - one from any other faculty member who has taught the applicant.

Florida State University College of Medicine. At least three and no more than five letters of recommendation are required. School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. To complete their file, applicants are required to submit either: - A Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee Letter required if available to you OR - Three individuals letters, at least one of which must be from a science faculty member familiar with your academic work.

Georgetown University School of Medicine. Harvard Medical School. At least two 2 letters should be from professors in the sciences with whom they have taken classes. Check out our complete list of law schools, based on surveys of school administrators and over 14, students. Teach or Tutor for Us.

College Readiness. All Rights Reserved. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. Recently viewed. Find Your Dream School. By submitting my email address. I certify that I am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from The Princeton Review, and agree to Terms of Use. Pre-Medical Committee Letter Some schools request that you send your recommendations in the form of a pre-medical committee letter, which is either a letter written by the undergraduate pre- med committee specifically recommending you, or a letter that summarizes comments made by various committee members about you.

Start Early Professors are busy! Identify your recommenders Current professors and doctors with whom you work or volunteer are your best choices. Help them help you Fantastic letters come from recommenders who can write about your specific traits and talents. Read More Medical School. Register Book Go.