How to Write a Medical School Recommendation

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Decide whether you are able to write a positive recommendation for the student

   Decline the student's request and suggest seeking a recommendation from another professor if you feel your recommendation would be negative or tepid, or if you simply don't feel you know the student well enough to write a well-informed, comprehensive recommendation.
   
   In a situation as competitive as medical school applications, where 60 percent of applicants are not accepted, a qualified or unenthusiastic recommendation is damaging.
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   Step 2: honestly and within the time frame provided.

   You may also want to ask the applicant for something distinguishing from a course taken with you, such as a graded exam or paper or a project evaluation.
   
   Obtain the student's signed waiver form stating whether the recommendation will be confidential.
   
   Many admissions committees give higher credibility to confidential references.
   
   Most American medical schools encourage or require use of the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) or the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) Letter Service for electronic submission of letters.
   
   The AMCAS websites Frequently Asked Questions page (https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/63226/faq_amcasletters.html includes a list of medical schools using the service for recommendations, with specific information about each school's requirements. , This meeting is also an opportunity for you to advise the student and for the student to discuss with you items or strengths that may not be apparent from the application materials. ,,,). ,,, Information gained in your meeting with the student can be particularly helpful here. ,, In some cases, the medical school will ask for a numeric ranking.
   
   If such a ranking is not requested, but you would consider the student in the top 5 or 10 percent of students you have taught, be sure to include and expand on this information. ,,,,,
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   Step 3: Ask the student for a resume

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   Step 4: a copy of his or her application (particularly the essay) and information about the program for which they are asking you to recommend them.

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   Step 5: Meet with the student to discuss these items and to go over any questions either of you may have.

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   Step 6: Plan to write between 1 full page and 3 pages.

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   Step 7: Begin your letter by identifying yourself with a brief statement about your own position.

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   Step 8: State how long you have known the student and in what capacity (as an instructor

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   Step 9: lab supervisor

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    Step 10: Give a brief overview of the qualities that distinguish the applicant.

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    Step 11: Describe and evaluate the applicant's intellectual abilities and academic performance and any traits or accomplishments that are outstanding in this area.

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    Step 12: Discuss character traits that make the applicant outstanding

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    Step 13: as well as the student's motivations for seeking to become a doctor.

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    Step 14: Give information about the difficulty of the student's course work or major.

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    Step 15: Rank the student in comparison to other students you have taught or worked with.

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    Step 16: Give specific examples to illustrate qualities of the applicant you are recommending.

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    Step 17: Balance the recommendation as much as possible to include academic and personal strengths Omitting one area may be seen as a negative.

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    Step 18: Summarize your recommendation

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    Step 19: restating the highlights and the applicant's most outstanding qualities that lead you to recommend him or her with enthusiasm.

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    Step 20: Finish with a brief

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    Step 21: enthusiastic statement endorsing the student's candidacy.

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    Step 22: Keep the recommendation on file for your records and to adapt if needed for future recommendations the applicant may ask you to write.

Detailed Guide

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