Whom to Ask for Letters of Recommendation

A very important part of your application packet is the letters of recommendation. I always carefully read them because they help the reviewer and admissions committee get a picture of you from someone other than you! We know you’ll make yourself look good in your application, but the real test is whether others say you’re just as good. It’s important that you ask the right people to write your letters. The last thing you want is to have letters from people who don’t know you well, have never written a similar letter for graduate program admission, or who don’t have any interest in writing the letter.

From my experience, your letters of recommendation alone won’t get you in; but if they’re great they can put you over the hump and if they’re awful, they can definitely cause you problems. 

You need a minimum of three letters of recommendation. You can have more, but don’t go overboard. Four is ideal. Five should be your absolute max; if you need more people than that to make you look good, we need to re-group. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when thinking about whom to ask for letters of recommendation. 

A professor who can speak to your academic record and ability

A letter from an professor, particularly from a science course, is a must. Some people recommend two letters from science instructors, but one very good one is okay too. This should not just be someone whose class you made a high grade in, but a professor who actually knows you. How would they know you? Because you spent time in their office during office hours, were vocal in class, talked with them after class, etc. If you’re early in your undergraduate years, you may not have met this professor yet and still have time to be very deliberate about this. In an upcoming class, make a point to attend office hours, ensure that the professor knows your name, share with them your interest in applying to medical school, and (of course) make an A in the class. You don’t have to be their new best friend, but they need to be able to speak to your ability to handle the sciences in medical school.

A healthcare professional (physician) who can speak to your clinical experience

If you shadowed, scribed, or volunteered alongside a physician or advanced healthcare professional, you really should consider asking them for a letter. I don’t mean ask the ER doc if you only volunteered in the ER once, taking patients back and forth to the restroom, that person doesn’t know you! But if you have clinical experience with the same provider over a period of time and they actually like you and y’all have taken the time to talk about your medical school/career plans, then this should be a great letter writer. Who better to tell the admissions committee that you deserve a career in medicine than someone who has a career in medicine?! This should go without saying, but make sure you are prompt, friendly, and an information sponge during your clinical experiences; don’t give this person anything negative to say about you.

Research Advisor/Lab Manager 

Commitment to scholarship outside of the classroom is important. Whether you do bench research or social research, having a strong letter related to this experience can be helpful. This person can also speak to your ability to work as part of a team, since you’ll be doing this in medical school and the rest of your career. They likely have also seen more than a few pre-med students come through their labs and will know what the letter should contain.

An employer or boss who can speak to your work ethic, leadership skills, character, and ability to work as part of a team

A letter from your boss could be a good idea, but it gets tricky so this needs to be your best judgement. I’ve seen letters where bosses give strong recommendations based on the student’s ability to work as a team and be a leader and they can relate this to being a medical professional and them doing the same in that setting. I’ve also seen letters that look like the writer has no idea how competitive medical school actually is and they just jotted something down to get it done. You know your boss and you know if they know anything about the healthcare field, what it takes to get into medical school, and what a letter or recommendation should look like. Whether they like you as an employee or not, if you don’t think they could write a good letter, don’t even ask, move on to the next option…

A service coordinator who can speak to your commitment to others

The coordinator or director of a service project or organization you’ve volunteered with would be a great person to write a letter. To get a good letter out of someone in this area, obviously you need to show up on time, work hard, and care about the service you’re providing. If you’re only doing service to check a box on your application, you need to re-evaluate your life. To get a good letter that speaks to your character and commitment to help others is invaluable. Find a service project that you really care about and can put a lot of effort into and do long-term. If you are genuine and impactful, the coordinator should have no problem writing a strong letter for you.

Honors Program Faculty

If you’re part of the Honors Program at your college, your advisor or the director would be a great letter writer for you. They could speak to your academic record and service, as most (if not all) honors programs usually have a service component. This is also someone who would have known you for a period of time, not just one or two classes, and that you should have a personal relationship with and can share your desire to get into medical school. Start planting this seed with them early.

A trusted mentor or advisor

By mentor or advisor, I mean a professional (preferably in healthcare or academics) who can honestly say that you are ready for medical school and can effectively speak to your growth over the time they’ve known you. This person can usually speak to your character and can share your determination and passion for a career in medicine. 

Committee Letter

I touched on this in an earlier post, some schools provide committee letters from the pre-health advisory committee. This is not a letter that you ask for, but one that is going to be a part of your application regardless, so I won’t spend too much time here. With that said, as I’ve previously told you, your pre-med advisor needs to be your bestie and able to advocate for you to anyone who asks them. And if the advisory committee has get-to-know-you interviews prior to writing the letter, you need to schedule one and you need to kill it.

Considering others…

You may have someone else in mind that I didn’t mention who can speak to your academic ability, vouch for your good character, relay how well you work as part of a team, describe you as a hard-worker, and speak to your desire to be a physician. If you choose to stray away from the list of above, listen, and I’m saying this very loudly for the people in the back…you need to know who you’re asking and have not the slightest doubt in their ability to write a strong letter of recommendation. You don’t need any 7-sentence letters (I’ve seen them), letters from someone who is going to get your name wrong (also seen those) or letters from someone who is well-meaning but can’t get their point across (these are the worst). You want people who have written a letter or recommendation for something competitive like medical school before and can truly offer a recommendation, not just their personal opinion of you, and someone who can say more about why you should be accepted than just because you’re a good person. There are some people who are better suited to speak highly of you at your graduation or your funeral than they are suited to speak on your behalf for medical school admission. Let’s be real. Unless it’s a really special circumstance, and I can’t think of many, your momma’s doctor who has never met you (I’ve seen it), pastor, next door neighbors, cousins, line sisters, etc…this is not the task for them. Consider writing them a note of thanks for their support after you get accepted. 

I love to see a letter that says something like: I’ve encountered many pre-med students and have written many letters of recommendation, and (insert your name) is in the top 10% [or better] of students I’ve known in my career. That, my friend, is who we’re looking for. Go find those people.

The next post (later this week, I’m about to start it now) will have more information about how to ask, when to ask, what to say, how to ensure you get the letter on time, and how to follow up afterwards. 

Do you have any suggestions of people to ask, or not to ask? Or any questions about someone you are thinking about asking? Feel free to share in the Comments section below, or send me an email!