medical school application letter of recommendation deadline

2024 Medical School Letters of Recommendation Guide

• By Med School Insiders
• January 10, 2024
• Medical Student , Pre-med
• Letters of Recommendation , Medical School Application

Medical school letters of recommendation are often under-appreciated. Not giving your letters the respect and attention they deserve is extremely detrimental to your application and could be the difference between being accepted or rejected.

Letters of recommendation are vital to an effective and successful medical school application. They provide a respected professional’s opinion of you, as opposed to your own claims or the opinion of a biased friend or relative. A quality letter from a professor at an academic institution or someone who works with students through extracurriculars holds a lot of weight.

Letters of recommendation offer an impartial summary of your unique skills from a qualified professional—so they have a big impact on admissions committees.

Learn why letters of recommendation are so important, how to ask, and common mistakes to avoid. In this post, we’ll cover the Why, Who, What, Where, When, and How of letters of recommendation.

Applying through TMDSAS or AACOMAS? We have a guide dedicated to TMDSAS Letters of Recommendation and AACOMAS Letters of Recommendation .

Why Letters of Recommendation Are So Important

Letters of recommendation are a crucial piece of the medical school application. Some argue they’re even more important than the personal statement since the personal statement is naturally biased. After all, a personal statement is all about trying to paint yourself in the absolute best light.

Read our free Step-by-Step Guide: How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement for tips on getting started, what to include, and common mistakes to avoid.

On the other hand, letters of recommendation are written by respected professionals, such as mentors, professors, and physicians. An admissions committee is very likely going to take their word over yours. If the person you ask to write your letter of recommendation has worked closely with you and speaks very highly of you, it’s a big deal.

A negative letter of recommendation is a huge problem. A poor or lukewarm letter of recommendation could do irreparable harm to your application. You must approach this process in advance with plenty of organization, taking care to choose your letters wisely.

Who to Ask For Letters of Recommendation

You’ll need to include a total of four to five letters with your medical school application.

Three of these must be academic letters written by undergraduate professors—two science letters and one non-science letter. The two remaining letters are from your extracurriculars, typically research and clinical experience.

While it may be tempting to secure a respected, recognizable name to write your letters, it’s much more important that you choose someone who knows you well and thinks very highly of you. If you’ve only had a few conversations with the person you’re asking to write your letter, it won’t be effective. They simply won’t have that much to say about you and can’t offer much insight into who you really are.

Choose someone who can speak about your strengths on a deep level. The letter will have a much greater impact on the admissions committee.

Use our framework to maximize your chances of success: How to Choose Medical School Letters of Recommendation Writers .

What to Provide to Letter of Recommendation Writers

The people you’re asking to write a letter are busy with their own careers and lives. It’s up to you to make the process as smooth and simple as possible. In order to do so, there are a number of key pieces you need to provide.

• Submission instructions —Provide the writers of your letters of recommendation with all of the information they need to submit your letter to the submission service. Typically, this is the AMCAS Letter Service (for allopathic medical schools.) Your letter writer won’t be submitting the letter to you; they will need to submit it directly to the service. Provide your letter writer with a Letter Request Form, available in the Main Menu of the Letters of Evaluation section. This form is a PDF generated in the AMCAS application for each of your designated letter authors, and it includes your mailing address, AAMC ID, the Letter ID, and information about how to submit letters to AMCAS. The Letter ID is a unique seven-digit code assigned to each letter entry on your AMCAS application. It must be provided to each letter writer in order to correctly match their letter with the letter entry you created in your application.
• Updated CV —A comprehensive, organized, and professional summary of your academic, work, and extracurricular achievements to date. If you need any assistance crafting your CV, consider our advising services .
• Academic transcript.
• Personal Statement —If available. Ideally, you should have at least a first draft of your personal statement prepared by the time you request a letter, but you may ask for academic letters early in your undergrad. If you don’t have a draft yet, write a brief summary of the reasons you are pursuing medicine, including what makes you a unique and qualified candidate.
• MCAT score —This should be included in your CV, but it’s possible the letter writer will ask for a more verifiable source, such as a score printout. If you haven’t taken the MCAT, don’t delay asking for a letter just because you don’t have your MCAT score yet.
• Submission deadline —Include the date in writing, either through email or printed with the materials you provide to the letter writer. Make sure the date is at least a week in advance of when you actually need to submit the letter. We recommend giving letter writers six to eight weeks to complete a letter after receiving the materials listed above. This means it’s important to start the process two to three months before you plan to submit your application.
• A printed copy of materials —Even though the LOR submission process is completely digital, you may have letter writers who prefer to read and review physical materials. Ask them if they would like you to deliver or mail a printed packet of all of the above. It’s up to you to make this process as simple as possible for them and a crisp manila envelope with all of your materials and submission information is a nice touch for those less digitally inclined.

Where — Asking for Letters of Recommendation Virtually

Asking for a letter of recommendation in-person may not be possible, which means you will need to request a letter via email or possibly over Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and so on. While this may not feel as personal as you intended, all of us need to adapt to our new virtual world.

Virtual meetings are our new normal, so it’s important to cultivate relationships with potential letter writers and mentors online. A mentor could be someone you worked with, someone you met through a mutual contact, or you might find one through professional networks like LinkedIn.

For more advice on how to build relationships with mentors and letter writers online, read our article: Connecting with Mentors Over Zoom .

When to Ask For Letters of Recommendation

Start thinking about your letters of recommendation as soon as possible. It will take time to figure out who to ask and even longer to build strong relationships. If you have someone in mind, they may not have the time or feel they know you well enough, so make sure you have a backup plan and budget extra time in case a letter falls through.

Ask toward the end of your time working together or shortly after the conclusion of a class. Don’t wait months or years. You want the letter writer to have you on their mind so they can write a genuine letter full of fresh enthusiasm.

How to Ask For Letters of Recommendation

If you are requesting a letter of recommendation virtually, you can use our sample request template. Be sure to personalize the request with a sentence or two about your relationship. This could include involvement in their class/organization, the time you spent working together, what you enjoyed or learned, or how they inspired you.

1 | Think About Your Letters Well in Advance

Letters of recommendation can make or break your medical school application. Who you ask can make all the difference. Approach relationships with professors and mentors with the idea that they could potentially be one of your letters of recommendation.

2 | Work to Develop Strong Relationships

Relationships take time. Cultivate your relationships with professors and prospective mentors as soon as possible, and mark how often you check-in with them using a calendar. Share your goals and successes with them so they can clearly see your progress and watch you grow. Express gratitude, and be sure to help them in whatever way you can. Relationships are two-way streets, after all.

If in-person office hours are difficult, be diligent about scheduling virtual meetings . You still need to build strong relationships even if you are unable to meet in person.

3 | Only Ask People Who Will Give You a Strong Letter

This is crucial. If you don’t know a professor all that well or scored anywhere under an A- in their class, do not ask that professor for a letter. Ask someone who you have worked with closely, knows you well, and thinks highly of you.

If the person you ask expresses any hesitation, don’t pursue the letter further. Their hesitation is a sign that they either don’t know you well enough, don’t have positive things to say, or simply don’t have the time. It’s better to catch that hesitation early on as opposed to ending up with a late or lukewarm letter.

More tips: How to Get Strong Medical School Letters of Recommendation .

4 | Make the Process as Simple as Possible

Provide all of the necessary materials to make writing and submitting the letter as smooth as possible. See what to provide in the above section, and ask them if they need anything else ahead of time.

5 | Provide a Deadline to Ensure You Receive Letters on Time

The best letter in the world won’t matter if it’s late. Provide a clear deadline to ensure you receive your letters on time.

Give your letter writers as much time as possible, as they are extremely busy and have likely received plenty of other requests. We recommend two-three months. Set a reminder two weeks out from the due date.

For more tips, check out our advice on How to Ask For Medical School Letters of Recommendation .

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid the following common letter of recommendation mistakes.

• Asking someone who doesn’t know you well.
• Asking for a letter when you haven’t thoroughly prepared.
• Forgetting to provide the writer with the necessary materials.
• Asking people who don’t know you well enough to provide real insight into who you are.
• Not obtaining a variety of letters across science, non-science, and extracurriculars.
• Asking the professor of a class you scored below A- in.
• Coming across as overly-friendly or unprofessional when asking for a letter.
• Waiting too long after working with someone to ask for a letter.
• Getting a letter from someone who was reluctant when you asked.
• Not thinking about letters of recommendation early in your application preparation.

Letters of Recommendation FAQs

How many letters of recommendation do i need.

The medical school letter of recommendation requirements vary from school to school. Most schools require at least three letters, but some may ask for four or five. Make sure you check the specific requirements of each school you hope to apply to.

Since the number varies based on the school, we recommend all applicants plan to have four to five letters of recommendation spread across science professors, non-science professors, and extracurriculars.

How Many Letters of Recommendation for Medical School Are Required?

How do I submit letters of recommendation?

Your letter writers must submit their letter electronically through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application or Interfolio . You do not review or submit your own letters of recommendation.

You will need to provide each of your letter authors with submission information, including your AAMC ID, and a unique seven-digit Letter ID. Each letter writer will be assigned an individual Letter ID when you add them to your AMCAS application, which is needed in order to upload your letter(s).

If you are applying through multiple services, AMCAS, TMDSAS, AACOMAS, etc., Interfolio acts as a go-between so that writers only need to upload once. They will still need their unique seven-digit Letter ID for your letter to be matched to your application. There is a small yearly fee to use Interfolio’s Dossier Deliver service .

Letters submitted through either process will be marked as received—immediately with AMCAS, or within three days with Interfolio. Contact your letter writer and ask them to submit the letter again, if a letter is not marked as received by the deadline you provided.

When are letters of recommendation due?

Include your letters with your medical school application. You can also add letters of recommendation up until you submit your secondary application, though you shouldn’t procrastinate. They are a key piece of your application that shouldn’t be left to the last minute. It takes time to ask for letters, and you need to give the letter writer adequate time to complete it.

Secondary applications are due between July and January, but it’s best to submit yours, along with your letters, by the end of the summer.

Read our Medical School Application Timeline to ensure you plan ahead and don’t miss any important deadlines.

What if a letter writer doesn’t submit a recommendation?

If a letter is not marked as received through the electronic portal you are using, contact your letter writer and ask them to submit the letter again.

In rare circumstances, a letter writer may disappear or stop responding. They are people too, and emergencies happen. This is why it’s so important to have more letters planned than the bare minimum required for your application.

What if a potential letter writer says no?

If a potential letter writer says no, it means they do not feel they know you well enough, they’re already swamped with other requests, or they don’t have confidence in you. Whatever the reason, it’s important to move on and look for another option.

Even if they hesitate before saying yes, it may be better to find someone else. A poor or even lukewarm letter can jeopardize an otherwise excellent medical school application.

Who can write a letter besides professors?

You should have letters from two science professors and one non-science professor. In addition to professors, you may choose to ask a research PI or mentor, a physician you shadowed or worked closely with, or a volunteer activity supervisor.

You could also ask a TA or an employer for a letter of recommendation if they know you better than your other options. What’s most important is that you choose letter writers who know you very well and will speak highly of you.

Are extracurricular letters required?

While not required, we recommend securing letters of recommendation from extracurriculars that were particularly significant. This may include research mentors or principal investigators (PI), physicians that you shadowed, or leadership from other volunteer organizations. If appropriate, aim to secure a letter from each of your three most meaningful activities on your AMCAS.

Who shouldn’t give me a recommendation?

Don’t ask someone who is positively biased towards you, such as a friend or family member. Your letters should come from people who can provide an honest and impartial recommendation.

If the person you ask seems hesitant or unenthusiastic about submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf, don’t push it; instead, find someone else. A poor or even neutral letter can jeopardize an otherwise excellent medical school application.

Can I add additional letters after I submit my application?

Yes, you can add additional letters after your application is submitted, but you cannot delete or change the letters your writers submit.

Although you can add letters of recommendation after submitting your application, we do not recommend it. Strong letters take time, so give your letter writers as much time as possible to compose thoughtful, detailed letters. You should choose four to five strong letter writers—having more won’t increase your chances, but it can dilute your positive recommendations with ones that aren’t as strong.

What types of letters does AMCAS accept?

AMCAS accepts Committee Letters, Letter Packets, and Individual Letters. Committee Letters are authored by a prehealth committee or prehealth advisor representing an evaluation of you by your institution. A Letter Packet is a set of letters assembled by your institution, often including a cover sheet from your prehealth committee or advisor. Individual Letters are written by, and represent, the opinions of one letter writer. All three letter types count as one letter entry.

Can I see my letter of recommendation?

Letters of recommendation are submitted confidentially, and you do not get to see them. Don’t ask letter writers what they have written, as they are under no obligation to show you. You should have absolute confidence that the person you ask knows you well and will speak highly of you.

How should I thank letter writers?

Don’t forget about your letter writers as soon as your application is submitted. Send a thank you email once they submit their letter and consider sending them a handwritten card by physical mail when you are accepted to medical school.

What If You’re Asked to Write Your Own Letter?

You may be asked to write your own letter by people who don’t typically write medical school letters of recommendation, such as those who are not part of the medical school world.

While it does mean more work, it’s important to remember that this is as much a win as earning a strong letter of recommendation. If the person you asked to write you a strong letter asks you to write it yourself, it means you just secured a yes . You have a letter writer, even if you have to write the letter yourself. They want to support you, but you’ve got to do the leg work.

Learn How to Write Your Own Letter of Recommendation , including 7 mistakes to avoid.

Get Help From Professionals

Med School Insiders offers Comprehensive Medical School Admissions Packages that will help you with every step of the application process. Our team of doctors has years of experience serving on admissions committees, so you’ll receive key insights from people who have been intimately involved with the selection process.

Read our Guide to Understanding the Medical School Application Process , which includes an application timeline, what you need to include in your application, mistakes to avoid, and what happens next.

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How Do Medical Schools Use Letters of Recommendation?

Like almost anything in this process, this will depend on the school. For the most part, medical schools don’t share the minute details of how they evaluate letters of recommendation. It also doesn’t serve you to waste mental energy trying to figure out exactly when and how medical schools will assess your letters of recommendation.

Who Should You Ask for Letters of Recommendation?

Each school will have a list of their letter of recommendation requirements, which can be found on their website. This can make the process more difficult because you need to research the requirements of each school you’re interested in. You don’t want to apply to a medical school only to find that you haven’t met their LOR requirements.

If you have letters of recommendation from two science professors and one from a non-science professor, you should be in good shape to fulfill the requirements for most medical schools. Some students may also include a letter from a physician they worked with or shadowed, but most schools do not require this. The best way to find out what each school requires is to check their website. If you are a nontraditional student who has trouble fulfilling LOR requirements check school websites or contact them to see what alternatives might be available.

You should also keep in mind who can write the strongest LOR. Ultimately, this will come from someone who knows you well. If you don’t have someone who fits the LOR requirements and knows you well enough to write a strong letter of recommendation, it’s time to develop that relationship .

Check out our post on this exact question for a more in-depth breakdown of deciding who to ask for LORs.

When and How Do You Ask for Letters of Recommendation?

You are bound to have changed throughout your college career and throughout the premed process. A letter written about you years ago is unlikely to capture who you are now accurately. That doesn’t mean that someone who first got to know you years ago can’t write you a high-quality letter. It does mean that you need to maintain that relationship or reconnect with a previous professor or another potential letter writer.

You can set the expectation that you will eventually ask for a letter of recommendation once you sense that you have a good relationship with this professor. This might be during the semester or at the end of the class. You might say something like,

Hi Dr. Taylor, I’m planning on applying to medical school in a few years. I’ve really enjoyed my time in your class (or lab, etc.), and was hoping to keep in touch with you during my college career so that when the time comes, you would be able to write me a strong letter of recommendation. 

If they say yes to this, make sure to hold up your end. It might be a good idea to send them an update email or have a quick meeting once a semester. If you have the opportunity to take another class with this professor or otherwise remain connected to their work on campus, that can be an easy way to maintain the relationship. Asking early helps you develop the relationship further and get a stronger letter than you would from a professor who’s only known you for one or two semesters. It also gives you time to find other options if they say no. If they do say no, don’t take it personally. Think of who else you might ask, and have a similar conversation with them.

When the Application Cycle Arrives

During the year you are going to apply to medical school, start formally asking your letter writers for a letter of recommendation no later than February or March. You should also keep in mind any special deadlines for your premed’s committee letter process if that’s something your school offers. Asking early gives your letter writer plenty of time, and allows for the possibility that they may procrastinate or need extra time without delaying your application. Most schools require that all of your letters be submitted before they will consider your application complete.

Do I Need to Finish My Personal Statement First?

Don’t delay asking for letters of recommendation because you assume that letter writers will want to see a draft or completed version of your personal statement. Many won’t. Even if you know they will want to see a draft of your personal statement during the process, you should still ask them early to get the process started.

Submitting Letters of Recommendation

When should you submit letters of recommendation.

You can submit your application without LORs, so you may need them slightly later than the rest of your materials. However, as stated before, most schools will not consider your application complete until the expected letters are received, so you don’t want to overly delay submitting your letters of recommendation. Many students begin submitting their secondary applications in mid-June, so it can be useful to have that time in mind as a firm deadline for submitting letters of recommendation. You still want to give your letter writers an earlier deadline than this like mid-May just in case something goes wrong.

How Do You Submit Letters of Recommendation?

For you and the letter writer, the stress doesn’t begin and end at requesting and writing the letter. You need to send a more formal request either through the application service or through a third-party letter service. Your writer needs to ensure their letter is signed, dated, and on official letterhead. You need to make sure that your letter writer is aware of these requirements before they have finished and submitted their letter.

Even though not every school requires these extra details, enough of them do that you should ensure all of your letters have them. The actual process of submitting your letters of recommendation will depend on where you submit your letters of recommendation. You can either submit them directly to the application service(s), or you can use a third-party letter service.

Our favorite third-party letter service called myLORs is available in Mappd Pro . myLORs allows you to easily request, store, and transmit your letters of recommendation. Mappd also checks your letters for the necessary details like letterhead, dating, and a signature to make sure medical schools don’t reject your letters for improper formatting. Your letter writers will also be able to easily send you messages within Mappd if they have questions for you throughout the process. You can also easily share documents with letter writers like a draft of your personal statement or your resume.

More Links and Resources

How to Get Letters as a Nontrad

The Premed Playbook Guide to the Medical School Application Process for even more information on letters of recommendation

More information on myLORs!

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Applying to Medical School with AMCAS®

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The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) is the AAMC's centralized medical school application processing service. Most U.S. medical schools use the AMCAS program as the primary application method for their first-year entering classes.

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The AMCAS applicant guide outlines the current AMCAS application process, policies, and procedures. This comprehensive resource helps you understand how to complete your AMCAS application.

The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) is the AAMC's centralized medical school application processing service.

These pages outline the sections of the AMCAS® application, including the Choose Your Medical School Tool. Full details can be found in the AMCAS Applicant Guide . Visit the  FAQ page  for answers to your questions.

Use the AAMC American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) Medical Schools and Deadlines search tool to find application deadlines at participating regular MD programs.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) application process. For more detailed FAQs on the AMCAS Letter of Evaluation process including information for letter authors please visit the AMCAS How to Apply section of the site.

The AAMC American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) resources, tools, and tutorials for premed students preparing to apply to medical schools.

The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) application policies are established protocols for applicants and admission officers.

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Marking transcripts as "Received" that were delivered on or before:

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The application processing fee is $175 and includes one medical school designation. Additional school designations are $46 each. Tax, where applicable, will be calculated at checkout. 

If approved for the Fee Assistance Program, you will receive a waiver for all AMCAS fees for one (1) application submission with up to 20 medical school designations ($1,030 value). Benefits are not retroactive.

Medical School Letter of Recommendation: The Ultimate Guide (2023-2024)

Learn everything you need to know about medical school letters of recommendation including who to ask and how, how many letters you need, and how to create a top-notch letter profile. Read a sample medical school letter of recommendation.

Before we answer some basic questions you likely have about medical school letters of recommendation, let’s review the history and purpose of letters in medical school admissions.

Like everything about the med school admissions process, the letter of recommendation (LOR) has evolved from a fairly basic “stamp of approval” by a few teachers to currently, a letter of evaluation (LOE) that is more expansive.

The transition to the letter of recommendation to the letter of evaluation was deliberate and followed the “ holistic review ” trend. Medical schools have been thinking about admissions in terms of whether a candidate has demonstrated the competencies that are desirable in a medical student candidate – competencies that are required to be successful in medical school and residency. Increasingly, medical education has been thought of on a continuum from undergraduate (medical school years) to graduate (residency years) and beyond to fellowship training. 

Keep in mind that many people use the terms letter of reference and letter of evaluation interchangeably.

Medical schools have slightly different requirements, but, generally speaking, you will need to have a minimum of three school recommendation letters which must include two science letters. Most medical school applicants send in four to five letters of evaluation. AMCAS allows students to send in a maximum of ten letters of reference. However, most medical schools have limits on the number of letters you can submit with the most prestigious medical schools allowing you to send up to six letters. MedEdits’ nontraditional or very highly accomplished students routinely submit up to six letters of evaluation when allowed.

Table of Contents

How many letters of recommendation do I need for medical school?

Medical schools have slightly different requirements for the LOE, but, generally speaking, you will need to have a minimum of three with two of those letters from science professors. Most medical school applicants send in four to five letters of evaluation. How many letters you send to medical schools will also depend on the system through which you are applying.

AMCAS Letters of Recommendation : AMCAS allows students to send in a maximum of ten letters of reference. MedEdits’ nontraditional or very highly accomplished students routinely submit up to eight letters of evaluation. 

TMDSAS Letters of Recommendation : TMDSAS allows one heath professions committee packet or three individual letters of reference. You are also allowed to send in one additional letter.

AACOMAS Letters of Recommendation : AACOMAS defers to individual medical schools regarding how many letters you should send. Letters can be sent directly to medical schools or via AACOMAS.

What are medical school admissions committees looking for in letters of recommendation?

The Association of American Medical Colleges has clearly outlined the competencies medical school admissions committees what to know you possess. Letter writers are expected to comment on any of the competencies of which they have knowledge. Admissions committees want to know about your academic abilities as well as your personal qualities and characteristics. Not every letter writer will be able to write about every competency listed below.

Thinking and Reasoning Competencies

• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Written Communication

Science Competencies

• Living Systems
• Human Behavior

Pre-professional Competencies

• Service Orientation
• Social Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Oral Communication
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Capacity for Improvement

Admissions committees also value comparison information highly. What does this mean? They want to know how you compare to other students or co-workers within context.

Who should write my medical school letters of recommendation?

We consider the ideal letter portfolio to include a total of four to six letters (keep in mind that TMDSAS allows a letter packet or a maximum of four letters):

• Two letters from science or math teachers/professors (any letter from a biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics teacher/professor). These two  letters are the most important letters in your portfolio.
• One research letter. A research letter can be as important as your science/math letters if you have done significant research.
• One non science/math teacher/professor. Many medicals schools require a non science letter.
• One clinical letter (ideally a physician. For osteopathic applicants, this clinical letter should be from an osteopathic physician). Unless your letter is from an academic physician, keep in mind that this letter won’t have huge impact but can serve more as a character reference.

If you majored in something other than science or math, we suggest that your non science/math letter be from a teacher/professor within your major. If you attend a large university and know your teaching assistants (TAs) better than your professors, you can ask the TA to write the letter of reference and the professor can cosign the letter.

By the same token, if you did research primarily working with a lab assistant or post doc and had little contact with the principal investigator (PI), ask the person with whom you worked most closely to write the letter and have the PI cosign the letter. Additional letters from extracurricular mentors mainly serve as character references and, while they don’t hurt your candidacy, they won’t be overly influential.

Keep in mind that there may be specific medical school requirements so be sure to check each medical school individually.

If I am a nontraditional applicant, who should write my letters?

As a non traditional applicant, you want to have letters that are from people who have worked with you most recently whether in an academic, scholarly, or work-related position. If you are in a post baccalaureate or other academic program, finding letter writers will not be difficult. The bigger issue is for people who have been out of academics for several years and may have distant relationships with professors. In these cases, do your best to reach out to those professors whom you have in mind early to meet or speak with them so you can remind them of who you are and what you have done since graduation.

What does it mean to waive my right to see my letters?

When you waive your right to read your letters, it means that you don’t have the right to read what is written about you. Why are you asked this question? Letter writers are more willing to give honest evaluations if they know you won’t be reading the letter of evaluation. So, you should ALWAYS waive your right to read your letters (that means clicking “yes”). However, many letter writers will offer to let you read your letter of evaluation as a kind gesture. If your letter writer offers to let you read a letter of reference, you are in the clear even if you waived your right to read it.

Do I need a medical school committee letter?

If your school has a pre med advising committee letter, you should make sure to qualify for it and have it. Not having a committee letter in your profile if your school offers one is a red flag to admissions committees. In order to receive the best possible committee letter, follow their process explicitly. The way you interact with your health professions advising office or with the committee will determine the quality of your committee letter. Be polite, be on time, give them quality responses to written questions/questionnaires and meet all deadlines. These actions are evidence of your professionalism and they will notice whether you are professional or not.

How do I ensure I have the best letter profile?

Consider your letters in total – are key aspects of you covered? Do you have someone who can speak about you as a learner? A researcher? A scholar? An intellectual? An employee? Most importantly is a writer who can talk about character and your interpersonal skills vis a vis other humans – your future patients. Letters should provide rich content that cannot be known from looking at your transcript or list of activities.

When necessary, letters can corroborate something that needs further explanation or underscore what you have talked about in your personal statement. Ideally your letter writers should know you quite well and be able to compose outstanding letters of evaluation. “Luke warm” or mediocre letters of evaluation can hurt your candidacy. The AAMC outlines what should be included in letters of evaluation in this guidelines brochure: Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant.

Do professors ever write negative letters of reference?

Only under rare circumstances, if a professor truly believes you are a danger to the practice of medicine would someone write a negative letter of reference. If a letter writer does not feel he or she can support your candidacy, they would typically communicate that when you ask for the letter.

Should I get a letter from a “big name?”

Unless you have had direct contact with the “BIG NAME” in a work, academic, scholarly or extracurricular setting, and he or she can write about your distinguishing qualities and characteristics, a letter of this type can actually hurt your candidacy and be seen as disingenuous. Applicants should not get letters from someone with whom they haven’t worked or does not know them well. Medical school admissions committee members want to read letters from people who can truthfully discuss your accomplishments, characteristics, and attributes.

Which letters of recommendation are most useful?

The AAMC’s Analysis in Brief looked at how admissions offices felt about the letters they received and found that letters from advisors were most helpful. They also thought that guidelines or some standardization would be helpful so the AAMC produced guidelines for letter writers – I highly recommend that applicants read this guideline and use it together with their letter writers. It is the gold standard for both the applicant and for the writer. I hope it will help you work with your letter writers.  Here is a link for Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant.

When should I ask for my letters of recommendation?

When to ask for letters of evaluation in part depends on your working relationship with the letter writer. For example, if you take a fall biochemistry course and plan to ask that professor for a letter, you should request it as soon as the course is over assuming you won’t be working with that professor further. The more time you give your letter writers to compose their letters, the more likely they will be thoughtful and timely letters of evaluation. Ideally, you should request all letters of evaluation by April of the application year. Why? Professors receive tons of letter requests and you want to do your best to beat the rush so your letters of evaluation aren’t submitted late. If you will be getting a medical school committee letter, follow those instructions closely as mentioned earlier in this article.

How do I ask for letters of recommendation?

The answer to this question really depends on two things:

• Your relationship with the letter writer
• Your letter writer’s “style”

There is not a formulaic way to ask for letters of evaluation since because of the two variables above. For example, if you know your letter writer quite well and see her regularly, ask in person. If you are asking a professor for a letter, consider visiting him or her during designated office hours. How you ask again depends on your relationship. You might ask her when you see her, casually. Or, if you have a more formal relationship, maybe you would make an appointment to sit down with her.

The key is to ask her if she’d be willing to write you a strong letter of reference for medical school. Then I suggest asking the letter writer what she would like from you to make the task easier. Offer to give her your CV/resume and personal statement. Ask what else she might need to make the process easier. Every letter writer has his or her own style for writing letters. Some may want to talk to you about your interests while others would be perfectly comfortable writing a letter with no additional information.

For letter writers you don’t see regularly, it is perfectly acceptable to send an email request. However, if you don’t receive a reply in three or four business days, follow up with a phone call. I suggest sending an email like this:

SUBJECT: [YOUR NAME]: Letter of evaluation Dear Professor X, I hope you are doing well. I am applying to medical school this summer and I was hoping you would be willing to write me a strong letter of evaluation. I really enjoyed your course in genetics and feel it gave me a firm foundation that will help me in medical school. I would be happy to meet with you and can send you my CV, personal statement, transcript, the AMCAS letter guidelines or anything else that might be useful. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]

medical school letter of recommendation template

How do I nudge my letter writer?

After you submit your application be sure to check on the progress of your letters ensuring they have been received by AMCAS. If after two weeks of submitting your application, and assuming you gave your letter writer at least two weeks notice, if your letter hasn’t been received, I suggest reaching out to the letter writer via email, gently and politely reminding him about the letter.

Consider sending an email like this:

Dear Professor X, I hope you are enjoying the start of summer. I am happy to report that I sent in my medical school application two weeks ago. I know how busy you are, so I wanted to make sure you are still able to write me a strong letter of evaluation in support of my candidacy. Please let me know if there is anything I can do or if you need any further information. Thank you for your consideration and time. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]

How do I thank and follow up with my letter writer?

After your letter is received, be sure to express gratitude.

I suggest sending your letter writer an email like this:

Dear Professor X, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to write my letter of evaluation for medical school. I value your endorsement of my candidacy. I will be sure to keep you posted as the medical school application season progresses. Enjoy your summer. With gratitude, [YOUR NAME]

Then, be sure you keep in touch with your letter writer throughout the application season!

What if I am asked to write my own letter of recommendation?

I find that more and more letter writers are asking students to write their own letters. Why? Your professors are busy and simply don’t have the time! So, what do you do? I suggest following the AAMC letter guidelines: https://www.aamc.org/download/349990/data/lettersguidelinesbrochure.pdf . If you need further guidance on how to write a stellar letter of evaluation, contact us.

By what date should my letters be sent?

Ideally, you want your letters of evaluation to be received when your secondary applications are sent in or earlier. Since medical schools won’t review your application until the secondary application is received, you don’t need to stress if your letters haven’t been sent in by the time you submit AMCAS. That said, do not let this delay requesting your letters of reference since it takes some letter writers quite a long time to compose letters. In the ideal world, your letters should be sent in when you submit your medical school application.

How are my letters of recommendation stored and sent to medical schools?

There are two primary ways to send your letters of evaluation to medical schools. Your college or university may collect and hold on to your letters of evaluation sending them all together in as a packet once you apply to medical school. Alternatively, letters of evaluation can be uploaded directly to AMCAS via the AMCAS letter writer application: https://services.aamc.org/letterwriter/ . Finally, some applicants use a letter dossier service to store and send letters of evaluation. The two most popular dossier services are Interfolio and VirtualEvals.

Does AMCAS need to have all of my letters for my application to be verified?

Your application will be processed and verified even if your letters have not yet been received. As your letters are received, they will be sent to medical schools on a rolling basis.

If I am a reapplicant, do I need to resubmit my letters?

The answer is yes! AMCAS does not store letters of evaluation.

Can I read a sample letter of recommendation?

Yes! See below for a sample medical school letter of recommendation.

Dear Admissions Committee Members,

I am writing this letter on behalf of Sarah Smith who is an applicant for medical school. I have known Sarah for two years. I have directly supervised Sarah as she has worked as a medical assistant in my internal medicine office and has shadowed me as I evaluate patients. During the summers Sarah worked full time, and during the school year, she worked on Saturday and one evening per week.

Sarah’s primary responsibilities in my office were to greet patients, use our electronic medical record to document visits, and help patients check out. Once Sarah became EMS certified six months ago, she started helping our clinical assistants and nurses take initial vital signs during patient visits. As a shadow student, Sarah observed me as I cared for patients when they were willing to have an observer.

Sarah has many qualities that I believe will make her an outstanding medical student and physician. First of all, she is intellectually curious and independent reading about patient diagnoses on her own. She would also ask questions that demonstrated insight and an ability to quickly synthesize information. From time to time Sarah and I would also discuss what she was studying in college, and, even thought I was rusty on everything she was discussing, the conversations were engaging and showed her commitment to her studies.

Sarah also has the compassion and empathy that all physicians should possess. Patients would often comment that she was kind, understanding, and listened attentively. At holiday time, Sarah received many gifts from grateful patients. She is the only young student I have worked with to be acknowledged in this way. I also saw that she had a unique ability to connect with patients because she was open, authentic, honest, and treated everyone respectfully.

Finally, Sarah’s interpersonal skills were extraordinary. She worked with my diverse staff wonderfully, respecting everyone in my office and contributed to the positive work environment. She was a great team player always aware of when someone needed help or was having a bad day. Her maturity and consideration of others is something I have never observed in someone her age.

I give Sarah my absolute highest recommendation. Since I work near the University, I have had close to 100 students work in my office and shadow over the years. Sarah is, by far, the smartest, most mature, and best suited for a career in medicine of all the students with whom I have worked. I congratulate the medical school that is lucky enough to recruit her. Please reach out with any questions.

Sincerely, Sarah’s Boss, MD

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Medical School Recommendation Letters Ultimate Guide

+ 2 real medical school recommendation letter samples.

Featured Expert: Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

In this guide, I'll tell you everything about medical school recommendation letters, and answer some of the most common questions about this medical school requirement . Plus, I have 2 medical school recommendation letters that got accepted! Let’s dive in!

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 8 min read

Who can write your medical school recommendation letters.

• Former science (biology, chemistry, and physics) and non-science professors
• Physician you’ve shadowed /worked with
• Research supervisors
• Volunteer or extracurricular supervisors

Key takeaway : your writers should know you very well . You should not ask someone with whom you spent a few hours sporadically. The letter must outline in detail why you are a good applicant, your professional strengths, your passion for medicine, and any other memorable skills and characteristics. 

Here's an overview of the different types of medical school referees.

How Many Medical School Recommendation Letters Do You Need?

Most  medical schools in the US  and  medical schools in Canada  ask for at least 3 letters of recommendation. Some schools may ask for 4 or 5. The number will depend on your choice of schools, whether you are a non-traditional applicant ,  and other factors. Be sure to check this information with each school.

Important note: Keep in mind that medical schools are quite strict with their recommendation requirements, so make sure to send the exact number of recommendations they require.

We strongly recommend setting up an appointment with your potential writer via email. Not only will this demonstrate your dedication to this process, but it will also make the request more personal. An in-person meeting may also jog the writer’s memory (after all, they are busy people who work with thousands of students or patients!) so they will remember more details about working with you. Here’s a sample email to your potential referee asking for an in-person meeting:

Click here to download the email template.

However, if there is no possibility for you to meet your potential writer in person, it is totally normal to ask for a recommendation via email. Here’s a quick email template:

Click to download the email template.

When to ask for a medical school recommendation letter.

You should aim to ask at least two months before the application deadline. But do not be afraid to ask for a letter much earlier! For example, if you participate in a research project earlier in your undergrad, you should approach your research supervisor about a recommendation letter as soon as the project is over. This will ensure that your accomplishments and strengths are fresh in your supervisor’s mind. The same for letters from your professors. If you do particularly well in a second- or third-year class during your undergrad and get to know the instructor, don’t hesitate to ask for a letter when the class ends.

Can You Store Your Medical School Recommendation Letters?

To store your early letters, you can ask your writer to send the letters to your school's career center, or any similar office. Once the application process begins, simply remind your writer about the letter, where it is stored, and the submission deadline. Most universities will be happy to store your recommendation letters for you.

How to Make Sure You Get the Perfect Medical School Recommendation Letters

Firstly, make sure to ask your potential recommendation writers for a strong recommendation. Be very clear with this request. If you see that your potential writer is hesitant, consider asking someone else because this person will not provide you the strongest recommendation possible.

Once your writer agrees to provide you a strong letter of recommendation, provide them with your medical school application timeline and important deadlines, information on how to submit their recommendation, your transcripts, medical school resume , a list of awards or scholarships you’ve won, a draft of your personal statement , and so on. Important tip : wait for them to respond with a yes before sending all your supporting documents and submission details.   

There may be an opportunity to write your own recommendation letter. Some referees will ask you to provide them with a draft of the recommendation letter. Take a quick look at our thorough guide that will help you writer your own recommendation letter . 

Have you been asked to write your own recommendation letter? Here's how to get started:

Can You Reuse Your Medical School Recommendation Letters?

Yes, you can reuse them, as long as you ask your referees to change the date on the letterhead before you resubmit. However, keep in mind the reason why you are re-applying. It may be possible that your original references were not very strong or not relevant, so think twice before you resubmit. Our admissions expert Dr. Neel Mistry shares his advice regarding this:

“If you do decide to reapply to medical school, consider updating your letters of recommendation and submitting new ones, since you may have stronger referees now or some letters of recommendation might be outdated.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

2 medical school recommendation letter samples that got accepted, medical school recommendation letter from a science professor.

Name of writer and contact information if not included in letterhead

Dear Admission Committee Members,

It is a pleasure for me to write this recommendation letter for Scott Johnson, who was my student in the fourth-year seminar "Advanced Embryology and Developmental Biology" in the fall of 2018. Scott is an exceptional person. He is one of the best students I have ever had the chance to teach in my 10 years at X University.

Scott has impressive critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which served him well during my class. I have spoken with his other instructors, and they have also noted his extraordinary analytical abilities. His capacity to observe and develop insightful and reflective conclusions has been noted by me on many occasions, especially during his laboratory work. I noticed that Scott spent a lot of his time diligently working on his laboratory experiments, even outside of the scheduled lab time.

Scott demonstrated outstanding levels of understanding techniques and developments of embryological systems. His insightful questions demonstrated his curiosity into unknowns and his motivation to increase his knowledge base. He is an excellent collaborator who is always ready to help his peers. I have witnessed Scott help his classmates with complex lab experiments inside the classroom, as well as outside of classroom hours as a tutor. He is joyful and kind during his interactions with students, professors, and other faculty. Aside from submitting his assignments on time to the highest quality, completing all lab and tutorial work, he volunteered to organize a student study group before the final lab and exam in my course. He was very generous with his time and energy to make sure that he and his classmates were well prepared. I remember Scott taking extra time to explain material to an international student who was struggling to understand a difficult concept. He listened to the student’s concerns, broke down the concept one step at a time until he was sure the student understood the material. His empathy truly touched me.

Scott also impressed me with his maturity and professionalism. During his time in my class, he formed courteous relationships with everyone: assistants, peers, and myself. He is great in conflict resolution scenarios, as I have had the chance to see that he solves problems quickly and efficiently. During a confrontation with a peer who was experiencing anxiety about his grades, Scott was able to diffuse the tension and offered his help. His peer ended up excelling in the next assignment due to Scott's mentoring.

I wholeheartedly recommend Scott Johnson as a perfect candidate for your medical school program. Over the years of my teaching career, I can think of few students who deserve such high praise and recommendation. Scott is a skilled scientist, a highly intellectual and compassionate individual, who would make a great doctor in the future. His dedication to excellence is inspiring. Please contact me if there is anything else I can add to impress upon the high caliber of character that is Scott Johnson.

Dr. Name of Writer

Medical School Recommendation Letter from a Research Supervisor

It is a pleasure for me to write this recommendation letter for Cecelia Guantes, who was my research assistant in the Minority Health Disparities Undergraduate Summer Research Program in the summer of 2018. In my 5 years of leading the summer research program, Cecelia has proven to be one of the best research assistants I have had the pleasure of working with.

Cecelia excelled throughout the summer research program, demonstrating impressive problem-solving and analytical skills. She has gone above and beyond in her duties as a research assistant, volunteering to cover additional hours or help with laboratory work. I have noticed her attention to detail, as she frequently asks questions to clarify, double check her facts and figures and asks for feedback on her work. Her work ethic has not gone unnoticed by other supervisors in the program, either, as I have verified with my colleagues.

Throughout her time with the summer research program, Cecilia demonstrated not only a high quality and standard of work, but a high level of compassion and understanding. When a fellow research assistant made a mistake, she took it upon herself to help the other student to correct the mistake, apologize to the affected colleague and reassure the other student. Afterwards, Cecilia worked with the other student to ensure the mistake did not happen again and rebuild her confidence. There was a noticeable difference in the other student after Cecilia’s assistance and coaching, in both her confidence and quality of work. Cecilia handled the situation with compassion and skilled interpersonal abilities, assisting another student without taking over or being overbearing. Her careful and kind treatment of her fellow research assistant made an impression on me.

Cecilia was a pleasure to have in the program and particularly during field work. She acted with the utmost professionalism and courteousness both with her fellows, her superiors and outside consultants when conducting field work. She treated everyone involved in the study with great respect and even formed friendly relationships with some of our colleagues, who mentioned to me their great impressions of Cecilia’s passion and enthusiasm. No matter the situation, she demonstrated excitement and passion for the project.

I wholeheartedly recommend Cecilia Guantes as the best candidate for your medical school program. I can think of no other research assistant who has made such a fantastic impression on me and my colleagues. Cecilia will surely make a superior physician thanks to her strong work ethic, compassionate nature and sharp mind. Please contact me if there is anything else I can add to Cecilia’s candidacy.

Would you rather watch a video?

You will still need to submit letters from science and non-science instructors. If it’s been a long time since you’ve been in school (more than 3 years), consider enrolling in some science and non-science courses.

DO school applicants should have at least 1 medical school recommendation letter from a DO physician.

Make sure to waive your right to see the recommendations.

No, do not address any medical schools in your letters. Keep them general.

You can send different letters to different schools in AMCAS, but not in AACOMAS or TMDSAS. 

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Hi! I’m requesting a letter of recommendation from the principal of the school that I work at! He has never written a letter of recommendation for medical school before. What should I tell him about what to put in the letter to make it easier for him?

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hi Naoma. Thanks for your question. You can provide him with a few samples from our blog. Additionally, provide him with the mission statement and values of the schools you are applying to, so he will know what kind of qualities and experiences he should highlight in his praise of you. Then, provide him with your CV, draft of your personal letter, your transcripts, etc., so he can refer back to your achievements when he writes. 

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Medical school letters of recommendation - the complete guide.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 5/8/24

Asking for recommendation letters for medical school doesn’t have to be intimidating. Read on to learn how to ask for a recommendation letter!

Med school applications require recommendation letters. Our guide will help you successfully navigate how to obtain strong letters of recommendation for your med school application. We’ll explore what to do before, during, and after you ask for the best medical school letter of recommendation possible. 

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

Why Letters of Recommendation for Medical School Are So Important 

Letters of recommendation are a crucial step for medical school . While most metrics like GPA and MCAT score offer insight into your academic capabilities, nothing compares to having professionals vouch for you as a person. If other people in positions of authority can speak highly of your character, it will have a lasting impact on admissions committees. 

Strong letters of recommendation can push a lackluster application over the edge. On the other hand, a negative letter can bring into question your potential as a future MD, even with impressive test scores and a studious academic background.

How to Request for Letters of Recommendation?

We've compiled a helpful list of ways to help you request medical school letters of recommendation. 

Start Early

​​Start looking for professors to write your letters of recommendation for medical school at least three to four months before your application deadline. You’ll need to approach professors early so they have time and can write a well-detailed and personal letter of recommendation . 

Identify Your Recommenders

The first step in the process of requesting letters of recommendation for medical school is to carefully identify individuals who can provide a comprehensive and positive assessment of your qualifications. Choose recommenders who are well-acquainted with your academic capabilities and work ethic. 

Professors who have taught you in relevant science courses or supervisors from clinical or research experiences are often suitable choices. It's crucial to select individuals who not only know you well but can also speak to your potential as a medical student. 

Keep it Formal

Maintain a formal and professional approach when requesting letters of recommendation for medical school. Initiate the request with a polite email or in-person meeting, expressing gratitude and clearly outlining the purpose of the recommendation. 

Provide essential details, such as deadlines and guidelines, and offer to share materials like your resume for their reference. 

Assist Your Recommenders

After you’ve chosen your recommenders for medical school letters, actively support them in the process. Provide detailed information about your academic achievements, extracurricular experiences , and career goals. Share a well-organized resume and specifics about the medical schools you're applying to. 

This proactive approach ensures personalized and impactful letters that align with your goals. Regular communication and gentle reminders about deadlines help your recommenders manage their time effectively.

Understanding the Process

Before requesting letters of recommendation for medical school, familiarize yourself with the specific requirements of the institutions you're applying to, including the number and preferred sources of letters. This knowledge guides your selection of recommenders and facilitates effective communication during the request.

Follow Instructions

Following instructions is crucial when requesting letters of recommendation for medical school.  Review each institution's guidelines on the number and preferred sources of letters and submission procedures. Provide recommenders with all necessary information and materials, following any specified formatting or content requirements. 

To help give you an idea of how to approach a potential recommender, here is a photo of a sample email of how to ask for a letter of recommendation. 

Medical School Letter of Recommendation Requirements: What to Provide to Writers?

Medical school recommendation letter requirements include a Letter Request Form from AMCAS, which contains instructions your recommender must follow when writing your letter.

You’ll want to make the process as easy as possible for your recommender. This means you should have all document instructions provided by your medical school. This way, your recommender will understand the guidelines and requirements they must follow. Many medical schools make use of the AMCAS Letter Service .

In addition to instructions, you’ll want to gather a list of pertinent files for your recommender to refer back to. These can include your resume, transcript, MCAT scores, and your personal statement. This step is especially helpful if you haven’t been in contact with your recommender so they have more to work with.

Letter of Recommendation: When to Ask?

You should ideally ask for your letter of recommendation as soon as possible. That being said, if you’ve just started a class, volunteer placement, or job, it can be a better idea to wait a bit for your recommender to get to know you better. Once there’s an established relationship, feel free to politely ask for a recommendation.

When Are Letters of Recommendation Due for Medical School?

Letters of recommendation are due around July for medical school, along with your secondary application submission. Medical schools often delay reading recommendation letters until they receive all application materials. 

To avoid anxiety, request that letters be submitted by the end of June, allowing for any potential delays. While recommendation letters may not impact receiving a secondary application, they play a crucial role in interview decisions. Timely submission ensures an organized and comprehensive application process.

Medical School Letters of Recommendation Samples

Here are a few samples of medical school letters of recommendation to help give you an idea of what they should look like.

“Letterhead

Name of writer and contact information if not included in letterhead

Dear Admissions Committee,

As the head of Biology at Penn State University, I do not often take the time to write these letters of recommendation. However, when Stacey Lee petitioned me to write this letter on her behalf, I could not refuse. During the past 3 years, I have had the joy of having Stacey in my Introductory Physiology and Physiology Laboratory courses. After noticing her superior analysis skills, I also took her on as a paid assistant to edit freshman papers, a responsibility which she has delivered on in a very professional way.

Why this work s: In this instance, the professor shares their role as the head of the biology department, outlines the duration of their interaction with the student, specifies the classes in which they instructed the student, and highlights the student's assistance in grading papers. 

“ Letterhead

Dear admission committee members,

It's my pleasure to write this recommendation for Jessica Reedy for your medical school program. I first met Jessica when she took my medical microbiology class in the fall of 2019. This was one of my large lecture classes where I often had limited interactions with students on a personal level, but Jessica regularly met with me during my office hours to discuss the possibility of pursuing a career as a doctor.

Jessica is a very hardworking, attentive individual, which helped her exceed in my class. She continually asked thoughtful questions during my lectures to ensure she understood challenging concepts. When working on lab assignments, she paid careful attention to the directions so she could complete the task correctly.

Jessica also impressed me with her friendliness and willingness to help others succeed. She frequently volunteered to help tutor freshmen students struggling to comprehend their coursework. Many of my colleagues mentioned having their students improve tremendously after working with Jessica.

I wholeheartedly recommend Jessica Reedy for your medical school program. Please let me know if you would like to discuss Jessica's character further or if there is anything else I can add.

Why this works : This sample mentions the recommender's relationship to the applicant while describing their traits, such as being a hardworking and attentive student. The recommender also mentions that the applicant had participated in volunteer work to help freshman students with their classwork which showcases the applicant’s dedication to helping others. 

This next examples discusses social competence and leadership skills:

“Dear Program Director,

It is my pleasure to write in support of the application of Mr. Ian Harris for your residency program.  I have been an educator for decades with considerable experience with national organizations.  I worked closely with Mr. Harris during his third year clerkship as well as during his acting internship.   As is evident from his CV, Mr. Harris has excelled throughout his career with many notable accomplishments which I will not repeat here.  I will focus on my experiences with Mr. Harris, primarily those related to his clinical abilities and which demonstrate the qualities necessary for your residency: excellent knowledge, clinical skills, patient care, and leadership.  I have observed Mr. Harris in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, taught him in class, and overseen his performance during his clerkship and acting internship. 

In addition to considerable intellect and exemplary performances on standardized examinations, Mr. Harris is a warm, engaging individual who teaches others by example, is inclusive, and consistently exhibits curiosity and motivation to learn.  He comes prepared for all types of learning situations, having researched the relevant topics so that he can provide quality care as well as participate actively in class and clinical supervision.  Mr. Harris is articulate, well‐read, and able to utilize his knowledge effectively in the clinical setting.

In addition to prioritizing his own learning, Mr. Harris considers the needs of others.  On multiple occasions, he has arrived in clinic with handouts on relevant clinical topics tailored for the rest of the medical team.   He has been described as one of the best students to rotate on our service by our residents and several attending physicians.   A colleague was so impressed by Mr. Harris’ knowledge and skills that she invited him to give a presentation during Grand Rounds. His presentation was outstanding – comprehensive in scope yet presented efficiently and effectively.  On his own time, Mr. Harris designed a well‐conceived, thorough study protocol on risk factors for readmission within 30 days to our inpatient service.

In conclusion, I am happy to give Mr. Harris my highest recommendation for your residency program. In my experience, he is in the top 10% of all medical students with whom I have worked over the past 20 years. If you have any additional questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Joseph Attending, M.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine”

As you can see, the subject was able to succeed in settings with others, which the letter clearly expresses. This social skills are invaluable in a clinical setting and make the subject a much more appealing medical candidate.

The following med school reference letter details a longstanding and holistic view of the applicant:

It is my pleasure to write this letter in strong support of the application of Ms. Rory Panther for your residency program. I have been clinical faculty with Florida International University since its inception and have worked with family medicine students in the clinical setting for the last 8 years. Overall, I have taught and worked with medical students in the clinic setting for the past 20 years. I worked personally with Ms. Panther over the course of the 8 week rotation in a family medicine clinic. In this capacity, I was able to closely observe and assess her clinical skills.

‍ Ms. Panther was always prepared for each day’s census, reading about every patient’s history, labs, and diagnoses. An example of the level of her preparation was seen in her recommendation that we follow up on sleep issues documented by the therapist in the EMR, indicating Ms. Panther’s thorough knowledge of the patient, including notes by other providers. Another example is that she correctly interpreted abnormal thyroid function studies, and made appropriate treatment recommendations (including strength of medication) and follow up lab recommendations.

‍ Ms. Panther demonstrated her clinical curiosity by asking and answering a clinical question using evidence-based resources. Specifically, she saw a patient with symptoms of a urinary tract infection, but with a clean urine dipstick and looked up the sensitivity and specificity of the urine dip in the face of a strong pretest probability and then seeing that the clean urine dipstick did not negate the history, Ms. Panther looked up the appropriate treatment, including dose and frequency. For a patient with testicular pain, she came up with at least five differential diagnoses, including important “can’t miss” diagnoses.

‍ Ms. Panther also demonstrated strong teaching skills in working with a first year medical student coming to the clinic to learn how to obtain a history from a patient. Ms. Panther went over the patient they were going to see and asked the first year student if she was worried about any part of the history. After interviewing the patient, Ms. Panther gave feedback to the first year student, accurately noting that her body language supported the interview and that transitions might help the interview to flow more smoothly.

Ms. Panther is an exceptional learner who excels in having the abilities to communicate with the patient, to be proactive in the work of the clinic, and the clinical acumen required of an outstanding family physician. She was able to establish excellent rapport with patients of any culture or socioeconomic background including patients below the poverty threshold as well as financially secure and from various countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Pakistan, and Russia. One patient commented that “she asked about everything I was worried about” and was “so kind” in the interview. Ms. Panther cares genuinely for the well-being of patients she cared for.

The nurse also noted Ms. Panther’s clinical skills and team work, specifically that Ms. Panther took advantage of every opportunity to learn, learning to perform blood draws and vaccines with good technique. The nurse also commented that Ms. Panther contributed to completing the work of the clinic, bringing in patients and doing vitals when needed.

Ms. Panther will be an asset to the residency of her choice and will be a hard-working, dedicated housestaff. I am hopeful that she ranks our family medicine residency program top on her rank list. She is in the top 10% of students with whom I have worked over the past 20 years and upon completion of her training she is someone I would trust with the care of my loved ones as patients. If our university had an [name of residency program], Ms. Panther would be an excellent fit in our program. I recommend her without reservation.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call or email. Ms. Panther has waived her right to view this recommendation.

Name of Attending (signed by hand)”

Part of what makes this example so effective is the writer shares anecdotes that attest to the applicant’s competence and tenacity to succeed in a medical setting. Through the various examples, the applicant shows critical thinking and bedside manners that help her succeed as a clinician.

AAMC Guidelines For Medical School Letter of Recommendation

Here are the AAMC guidelines for medical school letters of recommendation . 

• The recommender must provide an accurate assessment of the applicant’s suitability for medical school rather than advocate for them.
• The recommender must mention their relationship to the applicant, how long they’ve known them, what capacity they’ve interacted with, and if the recommender's observations of the applicant are direct or indirect. 
• Focus on the applicant rather than details of the lab,  course, assignment, job, or institution. 
• Recommenders should only include information on grades, GPA , or MCAT scores.
• Recommenders should directly focus on behaviors they’ve observed when describing an applicant’s suitability for medical school.  
• Request the applicant's consent before including any details deemed private or sensitive.
• Include distinctive contributions that an applicant could make to an incoming class, such as:
• The applicant has successfully navigated challenges, detailing how these obstacles resulted in valuable learning experiences and personal growth.
• Contributions that the applicant would bring to the diversity of a medical school encompassing various aspects like background, attributes, and experiences.
• Admissions committees appreciate the inclusion of comparative information, but it's crucial to offer context. This should involve details about:
• The comparison group, such as students in a class you taught, colleagues in your department, or co-workers.
• Your rationale behind the chosen comparison provides a clear justification for the relevance of the comparison group.

While these guidelines are optional, they’re useful. We suggest you share them because they outline the core competencies medical schools seek in students. 

The process is simpler if your references have a structure to work from. These guidelines help your recommenders write you a strong letter of recommendation.

FAQ: Recommendation Letters For Medical School

We’ve outlined several questions and answers to help you understand how to ask for medical school letters of recommendation. 

1. How Early Should I Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for Medical School?

You should ask for a letter of recommendation for medical school three to four months before the submission deadline. This gives you ample time to find a recommender, for them to write it, and for you to review it. 

2. How Many Recommendation Letters Do You Need?

Typically, medical schools ask for a minimum of three recommendation letters. The number of recommendation letters you need is dependent on what the medical school you’re applying to requires. 

3. How Old Can Letters of Recommendation Be for Medical School?

Generally, a letter of recommendation should not be more than one year old. If you have a letter of recommendation that exceeds this timespan and cannot receive a newer one, try to ask the recommender to redate the previous letter they’ve written to solve this issue if you’re reapplying to medical school .

Final Thoughts

Medical school letters of recommendation are crucial to your application. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost with so many factors to consider. After all, you must research application requirements, submission deadlines, forms, how to access online portals, and how to ask for med school recommendation letters.

Our guide simplifies the process and takes the stress out of preparation. Remember to follow these tips to receive the best medical school letter of recommendation!

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Our Admissions Process

Supplemental applications.

All applicants will receive a supplemental application after we receive a verified AMCAS application.  Keep in mind that the process for receiving a supplemental application is an automated process, regardless of your academic record and MCAT scores. The deadline to submit your completed supplemental application will be identified in the email invitation . Please note, if you have not received a supplemental application, you may need to check your spam and junk folders. It is important that you take into consideration the admissions policies, requirements, and criteria we have indicated on our website to ensure that your academic credentials meet our criteria. The non-refundable supplemental application fee is $68.

The Admissions Process Checklist:

• Review our list of considerations.
• Take the MCAT.
• Garner your letters of recommendation.
• Make sure we are able to communicate with you.
• Complete and submit an application.
• Schedule your interview, if selected.
• Receive your final decision.

Step One: Consider these things before preparing to apply to medical school.

• You should have a competitive GPA . If you are applying to medical school, your GPA should reflect strong academic ability, especially in the natural sciences. Information about our minimum GPA requirements can be found here:  https://www.med.unc.edu/admit/requirements/academic-requirements/
• If you do not meet the minimum GPA requirements, we require that you either enroll in a post-baccalaureate or science graduate program, in the natural sciences, and complete  at least 30 credit hours or more before applying . This gives you the opportunity to show an improvement in your academic ability, and to prepare for graduate level coursework. Again, it is important that your post-baccalaureate or graduate work be completed before applying, as this will enable us to consider and evaluate your success in the program. Remember, the goal is to demonstrate proficiency in the natural sciences, and only having a few credit hours of post-grad work on your AMCAS application will not give us the evidence that we need. Make sure that you receive a letter-grade for your course work, and not P/F, or medical schools will not be able to determine the GPA improvement, as P/F grades will not be calculated in your post-baccalaureate or graduate GPAs. Check out the AAMC website for a list of post-baccalaureate programs.
• In addition to a strong academic record, applicants are expected to be involved in medical and non-medical experiences. Both significant volunteer service and research experience enhance an application. The decision to spend time as a volunteer or doing research must be made by the individual, in the context of his or her own goals. However, applicants are expected to demonstrate some knowledge of the demands of a medical career. For this reason, direct-patient contact, one-on-one caregiving within a healthcare setting, and exposure to the healthcare system are desirable. It is vitally important that you demonstrate longitudinal exposure to direct-patient care.
• For more information about who we consider to be our ideal candidate, click here.

Step Two: Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

Your next step in applying to the UNC School of Medicine is taking the MCAT exam. For more information on our MCAT requirements, click here.

Step Three: Garner your letters of recommendation (LOR).

You should begin requesting your letters of recommendation in early spring, well in advance, of the AMCAS  verification deadline. This will give your professors, advisors, and mentors enough time to compose and submit their letters. LORs from faculty and organizations must be on their letterhead and signed. We begin our interviewing season in September, and to ensure that your applicant profile is complete by the time the season begins, the deadline for submission of the required letters is August 31st . However, we do understand that our timeline may not coincide with your school’s Pre-Health Committee or your letter writer’s timeline, and that is fine. Just know, until your required letters are sent to AMCAS, your applicant profile will not be considered complete. The total number of required letters is three (3), and applicants may provide two (2) optional letters, for a total of five (5). And if an applicant utilizes the Pre-Health Committee letter with the compilation of letters included, they are still entitled to submit two (2) additional letters. All letters are to be submitted through the AMCAS Letter Service . Please remember that it is your responsibility to make sure that you designate the UNC School of Medicine as one of the schools to receive your letters. If you have questions about how to do this, please contact AMCAS directly or refer to the online AMCAS instruction manual .

As you consider who to ask for a letter of recommendation, keep in mind that the purpose of these letters is to shed light on your character and ability.

The deadline to submit the two (2) additional letters   is October 1st. Suggestions for these additional letters are leaders with whom you have interacted closely in service, research, or patient care, or healthcare training experiences. We strongly encourage you to utilize this opportunity to garner additional letters.

For applicants who are currently undergrads or recently graduated from college:

• We require three (3) letters of recommendation from professors who know you well and have taught you in a formal classroom setting. We suggest one of the three letters should be from a professor in your most recent major or degree-granting department, and the others can be from professors of your choice – OR –
• If the undergraduate institution has a Pre-Health Committee, it would be preferable to have letters from this committee. 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 the three (3) required letters from professors who know you well.

For applicants who have graduated from college two years ago:

• We require three (3) letters of recommendation from mentors who know you wel l 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 graduated from college three or more years ago, or are currently completing an advanced degree program:

• For applicants who have an advanced degree, we require three (3) letters of recommendation from mentors who have interacted with you in an academic setting and know you well. You should have at least one letter from your post-grad education and/or major work experience.

Step Four: Make sure we are able to communicate with you.

It is important that we are able to stay in touch with you throughout the application process. The majority of our communication will come via email. We strongly advise that you obtain a reliable email address separate from your academic institution , and check it on a regular basis. Failure to maintain communication with us could cause you to miss important information, and/or jeopardize your application status.

If your contact information has changed after you submitted your AMCAS application, please contact AMCAS directly at 202-828-0600. Please do not contact us to make these changes, as they can only be updated through AMCAS.

Step Five: Complete and submit an application.

Applications are available online through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) or by calling 202-828-0600. Do not forget to indicate on your AMCAS application when you are taking the MCAT.

PLEASE NOTE OUR DEADLINE HAS CHANGED!   Our AMCAS submission deadline is October 1st.

For more information on our prerequisites and requirements, click here.

Updates to AMCAS and or Supplemental Applications

• We do not accept updates to your AMCAS or Supplemental application post-submission (e.g. new experience, job, letter of intent, etc.). The only exception is if someone from the Office of Admissions has requested an update.

Step Six: Schedule your interview, if selected.

If you are selected to be interviewed, the Interview Coordinator will contact you via email with instructions to schedule your interview. Interviews will be conducted between September and February. Read more about what to expect on interview day . If you are ill and not able to make it to your scheduled virtual interview, please call us immediately at 919-962-8331.

Step Seven: Receive your final decision.

Our goal is to give your application thorough consideration, then let you know the outcome as quickly as possible. If you are traveling at any time during the interview season, it is your responsibility to contact the Admissions Office  with alternative contact information and scheduling conflicts.

After your interview, the Admissions Committee will meet to review and discuss your application. Applications are under continuous review, which allows for admissions to be made throughout the interview season until the class is filled.

All final decision notifications, including acceptance, wait list, and unsuccessful application, will be sent to applicants by early April.

North Carolina Residency

If you have any questions regarding residency for North Carolina, please contact Ms. Reid at 919-966-9931.

Helpful Resources

Potential applicants and parents may find the following resources helpful as they begin to navigate the medical school application process:

• AAMC Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Student Apply to Medical School
• AAMC Guide to Getting Into Medical School
• AAMC Application and Acceptance Protocols for Students

How to Submit a Strong Medical School Letter of Recommendation

• Cracking Med School Admissions Team

Whether you’re a pre-med applying for a competitive summer internship, planning to take a gap year, or applying to medical school, you’ll need fantastic letters of recommendation.

The Cracking Med School Admissions team strives for our advisees to have ONLY strong letters of recommendation. Not just “good” or “okay” ones. But EXCELLENT.

In this blog post, we’ll cover 2 main topics:

• Tips to obtain strong letter of recommendation
• Frequently asked questions – The FAQ section is EXTREMELY important to read because we give tips about how to submit an application with a well-rounded perspective of yourself from your recommenders. 

If you have questions about your pre-med journey or applying to medical school, email us at [email protected]  or fill out the contact form below .

Tips For Obtaining a Strong Letter of Recommendation For Medical School

• Ask for a STRONG or EXCELLENT letter of recommendation. If your letter writer seems hesitant, then you may want to ask somebody else. Asking for a strong rec allows you to gauge whether your letter will be bad versus average versus stellar.
• Highlight noteworthy characteristics or interactions you’ve had with your letter-writer to jog his/her memory and bring to fore achievements you want discussed.
• Additionally, you should provide them a draft of your med school personal statement, fellowship essays, or summer internship application, if you have it. It’s okay if you don’t have to have the final draft ready. This will help your rec writers understand WHY you want to pursue a specific opportunity.
• Include a CV for reference.

Remember, it’s important to have specific examples that highlight your talents, skills, character, and work ethic. Below are a list of personal characteristics and attributes your medical school letter of recommendation writer can write about.  

If you want more tips for submitting strong medical school letters of recommendation, read our Cracking Med School Admissions ebook , where we have an entire chapter dedicated to  letters of recommendation.  In the chapter, we discuss who each author asked for a recommendation and WHY each author asked each person for a recommendation letter. 

Remember, the more information you give your letter writer, the easier job it will be for them to write you a STRONG medical school recommendation letter.

Here is a list of characteristics and attributes your medical school letter of recommendation writer can highlight:

• Respect for others
• Cultural competence
• Responsibility
• Responsiveness
• Listening skills
• Reliability
• Diligence and persistence
• Timeliness and punctuality
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Academic and intellectual ability
• Innovative thinking
• Work experience
• Professionalism
• Leadership skills
• Management skills
• Writing skills
• Oral communication and presentation skills
• Critical thinking

OUr Students Were Accepted at These Medical Schools the Past 2 Years!

FAQ's About Medical School Letters of Recommendation

In this section, we answer the most common questions applicants have regarding letters of recommendation for medical school. 

Q: How important are letters of recommendation for medical school?

Medical school letters of recommendation are extremely important, which is why we are writing multiple blog posts that cover: 1) how to ask for strong medical school letters of recommendation and 2) how to submit strong medical school letters of recommendation.

Q: What are the components needed in a strong letter of recommendation?

Your medical school letter of recommendation letter should have the following elements:

• Your recommendation letter writer should state that you are great. This can come in the form of April was the top __% of the class. OR Julie received and A in my biochemistry class. OR stories that show you are a great student & applicant.
• How (or in what capacity) the med school letter of recommendation writer knows you. Did you take a class with them? Were you in a lab? Did you shadow this doctor?
• Specific Examples. We cannot emphasize this enough. Just like your personal statement should have stories, your medical school letter of recommendation should also have.

Q: How many letters of recommendation should I submit for medical school?

At the minimum, we suggest you have 4 letters of recommendation. Be sure each letter of recommendation adds a different perspective about you. Remember, our goal is for you to have every single letter be a strong letter of recommendation for medical school.   

We have an entire blog post that covers how many letters of recommendation you should submit to medical schools as well as how to ask for strong letters of recommendation. Read more here .

Q: Can a teaching assistant (TA) or graduate student write my medical school letters?

We frequently get this questions from our students because their science class in college was HUGE. Most of the time, pre-meds end up getting to know the TA rather than the science professor. Yes, a TA – even if the TA is a graduate student – can write your med school letter of recommendation. We would recommend only one of your letters be from a TA or grad student, though. Most of the time, the TA will write the letter in conjunction with the main professor of the class.

Q: How to address a letter of recommendation for medical school?

Your letter of recommendation writer might ask you this question. Typically, medical school letters of recommendation are addressed “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Medical School Admissions Committee.”

Q: What should a recommendation letter from a doctor contain?

A sample letter of recommendation for medical school from a doctor you shadowed or worked with should have the following components:

• When you shadowed or worked with the doctor.
• How you interacted with patients.
• Intellectual curiosity of patient care and healthcare.
• Why your personal qualities would make you a caring doctor.
• Describe any other projects you may have worked with them on.

As we said in our medical school letter of recommendation tips above, it is very important to have specific examples that show why you will be a great medical school student and future physician.  For example, the physician can write in his or her letter of recommendation about what follow-up questions you had while you shadowed the physician. If you have any questions about your medical school or internship letters of recommendation, be sure to contact us down below. 

Q: What should a recommendation letter from a professor contain?

Whether you are asking a science professor or a non science professor, a sample letter of recommendation for medical school from professor should include:

• How you did in the class
• Your intellectual abilities
• Critical thinking skills
• Writing and oral communication skills, if applicable
• Logical thinking and intelligent questions you had
• Your work ethic

If you worked with a professor in a research capacity or in a lab, the professor should also talk about how you did in the lab.

If you worked with a professor and were a TA for his or her course, then your professor should also talk about your communication skills, ability to educate, and commitment to other students learning.

Q: What should a medical school letter of recommendation from an employer contain?

A sample letter of recommendation for medical school from employer should have the following components:

• What your job was.
• Describe what role you played.
• Evidence of teamwork.
• Any initiatives you took at your job: Did you start a new program? Did you lead an intra-mural soccer team? Leadership will be an important aspect to highlight for your medical school application.
• Impact you had with customers or patients.

Again, as we stated in the letter of recommendation for medical school tips above, SPECIFICITY is key. Make sure your employer or manager gives a story of why you were a great team player. Your employer can also talk about specific projects you led and what you your specific contributions while you were a leader. Finally, your employer can also mention in his or her letter of recommendation a time when you thought out-of-the-box.

If you have any questions about what your employers or managers should write, contact us below. 

Q: Can you reuse letters of recommendation for medical school?

If your letter of recommendation writer wrote a prior reference letter for you – say for a scholarship or postgraduate fellowship – you can reuse the same letter of recommendation. However, our Cracking Med School Admissions team recommends that your letter should be updated at least a little bit, to be geared more towards clinical medicine and medical school applications.

If you already applied to medical school once before, our Cracking Med School Admissions team highly recommends that you DO NOT reuse the same letters of recommendation for your upcoming medical school application. Contact us if you are re-applying to medical school so we can help you think through your next medical school application.

Q: How to write a letter of recommendation for medical school?

There is not one correct way to write a letter of recommendation for medical school. When you write a draft, make you have all the components stated above. If you are asked to write a letter of recommendation, the writer usually uses the examples as a template and to help them jog ideas in their heads about what to write. So, be sure to write specific examples in your draft! 

There’s a lot of strategy for asking for letters of recommendation. Be sure to buy  our book  here, in which we have an entire chapter dedicated to strong letters of recommendation for medical school. Additionally, the Cracking Med School Admissions book has  50 personal statements and secondaries  from premeds who were successfully admitted to top medical schools. 

Q: Do I need a cover letter when I request somebody for a letter of recommendation? 

No, you do not unless your professor or recommendation write requires one. It is important to include a lot of specific information though. Read our other blog post about tips for How To Ask For Strong Medical School Letters of Recommendation . 

Q: What is a medical school committee letter?

We have an entire blog post about this. Read more about medical school committee letters here . 

The bottom line is this: if your university (undergraduate institution) writes committee members for its students applying to medical school, you should definitely submit one too. 

Q: What if I don’t get a letter from my school’s pre-med advising committee letter?

It’s usually a red-flag to admissions committees if you don’t submit your school’s pre-health advising committee letter.

Q: Is it okay to submit non science letters of recommendation for medical school applications?

Absolutely! Especially if you are a non science major graduate, you should obtain a stellar letter from a faculty member who can speak about your other intellectual strengths. To give a sample of a non science letter of recommendation… My non science letter of rec writer was a Professor who taught a “Junior Year Task Force” on improving the public school system. She spoke about my research skills, analysis, and contributions I made to class discussions.

Q: Do medical schools require non-science letter of recommendation?

Not all medical schools require a non-science letter of recommendation. See our other blog post about asking for letters of recommendation to read more about requirements.

Q: What is the maximum letters of recommendation medical school?

The maximum letters of recommendation for medical schools are typically 5 or 6. Please check with each medical school you are applying to about maximum and minimum letters of recommendation requirements.

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2024/25 AMCAS Application Timeline

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

Table of Contents

AMCAS applications open in early May of each year. 

Unless you plan to take a gap year , you should begin preparing your med school applications during the spring semester of your junior year of premed studies (before May of your application cycle year).

Specific deadlines for submitting your application depend on the school you’re submitting to and may range from September to December. The application and interview process generally runs through March of the following year, and the admissions process starts that May (around when you’ll be graduating from your undergraduate program ).

AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) is one of the 3 primary applications for prospective medical students in the United States. Applying to medical school is a significant process that requires a lot of preparation , paperwork, and time — for good reason.

Let’s review the ideal timeline of applying to med school with AMCAS for your best chance to get into medical school.

When does AMCAS open for the 2024-25 application cycle?

The AMCAS 2024-25 application opens on May 1, 2024. This date applies specifically to the AMCAS application for MD programs (allopathic medicine).

Other medical school applications for US students include AACOMAS (for DO programs) and TMDSAS (for Texas medical schools). The opening date for AACOMAS is May 4, 2024, and the opening date for TMDSAS is also May 1, 2024.

Some students choose to apply to all 3 programs , but this is not a requirement.

Important Dates

• May 1, 2024: AMCAS application opens for the 2024-25 cycle .
• May 28*, 2024: Earliest date you can submit your AMCAS application for the 2024-25 cycle.
• June 2024: Last month to take the MCAT for a timely application. Schedule your MCAT test date with a score release date of no later than July 31st for best results . For the 2024/25 cycle, that means taking your MCAT on or before June 27, 2024. MCAT results typically take 30-35 days to release.
• June 2024: Taking the Casper exam or AAMC PREview is recommended (even if your preferred school doesn’t require it). Aim to take one of these situational judgement tests (SJTs) no later than the end of June 2024.
• June 28, 2024: First day the AMCAS applications will begin submitting to schools after going through the verification process.
• August 1, 2024: Deadline for the Early Decision Program .
• September–December 2024: Depending on the school you apply to, final deadlines for submitting your secondary applications will fall during this time. You must submit your application by 11:59 PM Eastern for any given school’s deadline, and AMCAS offers no deadline extensions .

*Denotes an estimated date because an official date has not been announced.

Application Timeline: 2024-25 Cycle

Application deadlines can often be school-specific, but they typically fall between mid-October and early November in your application year.

Even though those are the deadlines, we do not recommend waiting until the last minute for any part of this journey. Your chances of matriculation may depend on applying early — especially for schools that accept students on a rolling basis.

January–April 2024

• Decide which medical schools you’ll apply to. The specific schools determine details of certain aspects of the process, such as exams you’ll need to take, ideal MCAT scores, and more.
• Collect letters of recommendation, or letters of evaluation. You don’t have to submit these with your primary application, but it’s a good idea to do it anyway. Schools will not evaluate a medical student’s secondary application without them. Putting in a request for individual and/or committee letters well in advance will help your letter writers provide thoughtful recommendations.
• Study for the MCAT.  The best MCAT study schedule depends on your individual needs, but we find that most students need 3-6 months before their test day to prepare. For the best chance at success, invest in MCAT tutoring — our tutoring students increase their scores by an estimated 12 points or more.
• Take your MCAT and Casper exam as early as possible. We recommend taking the MCAT by the end of April of your application cycle year if at all possible. The best Casper test dates for your application cycle are by the end of May.
• Register with a pre-health committee if your school has one.
• Register for the AAMC PREview exam if the schools you plan on applying to require it.
• Each medical school has different requirements, so consult MSAR to confirm the specific application materials you’ll need for your chosen schools.
• Begin brainstorming, outlining, and writing your personal statement. If writing isn’t your thing (or you get overwhelmed), use a personal statement editing service to increase your chances of standing out.
• Outline and write out all of your extracurricular activities and work. You’ll need to highlight up to 3 of these on your final application, so consider which of these Work & Activities had the most impact. (Note: Beginning with the 2024/25 application cycle, there’s a brand new Work & Activities experience type called Social Justice/Advocacy. Read AAMC’s process to create this new experience type .)
• If you plan on applying to a Texas medical school or an MD-PhD program , you will also want to start brainstorming, outlining, and writing your essay for those applications.
• Open your AMCAS application as early as possible and begin filling out your background information in sections 1-3. AMCAS applications open May 1, 2024. The earliest you can submit a full application is May 28, 2024.
• Order your official transcripts from all colleges and universities you’ve previously attended to complete the coursework section of your application (section 4 of the AMCAS).
• Send reminders to recommendation letter writers if they have not already provided the letters. You’ll add these letters of recommendation to section 6 of the AMCAS.
• Complete your medical school personal statement and extracurricular activities section by May 15.
• Decide exactly what schools you will be applying to and fill these out in section 7 of your application.
• Take your MCAT no later than June 27, 2024. Submit your MCAT score in section 9 of your application.
• Take your Casper exam no later than the end of June 2024. Submit your Casper exam results in section 9 of the AMCAS.
• Begin secondary essays and other requirements for secondary applications. You should start this immediately after you turn in your initial application, starting with your preferred school’s requirements first.
• Submit your AMCAS in early June. It’s important to use the several months before the AMCAS application opens, to improve the quality of your application. Once your application is submitted, it will take anywhere between 1 to 6 weeks to undergo AMCAS verification before being sent directly to schools.
• Submit your secondary applications . Secondary or supplemental applications include up to 5 essays and an application fee (for most schools). If this fee is too much for you, you may request a waiver.
• Begin preparation for your medical school interviews . This includes reviewing common questions and answers, learning the traditional and MMI formats (depending on which schools you’ll interview with), and getting help from former admissions committee members.
• Monitor your application status . Remember, the later you submit your application via AMCAS, the longer the verification process will take. The admissions process normally begins in mid-July.

August 2024

• If applying early decision to a single medical school, submit your Early Decision Program application by August 1, 2024.

September 2024–April 2025

• Complete individual medical school interviews. Interview invitations can happen anywhere between September-March. Once you are selected for an interview, you’ll move on to the next step in the medical school application process. These may be virtual or in-person. To help you prepare, we’ve put together a few handy guides and resources:

Medical School Interviews: What To Do Before, During & After

Common Medical School Interview Questions [Plus Answers]

Medical School Interview Question: Why Do You Want to Go to This School?

Medical School Interview Prep, Coaching & Mock Interview  

• Await decisions from each school you interview with. Admissions decisions vary based on each school. They may be made at any point between September–March in your cycle year. Some schools may not immediately accept or reject your application but rather put you on a waitlist, meaning you’ll have to wait longer for their decision.
• Continue the admissions process as you receive acceptance letters from the schools highest on your list. Some schools do rolling admissions, which means they will send acceptance letters a few weeks after your interview. Other schools will wait to make a final decision until March, assuring that all possible candidates were interviewed.
• If you don’t get accepted to the school you chose in the Early Decision Program, quickly submit applications to your other preferred schools. The EDP allows you to be accepted more quickly to the single school you choose, but you can’t apply to any other programs until you’ve been released from the EDP commitment.

January 2025 is technically the last month to submit primary applications. We do not recommend waiting this long, as it is likely to hurt your chances of being accepted by any med school. Most med school application deadlines are actually in November, so waiting this long also greatly limits which schools you may apply to.

October 2025-May 2025

• Negotiate financial aid offers, attend second look day , and officially select a program to enroll in.
• Here are more helpful steps for what to do once you get accepted into medical school .

How soon should you submit your med school application?

Aim to submit your med school application as early as possible, preferably in early June of your cycle year. The longer you wait to submit, the lower your chances of being accepted get.

What is the deadline for AMCAS?

Deadlines for submitting your application via AMCAS depending on the schools you’re applying to. Check the AMCAS database for application deadlines for your preferred schools.

IMPORTANT: If you put your application off until just before the deadline, remember that you must request your transcripts no later than 2 weeks before your school’s application deadline. Otherwise, your application will not be processed by the deadline and you won’t be included in that school’s applicants for the cycle year.

How late can I take the MCAT for this application cycle?

You will need to take the MCAT no later than 35 days before your school’s AMCAS application deadline. Verify your MCAT score release date against your school’s application deadline. In general, this probably means the latest you can take the MCAT will typically be sometime between September and November (during the fall semester of your senior year of undergrad).

But waiting this long to take the MCAT is not a wise choice. We recommend taking the MCAT no later than June 27, 2024, but preferably before the end of April .

Which Schools Don’t Require the MCAT?

A few of the least competitive medical schools (typically outside of the U.S.) don’t require the MCAT in your AMCAS application. You may also be exempted from the MCAT if you apply to certain BS/MD programs at U.S. medical schools (although this exemption is getting less and less common each year).

Your MCAT score is typically a critical application data point that admissions committees use in student selection to medical school. Scores help admissions officers interpret grades and other academic data from undergraduate institutions with different curricular focuses and grading standards.

When should I submit secondary applications to medical schools?

You should submit your secondaries as soon as possible after they are requested by the medical school. According to our suggested timeline, this means you should submit your secondary applications in July of your application cycle.

Has AAMC Ever Moved Its Timeline?

Yes, there is a precedent for AAMC moving the date that schools receive applications in extreme situations. The last time they did this was in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Get Expert Help With Your Medical School Application from MedSchoolCoach

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Stanford MD Application Web Portal

Beginning in early July, the Stanford MD Application Web Portal (MedAdmit) will be available for you to monitor our receipt of your AMCAS application, Stanford Supplemental Application, letters of evaluation and fee. If your information does not appear in the website, we have not yet received your application from AMCAS.  

Application Process & Timeline

Stanford Medicine seeks candidates who want to move the fields of medicine and biomedical sciences forward, whose past accomplishments show evidence for originality, creativity, and a capacity for independent, critical thinking, who are academically ready to succeed at Stanford and whose personal qualities will serve them well in our profession.

The School of Medicine has an institutional commitment to provide equal educational opportunities for qualified students.  Stanford Medicine supports and encourages applicants with a range of abilities and disabilities, including disabilities that are not immediately apparent.

The following resources and application materials are required as part of the admissions process for the entering class of 2025. Please refer to the timeline for details regarding notification of different admissions decisions.

Updates to an application will be accepted only after an applicant has been invited to interview.

Step 1: AMCAS Application

Application to Stanford Medicine must be made through the American Medical College Application Service ( AMCAS ). 

The AMCAS application deadline is October 1, 2024 (11:59 PM ET) . The 2025 AMCAS Application will open for submission in late May. All sections of the primary applications must be complete by the deadline.  AMCAS may take several weeks to process your entire application.  Extensions are not granted.  

Please do not send transcripts or letters of recommendation to our office unless we have specifically requested such information from you.

A. Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

All MCAT test scores taken are sent automatically by AAMC to the medical schools.

In order for your application to be considered for the 2025 admissions cycle, at least 1 MCAT result from an exam taken after January 2021 and before the end of September 2024 should be included in your application.

B. Letters of Recommendation

All letters of recommendation must be submitted through the  AMCAS Letters Service .  A minimum of three and a maximum of six individual letters of recommendation is required.  The first six letters of recommendation submitted will be reviewed.  All letters must be written on official letterhead and signed by the recommender(s) or committee members.  

Stanford Medicine does not have specific letter writer requirements , but encourages letters from individuals who can attest to the following aspects of the applicant's skills and attributes: leadership, originality and creativity, innovation, research skills and independence, clinical exposures and caring experiences, cultural humility, social justice and advocacy.

Pre-medical committee evaluations/letters

Pre-medical committee evaluations/letters are not required. However, if submitted, only the individual letters contained within the pre-medical committee packet will count toward the number of letters of recommendation.  If the committee evaluation/letter  references or summarizes individual evaluators, each individual evaluation/letter of recommendation must be included with the committee packet. 

• If one committee evaluation/letter is submitted containing four individual letters, the letters of recommendation requirement is fulfilled.  However, you may submit up to two additional letters.
• If one committee evaluation/letter contains no individual letters, the letters of recommendation requirement is  NOT fulfilled. At least three and no more than six additional letters are required to meet the letters of recommendation requirement. 

An application is not complete until all letters listed on the AMCAS application are received. If more than three letters are listed, and at least three of those letters are received by the supplemental application deadline of October 15, 2024  (11:59 PM PT) , the letter of recommendation requirement will have been met and the application may be considered complete.  If a minimum of three letters of recommendation are not received by October 15, 2024  (11:59 PM PT) , this application will be considered incomplete and may be withdrawn from consideration.

All letters must reach the Admissions Office from AMCAS no later than (11:59 PM PT) on October 15, 2024 .  Please log into AMCAS to make corrections (if needed).  It may take up to 2-7 days for these changes to be reflected. 

Step 2: Stanford Supplemental Application

When we receive the AMCAS application, an e-mail invitation will be sent  to submit the Stanford Supplemental Application.  Avoid using a Hotmail email account as it tends to block communication from our web portal and please check your spam/junk folders as well.  Eligible applicants will be invited to submit a Stanford Supplemental Application.

A. Supplemental Deadline

The deadline for the Stanford Supplemental Application is October 15, 2024 (11:59 PM PT) . It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all materials arrive on time. Applicants can access the Stanford MD Application web portal (MedAdmit) to confirm if materials for the supplemental application have been received.  Application can not be reviewed until all materials are received in our system.

B. Application Fees

An application fee must be paid (via credit card) at the time the Stanford Supplemental Application is submitted. Exceptions are made only for those applicants who apply for FAP prior to primary application and receive a fee waiver by the  AAMC Fee Assistance Program .  Application fees for the Supplemental Application are non-refundable.

C. Personal Essays

The Stanford Supplemental Application requests additional information, including essay questions about your personal background and professional interests.

D. Application Updates

Updates to an application  will be accepted only after an applicant has been invited to interview . Interview decisions are made based on information submitted in the AMCAS application, Stanford Supplemental Application, and letters of recommendation.

It is important that we maintain a consistent and equitable standard for all applications to be considered with the same basis of information. If applicable, additional information can be submitted after the day of your interview.

When submitting additional information, please indicate that you have been interviewed or we may not include updates with your file. Acceptable updates include any significant developments in scholarly endeavors or projects, awards, or additional letters of recommendation. Please do not send additional coursework or transcripts unless we have specifically requested such information from you.

Step 3: Interviews

Eligible applications will be reviewed for consideration of an interview. The earliest notifications regarding an interview invitation will be sent in August and continue on a rolling basis. The Office of MD Admissions will inform each candidate whether or not an interview will be granted.

Each candidate invited to interview will be notified by e-mail and will use our online scheduling system to select a date that is mutually agreeable. Interviews are virtual and will be held between September and February. 

Step 4: Admissions Decisions

Upon review by the Committee on Admissions, interviewed candidates may be offered one of the following decisions: offer of admission (acceptance), reject, or waitlist. The final authority for admission to Stanford Medicine MD Program rests solely with the Committee on Admissions. Admissions decisions are typically released between January and March. Waitlist offers may be made after April 30 until the class is full.

The Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) is an online database that enables you to browse, search, sort, and compare information about U.S. and Canadian medical schools and more.

Selecting a medical school will be one of your most significant decisions. Over the years, we have helped thousands of applicants navigate the application process and select the medical schools that fits best their goals and preferences.

MD-PhD Medical Scientist Training Program

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) MD-PhD program provides a select group of medical students with an opportunity to pursue a training program designed to equip them for careers in academic investigative medicine. Individualization of the curricular and research programs of each trainee is the hallmark of the Program.

Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) MD-PhD program Website

MD-PSTP Physician-Scientist Training Program

The Stanford Medicine MD-Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) is an umbrella program designed to integrate and maximize career development of physician-scientists across the career continuum. A goal of the program is to increase the number of successful physician researchers in the U.S. workforce.  Stanford is committed to diversity in all its dimensions, in conformance with the law.

The MD-Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) is a five-year program designed for applicants considering long-term careers as physician scientists. Students pursuing this curriculum will participate in a 2-year apprentice-style training experience in a lab, supplemented with physician-scientist-specific career development coursework. The program combines medical education with rigorous laboratory or biomedical informatics research. Following matriculation, PSTP students have the option to apply for additional research training through the Berg Scholars Program or the Internal MSTP process.

MD-PSTP Physician-Scientist Training Program Website

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars ( http://kh.stanford.edu ) program cultivates a diverse, multidisciplinary community of emerging leaders from around the world and guides them to collaborate, innovate, and communicate as they prepare to address the complex challenges facing society.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars become part of a supportive family of fellow scholars. Through the King Global Leadership Program, scholars will broaden knowledge, develop skills, and strengthen character; this platform provides a collection of community experiences, workshops, meetings with leaders, domestic and global study trips, and personal development opportunities. Knight-Hennessy Scholars also receive funding for graduate study at Stanford University.

Apply at  https://kh.stanford.edu/

The application deadline is October 9, 2024, 1:00 pm PT . Please Check KHSP website for more details.

All dates and deadlines in this site are subject to change. Please keep informed of any changes by visiting this site periodically as well as the  AMCAS application site .

Early Decision

Stanford Medicine does not accept applications for Early Decision.

• Education /
• Medical School /
• Prospective Students /

Medical College of Wisconsin Medical School Admissions

Thank you for considering MCW for your medical education! We are here to support you every step of the way on your journey.

MCW offers many program options to help you reach your career aspirations, whether you are determined to become a pediatrician, a surgeon or medical researcher, or if you want to explore several options before committing to your ultimate career path. You can choose a focused program that will enable you to graduate in three years, or a four-year program that allows you to gain experience in more areas of medicine before graduation. You can also choose between a large or small class size, and between an urban campus or a smaller community campus. The choice is yours, but we certainly hope you choose MCW.

Regardless of which program or campus you choose, we trust that you will find our application process to be user-friendly, so, take a look around and get to know us. If you have any questions about how to begin your journey at MCW, we’re here to help!

Virtual Opportunities to Learn More

We look forward to connecting with you! At this time, we continue to strongly encourage virtual meetings. Please review the opportunities to connect with our office. In-person visits may be scheduled on a very limited basis.

Info Sessions

We host virtual group Info Sessions periodically. Each Info Session begins with a 20-minute presentation about MCW and the medical school application process and ends with a 40-minute Q&A with admissions representatives.

Register for an Info Session

Individual Meetings

We invite you to sign up for a virtual one-on-one advising appointment. Availability is limited, so we recommend clicking the link below periodically to check if new time slots have become available.

Register for an individual meeting

Group Presentations

If you’re a pre-med advisor, or the leader of a pre-med group or organization and would like to request a virtual presentation for your school or group, please email us directly at [email protected] . We would be happy to set up a date and time to connect with your specific audience.

Campus Tours

Optional, in-person campus visit opportunities will be available during the application cycle for admitted applicants. Unfortunately, we're not currently offering campus tours for prospective students.

Programs, Dates and Deadlines

MCW Medical School offers a variety of program types, which are listed on the AMCAS application.

• Regular MD : This program is offered at all three of our campuses.
• Early Decision : This program is offered at all three of our campuses.
• Combined MD/PhD or Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) : This program is only offered at MCW-Milwaukee. This dual-degree program is typically completed in eight years, and matriculates about ten students per year. Apply using the AMCAS Program Type “Combined Medical Degree/PhD.”
• Combined MD/MS or MD/MS in Clinical and Translational Science : This program is only offered at MCW-Milwaukee. This dual-degree program is intended to be completed within four years, and is designed for students who wish to pursue a medical career with a research focus. Apply using the AMCAS Program Type “Combined MD/Graduate.” Learn more
• Combined MD/MPH : This program is only offered at MCW-Milwaukee. Applicants to this dual-degree program will be eligible to apply after their first year of medical school at MCW has been completed. Apply using the AMCAS Program Type “Regular MD.”

The primary (AMCAS) application opens on May 1, 2024 . The earliest date applicants may submit their AMCAS application is May 28, 2024 .

The MCW Office of Admissions will send secondary application invitation emails OR notification of ineligibility emails to verified applicants beginning July 8, 2024 and continuing upon receipt of each verified AMCAS application . Please review the following important dates and deadlines for each available program type:

Early Decision Program

• Preferred date by which to submit AMCAS application: As soon as possible
• Preferred date by which to submit Secondary application: As soon as possible
• Eligible MCAT dates: January 1, 2022 – July 26, 2024
• Eligible Casper dates: May 2, 2024 – August 13, 2024
• AMCAS application deadline: August 1, 2024
• Secondary application deadline: August 22, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CST
• Interview timeline: September 2024
• First interview decisions released: Late September 2024
• Latest date to receive interview decision: October 1, 2024

Regular MD, MD/MS, and MD/PhD (MSTP) Programs

• Preferred date by which to submit AMCAS application: July 1, 2024
• Preferred date by which to submit Secondary application: August 15, 2024
• Eligible MCAT dates: January 1, 2022 – September 14, 2024
• Eligible Casper dates: May 2, 2024 – December 5, 2024
• AMCAS application deadline: November 4, 2024
• Secondary application deadline: December 9, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CST
• Interview timeline: September 2024 through March 2025
• First interview decisions released: October 15, 2024
• Latest date to receive interview decision: June 2025

Students at all three campuses will start Orientation on June 30, 2025  and will have their first day of classes on July 7, 2025 .

Application Requirements

To matriculate at MCW, you must have earned a bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 90 earned postsecondary credits (excluding AP, IB, CLEP or similar credits). All required credits, including prerequisites, must be earned at a college or university located in the United States (US) or Canada and accredited by a state, regional or federal accrediting agency prior to matriculation at MCW. No credit will be given for coursework taken outside of the US or Canada. Individual exceptions may be considered for applicants attending regionally accredited* institutions located outside of the US or Canada.

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) exam is required of all applicants. We will only accept scores from tests taken within the three-year period prior to matriculation. For 2025 entry, you must have taken the exam no earlier than January 2022.

During the 2025 application cycle, MCW will accept applications from US Citizens, US Permanent Residents, and DACA recipients. We anticipate welcoming international applicants to MCW-Milwaukee in a future application cycle.

All applicants who are not US Citizens or US Permanent Residents must be prepared to submit a Certification of Finances form and provide supporting documentation for the total cost of attendance to the Financial Aid Office after being admitted to MCW Medical School. This information is not required to complete the application, but needs to be submitted and approved by April 30 of the matriculation year.

Statistical information can be found within the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database . The MSAR is a useful resource to browse, search, sort, and compare information about US and Canadian medical schools and programs.

*Acceptable regional accreditation organizations include:

• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Wester Association of Schools and Colleges
• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

While it is recommended that all prerequisites be completed prior to taking the MCAT, completion of the prerequisites is not a requirement to have an application reviewed, be interviewed, or receive an offer of admission. Completion of all prerequisites is a requirement for matriculation, and must be fulfilled by June 1 of the matriculation year.

To ensure accurate academic records, all final, official transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended must be submitted directly to the MCW Office of Admissions by June 1 of the matriculation year. Transcripts must come directly from the educational institutions and include posted degrees. AMCAS does not forward transcripts to medical schools.

All prerequisites must be taken at a regionally accredited college or university located in the United States or Canada. We will accept pass/fail grades for coursework, including prerequisites, taken during the COVID-19 pandemic (including January 2020 – Summer Term 2023). As prerequisite coursework is intended to prepare applicants for the MCAT exam and for medical school coursework, applicants should ensure they have obtained mastery of the course material regardless of the grading system. If you are on the quarter or trimester system, three quarters or trimesters are required.

Prerequisites

Biology 3-4 credits (1 semester) Advanced Biology Courses such as Anatomy & Physiology, Immunology, Microbiology or Neurobiology will satisfy this requirement.

Chemistry 3-4 credits (1 semester) Biochemistry Provided the course required General and Organic Chemistry as prerequisites.

Physics 6-8 credits (2 semesters) Physics Typically Physics I and Physics II will fulfill this requirement.

Math 3-4 credits (1 semester) Math Statistics is recommended.

English 3-4 credits (1 semester) English May use a writing-intensive course to satisfy this requirement.

Social Science 3-4 credits (1 semester) Psychology or Sociology

• A course in oral communications (speech, interpersonal communication, etc.) is recommended.
• AP coursework will be accepted for the Physics, Math, English, and Social Science requirements.
• CLEP credit will be accepted for the Math, English, and Social Science requirements.

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) exam is required of all applicants. For 2025 entry, you must have taken the exam no earlier than January 2022.

If you have taken the MCAT exam more than once, the Admissions Committee will mix-and-match the two most recent eligible exams to consider the best overall score.

Completion of the Casper test is mandatory for all MCW Medical School applicants. Casper is an online, open-response situational judgement test which assesses non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and physicians. This information will complement other tools we use for applicant screening, evaluation, and review and will further enhance the fairness and objectivity of our holistic review and selection process.

Acuity Insights Assessments offers the opportunity to complete a standardized, multi-part online assessment consisting of Casper (90-110 minutes) and Duet (15 minutes). Though you will be prompted to participate in both components, the only required assessment we will use as part of your application evaluation is your Casper test score . The Admissions Committee will not know who has completed Duet, or be able to review the content, so participation (or lack thereof) in that assessment will not impact your candidacy at MCW. AAMC PREview is not required, nor will it be accepted as a substitute for Casper.

Acceptable Test Dates We will accept Casper test scores from May 2, 2024 through December 5, 2024 . Your application will not be considered complete or reviewed for possible interview selection until MCW has received your Casper test score. This means you must complete the Casper test and select MCW Medical School for distribution before the posted Distribution Deadline. Keep in mind that it takes about 4 weeks for us to receive your score, so we highly recommend that you take the test early in the application cycle .

Remember: Casper test scores are only valid for one admissions cycle. If you took the Casper test as part of a previous year’s application, you are required to retake the test this cycle as well.

Acuity Insights Fee Structure The base fee to take the Casper test is $85, which includes 7 program distributions. Each additional program distribution is $16. Casper fees are waived for those approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program.

Technology Requirements In order to take the Casper test, you must have access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and audio capabilities and a reliable internet connection with an internet speed of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of at least 2 Mbps on your selected test date. The Casper test cannot be taken using a mobile device, tablet, or iPad.

How to Register for the Casper Test

• Important : Ensure you’ve entered your AAMC ID accurately, as a discrepancy may slow down our receipt of your Casper test score.
• Important : These are the only testing dates available for your Casper test. It is unlikely there will be additional tests scheduled, but the most up to date information can be found by browsing the Test Dates and Times . Please use an email address that you check regularly and that you have used for your application; there may be updates to the test schedule.
• Important : To account for identity verification and payment processing timeline, register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
• Ensure you have selected MCW Medical School for distribution before each posted Distribution Deadline . You will not be allowed to send scores to MCW after each posted Distribution Deadline has passed.

Accommodations If you require testing accommodations to complete your Acuity Insights Assessments, you should submit an Initial Request Form (Part 1 and 2) at least four (4) weeks prior to your scheduled Casper test date. More information regarding Acuity’s accommodations policy can be found here .

Preparation No studying is required for Casper. Acuity Insights is not affiliated with any test prep company, nor do they endorse any third-party services. We strongly urge you to take advantage of the test prep resources that Acuity has provided, familiarize yourself with the test structure , and ensure you have a quiet environment to take the test and adequate technology.

Scoring While you will not receive your Casper test score, you will receive your score quartile. Acuity will email test takers when their quartile results are available, and they can be viewed in your account at AcuityInsights.app .

Questions & Support Please direct any inquiries on Acuity Insights Assessments to [email protected] . Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble in the bottom right hand corner of your screen on the AcuityInsights.app website.

Required Undergraduate Letters : You must submit undergraduate letters of recommendation unless you graduated with your undergraduate degree at least five years ago. Letters must be submitted in one of the following formats:

• Committee letter
• Packet of letters
• Two individual letters from classroom professors, one of whom must have taught biology, chemistry, physics, or a comparable science discipline.

Graduate Letters : It is strongly recommended that applicants currently or previously enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program submit one letter of recommendation from a professor or thesis advisor. Applicants recently accepted to or matriculated in a graduate program are not required to submit a letter. You may elect to submit graduate letters of recommendation for undergraduate letters in some circumstances, or when unable to acquire undergraduate letters.

Optional Letters : You may submit up to three optional letters. These letters are not required. For optimal consideration, these should be received by MCW before the application is complete.

• If you are applying to the MD/PhD (MSTP) or MD/MS program, it is strongly recommended that you include a letter of recommendation speaking to your ability to become a physician-scientist.
• Letters from Principal Investigators may be submitted as optional letters, but typically cannot fulfill the undergraduate or graduate letter requirements.

Letter Format

• Letters of recommendation must be on official letterhead and signed by the author(s).
• If the letter-writer is a Teaching Assistant, the letter must be co-signed by the Professor of the course.
• It is your responsibility to confirm that each letter-writer understands and complies with these requirements.
• Letters of recommendation are accepted via US Postal Service and electronic providers including AMCAS, VirtualEvals, and Interfolio.

If you are requesting an exception, such as waiving undergraduate or graduate letters, please contact the Office of Admissions at [email protected] or (414) 955-8246.

How to Apply

The primary application to the Medical College of Wisconsin must be initiated through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

Secondary applications will be sent to all eligible applicants upon MCW’s receipt of your verified AMCAS application. If you received an email with login credentials for the MCW Secondary Application, please complete the application. If you have not received that email, or a communication that you are ineligible to apply, please check your spam or junk mail folders and contact the Office of Admissions.

You will designate your campus preferences on the secondary application. There is only one secondary application and one application fee, regardless of campus preferences.

Please familiarize yourself with the mission and opportunities available at each campus location before submitting your application. Since MCW-Central Wisconsin and MCW-Green Bay have small class sizes of primarily Wisconsin residents, there are limited spaces available for non-residents.

These forms are not required of all applicants. Please review the requirements of each form, and complete the form(s) that pertain to you. All forms are in PDF format. You will need the free Adobe Reader to view and print the forms.

• Dean’s Certification : This form is required if you have indicated on the AMCAS application or on our Secondary Application that an institutional action has been taken against you. It is also required if you have previously matriculated at a medical school regardless of the reason for departure. Provide this form with your explanation to the appropriate office at the institution for verification. It will then be sent directly to us by your institution. If applicable to you, this form is required to complete your application.
• Wisconsin Residency Form : If you are considered a Wisconsin resident for tuition purposes, complete and send this form to the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) in Madison, WI. This form must be approved prior to matriculation to qualify for the Wisconsin Medical Student Tuition Assistance program, but it is not required to complete your secondary application. Please note : Private colleges do NOT participate in the tuition reciprocity program because they do not charge non-resident tuition rates. Therefore, the Minnesota/Wisconsin reciprocity agreement does not apply to MCW students.
• Technical Standards : The Technical Standards for Admission, Retention, Promotion and Graduation consist of the minimum physical, cognitive and emotional requirements to provide reasonable assurance that students can complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of medical training. Current students review and sign the Technical Standards annually.
• Credit Report : All admitted and waitlisted applicants are required to submit a copy of their credit report to be approved by the Financial Aid Office by the deadline date provided in their acceptance or waitlist letter. Credit reports can be requested on the Annual Credit Report website . If you have no credit history, this form  is required. Additional documentation may be required by the Financial Aid Office on a case-by-case basis.
• Certification of Finances : If you are not a US Citizen, you must submit the Certification of Finances form and documentation to the Financial Aid Office. You are encouraged to complete and submit this documentation early after being admitted or placed on the waitlist; this is not required to complete your application but needs to be submitted and approved well in advance of matriculation.

MCW Medical School expects admitted applicants to matriculate in the class for which they were interviewed. In limited instances, an admitted applicant may request a one-year deferment of matriculation for personal reasons, professional development reasons, or extenuating circumstances. Examples include significant personal or family health challenges, childbirth or adoption, meaningful professional growth opportunities (e.g., Fulbright scholarship), service in the military or Peace Corps, or unforeseen circumstance that would seriously impact the applicant's ability to succeed as a medical student.

The request must be in writing using the appropriate form, must describe the specific reason(s) for the request, and may be submitted only after all stipulations of acceptance have been met. Students may only request deferment for the campus to which they have been admitted. Decisions to grant deferred matriculation are made on a case-by-case basis, and the MCW Admissions Committee reserves the right to limit the number of deferred matriculants in any entering class. Decisions on deferred matriculation requests will be communicated in May of the matriculation year.

Effective July 2024, the Medical College of Wisconsin will no longer accept applications for transfer into the third year, due to the integrated nature of the MCWfusion Curriculum.

Interview Information

• Academic Achievement
• MCAT and CASPer Scores
• Personal Statement and Essays
• Letters of Recommendation
• Experiences
• Non-Cognitive Personal and Professional Characteristics
• Personal Interview

We recognize that prospective applicants may have faced additional challenges while preparing to apply for medical school admission during the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage applicants to share context regarding their individual situation on the MCW secondary application essay prompt.

We will continue to consider completion date as one factor in our admissions process (i.e. “rolling admissions”); however, we are committed to holistic admission and acknowledge that external factors may impact application completion date for some applicants.

Interviews are typically offered from September to March. All invitations to interview will be sent via email. Interview space is limited, and reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Interview day programming and interviews will be conducted virtually using Zoom. This applies to Regular MD applicants at all three campuses, MD/MS applicants, and MSTP applicants.

Each interview invitation will state the campus where you are invited to interview. We feel it is important that you have the opportunity to experience the campus where you may be matriculating. If you are offered admission, it will be at a specific campus and is not transferrable.

It is highly unlikely that you will be invited to interview at multiple campus locations. Interview invitations are based on many factors. MCW cannot guarantee that you will be invited to interview at your first choice ranked campus. If you interviewed and are admitted to multiple campus locations, you will be given the choice of which offer you want to continue to hold.

After You Are Admitted

Your $110 non-refundable deposit must be received by the MCW Medical School Office of Admission by close of business on April 30 (or the following business day if April 30 falls on a weekend). If you are admitted from the waitlist after April 30, the deadline to turn in the deposit will be stated in the offer letter. Your deposit should be paid online through your secondary application portal.

• Pay your $110 non-refundable deposit and formally accept your offer through your secondary application portal.
• Read and sign the Technical Standards for Admission to and Graduation from MCW Medical School document.
• Complete the Wisconsin residency form and send to HEAB in Madison, WI (if applicable).
• Complete your Criminal Background Check. This will be emailed to you through Certiphi Screening.
• Complete all prerequisite courses. Any missing prerequisites will be stated on your secondary application portal. If you’d like us to re-assess your coursework regarding a particular requirement, send us a detailed email explaining the situation. Be prepared to send a course description or syllabus, if requested.
• Send MCW final, official transcripts directly from all post-secondary institutions you’ve attended with degree conferral dates, if applicable. AMCAS does not forward your hard copy transcripts to us at any point in the application process, so you must have them sent directly to us from each institution. Any applicable degree conferral dates must be posted, so please make sure those will be on the transcript prior to sending. Transcripts may be sent in the mail or electronically to [email protected] .
• Send your credit report and any other required financial documentation requested of you to the Financial Aid Office ( [email protected] ).
• Complete certification in adult and pediatric CPR & AED.
• Deadlines will be stated in your offer letter .

Additional requirements and deadlines will be communicated in your offer letter and via email prior to matriculation.

Yes! All incoming MCW medical students are required to be certified in adult and pediatric CPR and AED prior to arriving at MCW for orientation. The course must be certified through the American Heart Association. The most common applicable AHA courses are Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers or the Heartsaver CPR/AED course.

First Aid certification is recommended, but not required.

MCW wants to offer you the best technology experience by providing the tools and services you need to excel. Incoming students will have their choice of several fully configured laptops to purchase directly from MCW at significantly reduced price.

Incoming medical students will gain access to their MCW email address and various online portals and student resources in mid-May. They will receive their MCW security access badge during orientation week which provides access to MCW after hours, locker rooms, and the on-site fitness center.

Health insurance coverage is a requirement for all full-time students. Incoming medical students will receive additional information about health insurance during the spring prior to matriculation. Until then, please visit the Student Health & Wellness website .

The Office of Admissions will communicate the health requirements and immunizations during the spring prior to matriculation. All health requirements and immunizations must be complete prior to matriculation.

Note that MCW requires our employees and learners to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or to have an approved exemption for medical or religious reasons. The requirement went into effect on November 1, 2021.

No. Participation in the MCW White Coat Ceremony is optional but highly encouraged. Incoming students will receive more information about the event prior to orientation.

The MCW Medical School Office of Admissions is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. We are happy to connect with you via phone, email, or through a virtual meeting. We look forward to speaking with you!

Email [email protected]

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INFORMATION FOR

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Thank you for your interest in the Yale School of Medicine MD Program. Below are the steps to follow to apply to the program. If you have any questions, please contact us .

If you are interested in being considered for the MD-PhD Program, you can find more information on the MD-PhD website .

Take the MCAT

Apply to yale via amcas, submit yale's secondary application, submit letters of recommendation, check your application status, application deadlines, decision notification and timeline, deferring offer of admission, transfer applications.

All applicants to the Yale School of Medicine's MD and MD-PhD programs must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). For information on the MCAT, including registering to take the test, test dates, test sites, fees and obtaining test results, see the MCAT Website .

Applicants should request that test scores be released to Yale School of Medicine by the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). If you are applying in 2024 to begin in August 2025, the oldest MCAT you can submit is from January 2021.

Important: Your application will not be reviewed until we receive your MCAT scores.

MCAT Important Dates

• Earliest test date accepted for applications submitted in 2024: January 2021
• Latest test date accepted for applications submitted in 2024: Final test date in 2024

To apply to Yale School of Medicine, submit the AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application. This application will be sent to all the medical schools to which you apply. It can be found at the AAMC Students, Applicants, and Residents site .

On the AMCAS application, you must indicate that you plan to apply to Yale School of Medicine. After submitting the AMCAS application, you will be invited to submit a secondary application to Yale.

To complete the application process, applicants to the MD and MD-PhD programs must submit an online Yale Secondary Application, in addition to their AMCAS application.

All applicants will be invited by email to submit a Yale Secondary Application after submitting the AMCAS application. This email invitation should arrive within two weeks of submitting the AMCAS application to Yale, beginning in early July when the Yale Secondary Application goes live.

Fee Waivers

Yale School of Medicine will automatically waive the Secondary Application fee for applicants who have been granted an AMCAS Fee Waiver (obtained though the AAMC Fee Assistance Program).

Applicants who were not granted a fee waiver by AMCAS and for whom the application fee would constitute a significant financial burden, may contact the Office of Admissions directly ( [email protected] ) to request a Secondary Application fee waiver. Please submit your fee waiver request after you have been invited to submit the YSM Secondary Application. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

In your fee waiver request, please share the reasons for your request, and include the number of people in your household and annual family income. You may also attach documentation that you deem important to support your request.

Application Revisions

You may not make any online changes to your Yale Secondary Application after it has been submitted. You must submit your changes in writing to the Office of Admissions by logging in to your application and clicking on the "Status" tab, then clicking on the "Communication" menu, then clicking on the button to send an email to the Admissions Office.

If you wish to submit an update to your application at any time throughout the application season (before or after an interview), you may upload a .pdf document using the Document Upload tab in the Secondary Application.

Contact Information Updates

A Premedical Committee letter is recommended for all MD and MD/PhD candidates.

If your school does not have a Premedical Committee, you may submit at least three individual letters of recommendation. These letters should come from individuals who are in a position to comment knowledgeably on your accomplishments, abilities, experience, and/or personal qualifications. 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.

Letters of recommendation should be sent through the AMCAS Letter Service .

MD-PhD Applicants

A complete application consists of the following components:

• AMCAS application and all required components of the application (see 2 and 5 below).
• Complete official transcripts from all colleges attended. Transcripts should be sent from the colleges directly to AMCAS.
• Yale Supplemental Application submitted online no later than November 15.
• An evaluation from the applicant’s Premedical Advisory Committee or individual letters from three of the applicant’s instructors, two of whom should be in science fields. These evaluations must be sent to the Office of Admissions via AMCAS Letter Service.
• Scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) must be submitted in conjunction with the AMCAS application. For information on the MCAT, applicants should communicate directly with the MCAT Program Office, PO Box 4056, Iowa City IA 52243. Information on the MCAT can also be obtained online at www.aamc.org . Scores of tests taken earlier than three years prior to submitting an application will not be accepted.
• A fee of $110 or an AMCAS fee waiver must accompany the Yale Supplemental Application. The fee is not refundable.

You can keep tabs on your application status by logging into the student portal.

• AMCAS Application Deadline: October 15
• Yale Secondary Application Deadline: November 15
• Letters of Recommendation Deadline: November 15

MD and MD-PhD programs

‘Plan’ to Enroll / ‘Commit’ to Enroll

All applicants who are accepted and either ‘plan’ or ‘commit’ to enroll must immediately withdraw from all other schools to which they were offered admission. Applicants who ‘commit’ to enroll must also immediately withdraw from waitlists at all other schools.

Applicants who are accepted and either 'plan' or 'commit' to enroll must also send a tuition deposit of $100 with their online response to reserve a place in the class. The deposit is refundable until April 30 and will be applied to tuition charges in the fall semester.

Applicants who are accepted but do not respond to their offer of admission by end of day April 30 will have their offer of admission rescinded, unless they have been approved for an extension (due to extenuating circumstance) beyond this date by the YSM admissions office.

Waitlist Offers

Applicants who are offered a position on the waitlist are required to respond by end of day April 30. Waitlisted applicants who do not accept a position on the waitlist by end of day April 30 will be removed from the waitlist and will not be further considered for admission in this cycle.

Applicants who are offered acceptance from the waitlist after April 30 and before June 1 will have five business days to respond to their offer. An applicant who does not respond within five business days will have their offer of admission rescinded, unless they have been approved for an extension (due to extenuating circumstance) beyond this date by the YSM admissions office.

Applicants who are offered acceptance from the waitlist after June 1 will have two business days to respond to their offer. An applicant who does not respond within two business days will have their offer of admission rescinded, unless they have been approved for an extension (due to extenuating circumstance) beyond this date by the YSM admissions office.

Commit to Enroll Deadline

Applicants who participate in the START program must ‘commit’ to enroll at YSM by 5:00pm EST the Friday before START and may not hold waitlist positions at any other schools. All other applicants intending to matriculate at YSM must 'commit' to enroll by 5:00pm EST June 15 and may not hold waitlist positions at any other schools. YSM will not offer admission to students after our August matriculation date.

Yale School of Medicine (YSM) will consider requests to defer an offer of admission for one year for academic reasons that arise during the application year. Requests must be made before April 15 of the admissions cycle in which the applicant was offered admission.

Occasionally, YSM allows an admitted student to defer enrollment for a year (or sometimes two) to pursue/complete a serious and primary academic objective that arises during the application year (e.g. a Churchill, Rhodes, Marshall, Gates-Cambridge fellowship). Deferrals are typically not approved for non-academic reasons.

All decisions made regarding requests to defer are final. If a request to defer is denied and an applicant offered admission decides to pursue other opportunities and not matriculate at YSM, their offer of admission will be withdrawn from YSM and they will need to re-apply in a future cycle, if interested.

Accreditation Statement

The Doctor of Medicine (MD) program is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and as such, it meets the educational requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

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Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine Apply for Admission

Academic requirements for admission.

Prior to enrolling at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, candidates must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from an international institution of higher education. Permanent residents or applicants holding a green card may apply. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students should contact the admissions office directly. We do not accept transfer students for entrance into any year.

Upper-level courses and AP credit may be used to satisfy basic requirements when applicable. Online courses of prerequisites will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants must complete a minimum equivalent of 32 semester/trimester/quarter hours of the prerequisites in biology, chemistry and physics from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. Recommended coursework includes natural sciences, human physiology, genetics and cell biology, psychology, sociology, ethics, health policy, foreign language, humanities, communications and computer literacy.

Required Courses

General Biology - 2 semesters/trimesters/quarters (with labs)

General Chemistry - 2 semesters/trimesters/quarters (with labs)

Organic Chemistry - 1 semester/trimester/quarter (with lab)

Biochemistry - 1 semester/trimester/quarter

General Physics - 2 semesters/trimesters/quarters

College English/Writing Intensive - 2 semesters/trimesters/quarters

College Math or Statistics - 2 semesters/trimesters/quarters (college algebra or above)

View our technical standards

Steps to Apply to Medical School

The School of Medicine strives to develop patient-centric future physicians who will provide compassionate and humanistic care while becoming leaders in healthcare.

Completed applications will be subjected to a holistic review process. We consider the entire application and review all aspects of the prospective student including but not limited to: academic promise, meaningful experience and service, scholarship, and extracurricular activities. We consider the context of each application and consider the “distance traveled”

Throughout this review, we look for the qualities and attributes that demonstrate key areas of competence as outlined by the AAMC Core Competencies. Our approach is designed to ensure that admitted students will thrive during their time at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine.

Complete the AMCAS

Candidates are required to submit an initial application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), which is provided through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). This allows for AMCAS to process and verify the completion and submission of each application, including the fee and supporting materials, before the School of Medicine reviews the file.

The AMCAS deadline for the 2024-25 application cycle is December 2, 2024.

Apply through AMCAS Visit the AAMC website

Submit MCAT and Casper Exam Scores

Medical college admission test (mcat).

All applicants must submit valid MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) scores as part of a completed application. Tests must be taken within three calendar years of the applicant's intended enrollment in medical school.

The last MCAT result that will be accepted for the 2024-25 application cycle is from the September 14, 2024 testing date.

Register for the MCAT

Casper Exam

The Casper exam, one section of the Altus Suite, is required as part of a completed application. Two other sections of the Altus Suite — Duet and Snapshot — are optional. The Casper exam can only be taken once during each application cycle and must be retaken by re-applicants. Scores from the Casper exam are considered as part of the holistic review process that aligns an applicant’s attributes with the vision and mission of the Netter School of Medicine.

The last Casper result that will be accepted for the 2024-25 application cycle is from the November 14, 2024 testing date. Score results must be received by the Office of Medical Admissions no later than December 16, 2024, but we strongly encourage you to send scores as soon as they are available. Please factor in that it can take up to 2 weeks for scores to be delivered to the admissions office after they have been ordered from Acuity Insights.

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Complete the Secondary Application

All applicants who submit a verified and completed AMCAS application will be forwarded a Secondary Application via email. Following a rigorous screening process, qualified candidates will be invited for a virtual interview. Prior to the interview date, candidates will receive an agenda consisting of meetings with students, faculty and administrators. Candidates will also be given an overview of the curriculum and student life as well as information regarding tuition and financial aid. All applicants will be required to pay the application fee of $100 or provide documentation for a waiver from the AMCAS Fee Assistance Program (FAP).

The deadline for secondary applications during the 2024-25 application cycle is December 16, 2024.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are used to assess an applicant’s motivation and suitability for medical school and for a career as a physician. Letters of recommendation should speak to the applicant's academic achievement as well as their character.

Applicants have two options for submitting letters of recommendation:

Applicants may provide a packet from the prehealth, premedical or career services office at their undergraduate or post-baccalaureate institution.

Applicants may select three individual letters of their choosing from individuals who can detail their suitability and preparedness for medical school and a career as a physician. Applicants are welcome to submit a fourth letter of recommendation for consideration, though it is not required.

The Office of Medical School Admissions will only accept letters of recommendation that have been received and processed through AMCAS. The AMCAS webpage has detailed instructions on how to submit letters.

Applicants are solely responsible for meeting established deadlines and monitoring the status of their AMCAS and Secondary Application to the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine. The Office of Admissions will communicate with applicants electronically when files are complete and verified.

Application Dates and Deadlines

September 14, 2024: Last MCAT test for application consideration

November 14, 2024: Last Casper test for application consideration

December 2, 2024: AMCAS submission deadline

December 16, 2024: Secondary application submission deadline

Admissions Interviews

Admissions officers and select faculty members review all completed applications and consider the entire applicant portfolio inclusive of AMCAS and secondary application materials.

After a holistic and comprehensive review, the Office of Medical School Admissions will invite qualified applicants for an interview via email. After an interview date is set, applicants will receive an agenda consisting of two interviews with students, faculty or administration as well as other pertinent information about the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine.

International and Transfer Applicants

International Applicants: The School of Medicine will only consider applicants who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, green card holders or those who have DACA status.

Transfer Policy: We do not accept transfer students for entrance into any year.

Accepted Students

Once the School of Medicine admissions committee makes a final decision, each accepted applicant will be informed electronically. Visit the Accepted Students Portal

Class Profile

We have fostered a teaching and learning community free of discrimination, where diversity in all its forms is celebrated and inclusivity is a responsibility shared by all. Excellence in medical education, scholarship, and the delivery of clinical care is achieved in an environment of collaboration and mutual respect.

Residency Match

The Match Day ceremony celebrates our graduating students’ achievements as they prepare to embark on the next chapter in their medical careers. Our students' impressive matches exemplify the Netter School of Medicine’s growing reputation for preparing doctors to treat the whole patient.

MCAT Immersion Program

We offer an MCAT immersion program designed to help students develop test-taking strategies and optimize their scores.

Policies and Resources

University Policies

Netter School Code of Conduct

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Contact the School of Medicine

We’re always here to help provide additional information and answer any questions you may have.

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Submission deadlines and admissions timeline

At Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, we look for more than bright minds. We seek students who want to change lives, transform health care, and define the future of medicine. Ensure you are prepared, and learn more about our submission items and deadlines.

Prerequisites and requirements

Review the academic and test prerequisites and technical standards for students applying for admission to the M.D. Program at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Find out more about our M.D. Program's acceptance rate and admissions statistics .

Transfer student policy

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine does not accept requests for advanced standing transfer from medical school students either currently or previously enrolled in another medical school program, international or domestic.

The only pathway to matriculation at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine is through application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

How to apply

Students in the M.D. Program receive outstanding integrated clinical and research training, and also acquire the skills to be leaders in an ever-changing and challenging health care environment. We encourage you to apply and join us for an unparalleled medical training experience.

Application requirements

M.d. program application requirements.

All applications submitted to AMCAS must include the following:

• Online AMCAS application:  Submit your application during the application window, between   June 1-Oct. 1.
• Transcripts:  Transcripts for all previously completed academic programs must be submitted to AMCAS by Oct. 15.
• Application processing/secondary fee: Applicants selected for secondary review will be required to pay a $120 processing fee by Nov. 1 (unless granted a fee waiver by AMCAS).
• Letters of recommendation: Applicants must submit a minimum of three individual letters or one committee letter. Review Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine letters of recommendation requirements and submit letters of recommendation through the AMCAS Letter Service by Nov. 1.
• MCAT: Applicants must complete an MCAT exam within three years of their intended matriculation (between January 2022 and September 2024 for the 2025 admissions cycle) and achieve a minimum score of 508.

M.D.-Ph.D. training program application

If you are interested in M.D.-Ph.D. training, visit the Medical Scientist Training Program website for more information.

Primary application

Complete the online application through the  American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) . Applications are accepted June 1 through Oct. 1. Given the highly competitive nature of our program, early submission of application materials is strongly encouraged.

As a national medical school, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine has one AMCAS application for our three campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. Applicants who meet our prerequisites and requirements will receive our secondary application.

• Secondary application

Applicants invited to complete a secondary application will have the opportunity to select and rank up to four campus track options:

• Arizona 4-Year Track.  The Arizona campus is your home base for all four years.
• Minnesota 4-Year Track.  The Minnesota campus is your home base for all four years.
• Arizona/Florida Track. You complete preclinical coursework on the Arizona campus and then clinical clerkships on the Florida campus.
• Minnesota/Florida Track.  You complete preclinical coursework on the Minnesota campus and then clinical clerkships on the Florida campus.

Applicants must select at least one campus track option. Options ranked will be considered at the time of interview invitation and acceptance.

An application is considered complete when the secondary application has been submitted, the $120 fee has been paid or waived, and the minimum number of letters of recommendation has been met.

Secondary application questions

Each essay must be 500 words or less.

• Why are you specifically interested in pursuing your medical education at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine? Please tell us in a few sentences why you are interested in the top track choice you indicated.
• Each of us relates to others through characteristics that make up our individual diversity. Tell us how your diversity is reflected not only in your personal and professional activities, but also in your relationship with others, particularly in diverse learning environments. 
• Letters of recommendation

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine requires a minimum of three letters of recommendation or one composite letter from a premedical committee to supplement your application.

Guidelines for letters of recommendation

• Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine only accepts letters submitted through the  American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) Letter Service . Letters sent directly to the school are not accepted. Applicants are encouraged to visit the letter service page on the AMCAS website for more information. To ensure efficient processing of your letters by AMCAS, carefully follow all instructions.
• We recommend at least one letter to be written by a science professor in the life sciences or physical sciences. A letter from a teaching assistant is also acceptable.
• Examples of letter writers include research mentors, employers, volunteer supervisors, physicians with whom you have worked or shadowed, teachers and professors, and other professionals.
• Letters should be written by people who know you well and whose opinions convey the likelihood of your success in medical school.
• Letters from family and friends are not accepted. 
• A maximum of 10 letters are accepted.
• The deadline to submit letters of recommendation is Nov. 1.

Application review process

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine has a separate admissions committee for each campus. Each of these committees is composed of current and retired Mayo Clinic staff, administrators, allied health staff, medical students, and professional members of the community. These three admissions committees report to the Admissions Executive Committee that governs admissions for all campuses of the national medical school.

Applications are typically routed to an applicant's first track choice for holistic review. At review, admissions committee members evaluate all application materials to determine whether to invite for interview, place the application on hold, or reject.

Holistic review

Our admissions committee members evaluate these application factors in relation to our mission when deciding which applicants to invite for interview.

• Academic performance
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA (graduate GPA trajectory if applicable)
• Depth and breadth of experiences; community and volunteer service, leadership, research, exposure to and exploration of medicine, artistic and athletic endeavors, and work experiences
• Personal statement

Learn more about the  M.D. Program prerequisites and admissions requirements .

Campus interviews

Interviews allow us to meet the applicants we have read so much about. These interviews also allow applicants to meet the admissions committee members, current students, and some of their potential classmates. We are happy to answer all your questions and look forward to meeting you.

Interview invitations

Depending on your selection and rank of campus track in the secondary application, you could be invited to interview with any of our three campuses.

Applicants who select more than one campus track option will only be invited to interview with one campus, taking into consideration the specific rank of preference. That interview will count as your interview for the other campus tracks that were selected in your secondary application.

Interviews are virtual, video interviews.

Interview invitations are emailed August through November, and conducted from September through December. These time frames are subject to change.

Before your interview

Each admissions committee reviews completed applications and selects qualified applicants for interviews. Applicants invited to interview will receive campus specific information prior to their interview experience.

Interview day

Applicants invited to interview will participate in:

• Welcome sessions
• Two, one-on-one, 30-minute, virtual interviews
• A virtual tour of campus
• Connecting with current students
• Question-and-answer sessions

Our goal is to make sure you are just as connected to us virtually, as you would be if you were visiting on campus. We want you to feel at home!

After interview day

Our admissions committees meet weekly throughout the admissions cycle to deliberate on applicant interviews. We encourage applicants to stay in touch by uploading update letters into the admissions portal. Our committee members enjoy reading these updates!

Admission decisions

Early decision and rolling admissions.

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine does not have an early decision program or rolling admissions.

Application updates and status

We like to hear from our applicants! Significant application updates are accepted at any time.

• Updates should be uploaded directly into the admissions portal as a PDF document.
• We do not require or accept any updates to transcripts or grades.
• Materials should not be mailed to our office unless specifically requested.
• Application statuses can be checked through the admissions portal throughout the admissions cycle.

Acceptance, alternate list, and rejections

We make acceptance decisions when all interviews are complete on each campus, and when our admissions committees have deliberated on all applicants. 

Initial offers of acceptance are typically made in mid-February. The Admissions Executive Committee could consider all campus track options that an applicant indicated on their secondary application at the time of acceptance, regardless of where they interviewed. All offers of acceptance begin with a phone call from a member of our admissions committee to the accepted applicant.

Alternate list

Alternate list emails are sent once initial offers of acceptance have been communicated. Offers of acceptance from the alternate list may be extended between March and June.

Initial rejection emails are sent once initial acceptances and alternate list offers are made. Alternate list rejections will be made at the end of the admissions cycle.

Second look

Accepted applicants will be invited to attend a virtual second look information session, as well as the opportunity to visit our campus in-person in the spring. 

Deferred matriculation

Requests for deferred matriculation are only available to accepted applicants. 

Accepted applicants who would like to apply for deferral must write to the Office of Admissions stating their reason for requesting deferral and their proposed plans for the duration of the deferral by May 15. Deferred matriculation requests are not guaranteed to be granted. If approved, deferrals are typically granted for one year to two years.

AMCAS: Choose Your Medical School protocol

Applicants can find more information on the AAMC website about the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool .

Applicants should notify all schools promptly of their enrollment plan in accordance with the AAMC Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants . Applicants who do not comply with this protocol may be subject to having their acceptance rescinded.

Please keep in mind the following information and deadlines specific to the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine:

Application window

Applications are accepted June 1-Oct. 1 each year.

How to Apply

A complete application to the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine consists of:

• A verified AMCAS application
• MCAT score(s)
• A completed secondary application (view our 2024-25 secondary questions here )
• Required letters of recommendation
• Payment of the application fee (unless fee has been waived)

The University of Chicago uses the online  American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) . Every student who submits an application through AMCAS will receive a Pritzker School of Medicine Secondary Application by email.

The Secondary Application requires a non-refundable fee of $95, which may be waived if the applicant has been granted the  AMCAS Fee Assistance Program . Students who feel that the secondary application fee is a barrier to their application are encouraged to contact us directly. In addition, applicants must submit letters of recommendation. To fulfill our letters of recommendation requirement, applicants may submit:

• At least one committee letter, composite letter, or premedical advisor's letter, OR
• A minimum of three individual letters

There is no maximum letter limit, but we strongly encourage quality over quantity. If you are submitting individual letters of recommendation, two letters of recommendation should come from science faculty. If your committee/composite/advisor letter does not include supporting letters from faculty in full, we strongly recommend submitting individual letters in addition to the committee/composite/advisor letter.

When the application materials are complete, the Admissions Committee reviews the candidate's AMCAS application, secondary application, and letters of recommendation. If an applicant's credentials have been favorably reviewed, the applicant is invited to interview via email. More information on the interview process is provided at that time.

Please see the timeline below for important dates and deadlines.

Below is our annual application timeline. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the next business day.

Beginning with the 2021 application cycle, the Pritzker School of Medicine discontinued the Early Decision program, and all applicants should apply on the regular decision timeline listed above.

We expect our applicants to be completely truthful in every aspect of their application to medical school. An “application” includes the full AMCAS application, letters of recommendation, our secondary application, and any other supplemental material you may provide to us. If we suspect that there is a misrepresentation on your application, we will first give you a chance to explain the discrepancy. If your explanation does not adequately assuage our concerns about the misrepresentation, we will notify AMCAS of the discrepancy in accordance with its  Policies and Procedures for Investigating Reported Violations of Admission and Enrollment Standards . We reserve the right to revoke an offer of interview or of admission if a misrepresentation has occurred.

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here . If your question is not answered on our website, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].

Arts & Sciences

The MedPrep Program

• Letters of Recommendation

How many letters of recommendation should I have for my medical school application? Students should have at least two letters from science professors and another two from other sources (other courses, coaches, directors at volunteer organizations, etc.).

Who should I choose to write my letters of recommendation? Your letter writer should know you relatively well.  They should have a knowledge of your academic credentials, but also who you are and why they would recommend you for medical school.  This may be a professor with whom you have worked but may also be their graduate teaching assistant.  The important thing is that the letter writer knows you well.  It is hard in intro classes (which are very large) to get to know the professor, but you can ameliorate this by going to office hours and reaching out.  Also, upper-level classes are usually smaller and allow for more personal attention and interactions.

How soon should I ask for my letter of recommendation? Request the letter about two months in advance and be clear about the deadline for submission.  Your letter writer likely has a lot on their plate and may not be able to get to it right away.  You are responsible for asking for the letter and for following up with the faculty member.  If you ask them for a letter shortly before it is due, they may feel rushed, shows that you don’t respect their time, shows poor planning, and may result in a less than stellar letter.   However, do send a gentle reminder 2-3 weeks before the deadline, just in case.  Many faculty will appreciate the follow-up.

Should I waive my right to see my letters of recommendation? Yes.  Otherwise, the admissions committee may wonder why it is important for you to see your letter and be concerned that the letter is not an honest evaluation.

• What Should I Do Prior to Applying to Medical School?
• Volunteer and Extracurricular Activities
• Physician Shadowing
• Taking a Gap Year
• Applying to Medical School
• The Interview
• International Medical Schools
• Institutional and Judicial Actions or Medical Leaves of Absence

• Request Info
• Departments
• Community Service
• Patient Care
• Give to SLU Medicine
• Search & Directory

How to Apply

The Saint Louis University School of Medicine encourages applications from students who have achieved a high level of academic performance and who manifest in their personal lives qualities compatible with a career that serves society.

The University's mission statement affirms the value of a diverse educational environment to prepare students for life and work in a global society. To foster this mission, the SLU School of Medicine strives to recruit, admit, retain and graduate a diverse student body. Besides ethnicity, this diversity encompasses differences based on gender, culture and economic circumstances.

Learn About SLU’s M.D. Program

Find Application Requirements

Get Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Application Service

Saint Louis University is one of many medical schools using the American Medical College Application Service . AMCAS allows you to submit application materials to multiple participating medical schools while requiring only one set of official academic transcripts. Saint Louis University School of Medicine uses a rolling admissions process.

The AMCAS application becomes available each spring and the deadline for submission of materials is Nov. 15.

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 655 K Street NW, Suite 100 Washington, D.C. 20001 202-828-0600 [email protected]  

SLU-Specific Materials

Application information that is pertinent to all medical schools is on the AMCAS form. Still, your application to SLU will only be considered for evaluation when the Committee on Admissions receives all of the following materials:

• Verified AMCAS application
• MCAT scores (Applicants must achieve a highest total score of 498 or above to be considered)
• AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam (applicants are encouraged to register early; registration closes on Thursday, Aug. 29. )
• Supplemental application
• Letters of recommendation
• Application fee*

* This non-refundable fee helps defray the cost of processing applications and reviewing credentials. Fee waivers may be granted only to those applicants for whom AMCAS previously waived its application fee.

The Committee on Admissions is unable to assume responsibility for notifying candidates of missing application materials. It is, therefore, most important that you determine that we receive the required credentials. Inquiries by email are encouraged.

The deadline for the receipt of all application materials is Dec. 15.

Additional transcripts reflecting your current grades must be sent to the committee at the end of each quarter or semester to supply information concerning your progress. Action on your application may be delayed if these are not submitted.

Early Decision Program

If you are applying only to Saint Louis University and would prefer to have an admission decision by Oct. 1, you may file through AMCAS under the Early Decision Program (EDP).

Under the EDP, you must submit all required credentials to AMCAS and a complete application to the School of Medicine by Aug. 1.

Applicants who choose this route may not apply to any other medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) prior to the EDP admissions decision.

If the committee accepts you on admissions through this process, you must attend Saint Louis University School of Medicine and not apply elsewhere. If the committee does not accept you as an early decision candidate, you will be considered as a regular candidate and can apply to other schools after Oct. 1. Only applicants with exceptional credentials should pursue the Early Decision Program.

Notification

SLUSOM’s Committee on Admissions is not able to interview every applicant. Therefore, we invite only a select few for an interview and virtual presentation of the Health Sciences Center.

Following that, each applicant is discussed in detail. The committee strives to evaluate each application in its entirety and only then make a decision.

Application status decisions start Oct. 15. These statuses are accepted, not accepted or deferred.

By April 30, most applicants, except those on deferred status, will have received a final decision on their candidacy.

It should be noted that acceptances are contingent upon applicants maintaining high academic performance and their continued demonstration of personal behavior reflecting integrity, excellence in character and other personality traits deemed appropriate for a doctor of medicine.

Helpful Information

Letters of recommendation.

Letters of recommendation in support of your application are required for a complete application. If your school has a pre-medical advisory committee, a letter from the committee is sufficient, and you also have the option to supplement your committee letter with two additional letters of your choosing. If your school does not have a committee, please request three letters of recommendation. At least one of these letters should be from a college or university science professor. The two additional letters are your choice and may be from an individual that you worked with (research mentor, shadowed physician, service organizer, etc.) who may also speak to your strengths. An insightful and in-depth evaluation by someone who knows you is of greater value than a recapitulation of your academic work. While not required, the admissions committee greatly appreciates seeing a letter from a clinical or service experience that was longitudinal and meaningful to you. 

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all of the necessary documents reach the Committee on Admissions. Please remember that your application is incomplete until all letters of recommendation have been received. Please do not send additional letters of recommendation, only the three required letters.

Personal Interview

Interviews of selected applicants will be conducted by invitation. Interviews will be conducted virtually for the 2025 application cycle. 

Interviews with the Committee on Admissions are absolutely necessary. Because the interview schedule is crowded, make every effort to attend the interview on the date selected to prevent possible exclusion later due to scheduling problems.

Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research

Applying to Medical School

Middlebury, along with other top undergraduate schools, provides an evaluation process conducted by a faculty committee, the Health Professions Committee, that results in a letter of endorsement in support of candidates. This campus review process begins in the fall preceding the summer in which your application is initiated.

Middlebury College students and alumni are eligible to go through the committee process if they are applying to medical school. Those who have completed post baccalaureate programs will likely want to receive endorsement from that institution as it will most accurately represent their medical school candidacy.

Medical School Application Timeline

Internal Review Forms/Resources

Health Professions Committee Readiness Self-Assessment - due Nov 15th

Health Professions Committee Registration Form ( available after review of Self-Assessment ) - due Dec 15th

Dossier Waiver

HPC Applicant Information Form

Sample Completed HPC Applicant Information Form

Personal Essay/Statement

Letters of Recommendation 

Letters of Recommendation for Committee Letter - including at least 2  BCPM

Sample LOR Request Letter ( for candidates )

AAMC Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Recommendation for a Medical School Candidate ( for letter writers )

Application Resources

Building a School List

Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR): Reports for Applicants and Advisors

AMCAS Medical School Application Process

Entering Coursework on AMCAS: FAQs & Examples

Medical School Primary Application: FAQs & Examples

AACOMAS Medical School Application Process

Situational Judgement Tests  &  link to confidentially submit scores

The Committee Letter

Health Professions Committee Letter

AMCAS Committee Letter Request Instructions

AACOMAS Committee Letter Request Instructions

TMDSAS Committee Letter Request Instructions

Medical School Interviews

Sample Interview Questions

Interview Offers Form - ( complete for each interview offered )

Tufts Blogs

Current tufts students, inside admissions, how to write a great letter of recommendation.

To the teachers and counselors working hard to support students – thank you so much for your hard work! We have the privilege of reading more than 30,000 applications and an integral piece of each student application are the letters of recommendation we review from teachers and counselors. For many files, these letters share valuable insight into how students will interact with one another in our classrooms, dining halls, and other places on campus. With the school year around the corner, I wanted to share advice on creating a strong letter as well as some thoughts we have when reviewing applications.

When our committee reviews an application, we are on the search for two broad categories: academic potential and student experiences/perspectives. Why? Well, we want to see if a student will be set up for success in our rigorous academic programs and we want to get a better understanding of how each student will contribute to the community at Tufts. 

Centering your letter around these two ideas is a starting point. The first pitfall we see is when a recommender doesn’t know what their student is including in their application . Students are required to send in their transcripts and a list of their extracurricular activities. If your letter tells us that a student got As in math and science and that they are a varsity swimmer, that’s probably going to be something we learn somewhere else in the application. 

The recommendation letter is a unique opportunity to show a side of the student that they cannot write about. Instead of rehashing what is already in the application, write about the the context behind the student . 

That A+ Jeremy got in Calculus? He was the only person to do that in his class of 300 students.

Denise is a varsity swimmer? She swims the fastest 100m the school has seen in 7 years.

Samantha may have received a C in AP Spanish, but she commutes 45 minutes to school each way and was the only student in the school who took the exam. She got a 4.

Another way to provide context in your recommendation letter is through anecdotes. It’s the old adage: “ Show don’t tell ”. Instead of telling us that a student is a hard worker, a leader in the classroom, or a kind friend, show us examples using short anecdotes to highlight moments that we might see if this student is on our campus.

Anecdotes can be short, two to three sentences long that highlight an otherwise standard superlative. We don’t need three pages of growth narrative from their ninth grade year, one solid page is perfect.

“Every day before school, Isaiah arrives early to ask questions about topics that we covered the previous week. He pulls out his folder and the details in his notes are far above that of most students I teach.” 

“Our school receives new students frequently, and during every study hall I see Maria introducing herself and starting conversations with her new peers. She goes out of her way to make them feel welcome, I’ve even had a new student come to me and say that without Maria they would have felt lost.”

At Tufts, we see so many amazing students with different personalities and in our application pool. We like them all! We want a mix of leaders and team-members, extroverted and introverted, students who know exactly what they want to study and those who are excited to figure it out when they get to college. There isn’t one “type” of student that finds success in our review process .

As we review a file, we build an impression of a student through their writing, their activities, and their grades. Your letters are not just a confirmation that our understanding of the student is correct, but can become an expansion of the student’s application. Your letters are what allow us to have a fuller understanding of the impact a student has on their current community, and potentially the community we have at Tufts.

With the Fall semester around the corner, we look forward to receiving and reading your thoughtful letters of recommendation!