When medical schools evaluate applicants, one of the fundamental questions they ask is what qualities set you apart. While it may be challenging for you to list your own strengths without sounding conceited, individuals who have supervised or taught you in different capacities can comment on your aptitudes in letters of recommendation.
Recommendation letters are extremely valuable in the admissions process because they give the admission committee the opportunity to learn about your strengths and weaknesses from an unbiased third party who is a figure of authority in a certain discipline.
Most medical schools like to receive four or five recommendation letters from individuals who can comment on myriad characteristics, including your intellect, work ethic, passion for medicine, professionalism, integrity and compassion toward others.
[Read med school recommendation letters that helped applicants.]
Here are four individuals who can serve as strong recommenders and the qualities each should emphasize in their recommendations.
1. Science or nonscience professor: Most medical schools require letters of recommendation from both science and nonscience professors. You should get letters from professors in whose classes you received an A and with whom you have had personal interactions. For example , consider getting a letter from a professor with whom you interacted in office hours or whose class was small enough that he or she got to know you well.
Medical school is academically rigorous, and many schools are shifting toward curricul ums that involve problem-based learning, group learning and self-directed learning approaches. Science professors who write letters of recommendation for you should comment on your aptitudes in these areas.
A nonscience professor can serve as a valuable reference by highlighting your ability to perform well in other academic disciplines . In so doing, this professor can demonstrate that you are intellectually well-rounded and possess an understanding of nonscience disciplines, such as the humanities or arts, that would enable you to connect on a human level with patients.
[Learn about five ways nonscience courses prepare students for medical school.]
2. A physician: If you have worked with a physician as a volunteer, through a shadowing experience or as an assistant, you should consider asking this individual for a recommendation. However, the physician needs to know you well to write a strong letter.
If possible, avoid getting a generic letter of recommendation from a medical doctor whom you have only shadowed on a few occasions; instead, ask a physician with whom you have had a continuous relationship over at least several months. If you are applying to osteopathic medical schools, get a letter from an osteopathic physician.
The physician’s letter should address your passion for the medical profession, and the physician should reflect on whether you have a mature understanding of the medical profession as well as highlight your compassion by elaborating on how you interacted with patients.
Another topic the physician should cover in this type of letter is your professionalism. Were you professional in your interactions with other members of the health care team? Were you punctual and reliable? Medical schools want to make sure that they train physicians who will go on to conduct themselves in a professional manner under all circumstances.
[Learn how to find the right physician shadowing experience.]
3. A research mentor: A research mentor can be a great resource for a letter of recommendation because he or she can further comment on your intellect, problem-solving skills, ability to learn independently and aptitude to think critically. These are valuable traits that can help you navigate the rigors of medical school, especially with the growing emphasis on problem-based learning.
These traits are also important because new information is being added to the medical landscape on a daily basis. As a future physician, you are expected to constantly study this new information, appraise it and apply it to achieve better health outcomes for patients.
4. A supervisor who can comment on your leadership: Leadership skills are important, because physicians working in health care teams have to make executive decisions, delegate tasks and lead teams of health care providers. In addition, if you possess strong leadership skills, it suggests that you may have the potential to become a future leader in your field and advance the medical profession.
If you have served in a leadership capacity on a campus club, a national organization or a community project, your supervisor could serve as a great resource for a letter of recommendation. This person should comment on your leadership style, your ability to take initiative and your capacity to work with different personalities.
Remember this list is not exhaustive and not all applicants will have letters from individuals in all four categories. However we advise you to at least obtain letters from professors and a physician.
Keeping these points in mind, you will be able to put together a repertoire of strong letters that highlight your key strengths through objective unbiased third parties who know you well and can attest to your potential to become a great physician.
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4 People to Tap for Strong Medical School Recommendations originally appeared on usnews.com
