How to Get Letters of Recommendation

The only way to receive good letters of recommendation is to actually develop good relationships with your professors. Medical schools often require 3-5 recommendations, so does that mean develop good relationships with 3-5 Profs? No! You are missing the point. The point is to get out, explore the campus, be a sociable person and get to know the people who are either teaching you or conducting research or serving patients. An additional benefit would be finding a class where the professor is also a clinician. So what classifies a good relationship? It is a relationship that has existed longer than a year in which you and your instructor/mentor have had a direct relationship with each other.

How do I do that?

The nice thing is that you have many options.

The first thing I suggest for you is to find a clinician who could be your mentor. Go to the internet and look for clinicians at your school or a nearby school whose specialty you are especially interested in. There are usually multiple resources at you school. When you meet this clinician ask them how they got to where they are. Ask them multiple questions. If they don’t turn out to be the right person to mentor you then ask them who they think will be the right person.

I also suggest taking seminars or classes where you can have better contact with the professor. This is often a great place to learn about a Prof’s research. These classes also avoid typical pre-med classes where you can get to know students from other disciplines. So when you are searching for courses, look for the ones with in general smaller enrollment. This will increase your chances of being on a personal basis with your professor. Profs are also great resources for mentors or as people who can point you to a mentor with similar interests. You should be able to get great recommendations from Profs in your seminars if you devote time to getting to know them.

Your last recommendation should come from someone who you have done some type of research with. I cannot emphasize how important research is to becoming a better physician. So let me emphasize it again with other reasons. If you work in a laboratory for three years, do well working on a team, present decent results, and get to know the principal investigator well, chances are you will get a great letter of recommendation.

Here are some practical guidelines. Make sure the people you choose know you well. The worst recommendation is “This student got an A in my class. The End.” You laugh, but this happens often. This is best for you in the end because:

The med schools get an in depth perspective about the special person you are.
You get a longer recommendation. One in which someone cares to put meticulous effort to present you at your best.
You have recommendation where someone truly wants you to get into medical school.

So the point is, work on something long term and become an essential part of a team. Do well and there is a great chance you will receive one of your best recommendations.

When you ask your Profs for recommendations, make sure you give them six months to one month notice. This is very professional since they are extremely busy and have multiple tasks ahead of them. Make sure you meet with them and give them some materials all in one package, including

1. Addressed and stamped envelopes

2. Your CV

3. A personal letter with any pertinent information (when it is due at different school, etc)

4. A copy of your personal statement.

5. Your transcript (if flattering).

6. A self addressed postcard to indicate the recommendation was sent.

Most importantly, let your recommenders know how much you appreciate their help and comments. A nice thank you note should do the trick.