I’ve heard from several clients who have already been accepted to medical school this cycle. Congratulations! I’ve also heard from several clients who have been waitlisted. Congratulations! The waitlist can feel like a disappointment, but it’s important to see it for what it is – a potential acceptance.

One of the hard parts of being on a waitlist is the uncertainty. We humans like to be in control! One way to alleviate this discomfort is to do something. Assuming the school you’re waitlisted at allows communication through their portal, email, or snail mail, I recommend sending a letter of interest (LOI).

When writing your LOI, you should have the following goals:

1. Restating your strong enthusiasm for the institution
2. Positioning yourself as a distinctive candidate who can contribute fully to the school
3. Showcasing any updates to your candidacy. (If you don’t have updates, you should still write the LOI.)

LOI errors to avoid:

1. Don’t include generic content about the institution’s advantages, meaning don’t waste valuable “geography” telling a medical school admissions officer what makes his/her institution special. Using precious space this way is an opportunity cost, keeping you from fully showcasing what makes you a compelling applicant. Instead, a good technique is to link one of your particular accomplishments with a distinctive opportunity at the institution. For example if you’ve done cancer research, make sure to showcase it and point out that you’ll contribute to the renowned oncology center the institution is associated with.
2. Don’t focus on how the school will help you. (“Your medical school will assist me in reaching my career goals.”) Your angle instead, should be on how you will be a contributor to their institution. For example, you can detail how one of your leadership experiences has given you the tools to make you a future leader at this institution. (It’s the “What have you done for me lately?” Janet Jackson principle.)

Finally, let me say that I find the term “letter of interest” to be better than the old jargon “letter of intent” because, generally, I don’t recommend you let institutions know what your intent is (since it might change). Note that with a letter of interest you can create one general letter that you modify and send to multiple institutions with different goals (i.e. if you are placed on another waitlist, to request an interview, or to demonstrate your interest post-interview at another medical school). You can also modify the letter and send it to your top choices because, if you are not making a commitment to one school, then you can honestly use it for multiple institutions. 

For those of you interested in LOI assistance for medical school, please contact me.