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I Wish I Had Known

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I was recently speaking to a colleague who graduated with his MD from UCSF and his MPH from Harvard. He’s a successful, practicing physician, and we were discussing some advice he had offered an undergraduate acquaintance who is pursuing medicine.

My colleague had advised the college student to ensure she gets to know faculty: During his undergraduate years at Stanford, my colleague had gotten acquainted with a few professors by inviting them to lunch. He had to call one or two several times before they met with him! But once they did, my colleague’s opportunities really expanded. One of the professors in particular realized my colleague’s potential and good nature and offered him a position on an honor committee and a strong medical school recommendation.

I wish someone had advised me early to get to know faculty. It turned out okay for me but not without having to do some hard thinking about whom I was going to ask for faculty recommendations. Acquainting yourself with faculty early in your academic career can afford you research and leadership opportunities. Of course, it can also help you with those much-needed letters of recommendation.

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Being Repetitive… Again and Again and Again

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In writing their personal statements, many applicants ask me if it’s okay to include their accomplishments. After all, they say, their achievements have already been noted in the application, dean’s letter, and letters of recommendation. Think of the medical admissions process as an onion. Your application (AMCAS, ERAS, post bacc CV, AADSAS) and letters serve as one layer of that onion, albeit a thin one. In other words, your accomplishments are conveyed simply and succinctly there. The personal statement is your opportunity to apply a thicker layer, one in which you flesh out your achievements, thus persuading the reader of your distinctiveness. Finally, the interview is your chance to add on the thickest peel. Discussing your accomplishments in detail can seal the interviewer’s positive impression of you. So yes, you are going to be redundant throughout the application process, but each part serves a different and additive purpose. If you do not include your achievements in your personal statement, how will you be viewed as distinctive? Remember: Who you are is what you’ve done… and what traits and skills you’ve gained accordingly.

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Is It Kosher?

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My advisees often have questions about the ethics of letters of recommendation (LOR).

First, some applicants tell me they feel guilty because – although they waived their right to see their LORs – their writers gave them their letters to read. If your letter writer crafts your LOR understanding that s/he has no obligation to let you read it yet chooses to offer you a copy, you have done nothing unethical. That decision is the letter writer’s.

Furthermore, I’ve had applicants tell me they feel uncomfortable because faculty have told them to write their own recommendation letters after which the letter “writers” will edit and sign. Again, totally kosher. This topic was recently addressed here by the ethicist in the New York Times.

Remember to start early in asking faculty to write your recommendations. LORs almost always take longer than you think.

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Getting to Know Faculty

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When I conduct Strategy Sessions with medical and dental school applicants, I notice a recurring problem: It’s hard to get very strong academic letters of recommendation, especially at colleges with large classes.

So I’m here to offer a piece of advice to those just starting their university studies: Get to know your profs. In addition to keeping your grades up from the beginning of your college career, acquainting yourself well with your teachers is one of the most important pieces of advice I can give to the new pre-med. Go to office hours, send an email invite for a lunch meeting or approach the faculty member about working in his or her laboratory.

In addition to being strategic, these relationships can fill a mentorship role that is invaluable.

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Submitting your Medical School Letters of Recommendation

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Your medical school recommenders have several options for submitting their letters to AMCAS. You want to make the process as convenient as possible for the writers, and different ones may have different preferences. So offer each writer all feasible alternatives. If your recommender plans to send the letter by snail mail, provide him or her with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Here are the options:

1. AMCAS Letter Writer Application: This application enables letter writers to upload documents securely to AMCAS rather than send letters via the mail. If you are interested in this option, and can upload a PDF version of your letter, make note of the requesting applicant’s AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID included above and go to https://services.aamc.org/letterwriter. You will need to register for your own AAMC account in order to use this service.

2. Interfolio: AMCAS can receive letters sent to Interfolio if the student requesting this letter is an Interfolio user or your
institution/organization uses Interfolio to deliver letters of evaluation/recommendation.

3. Mail your letter: If you select this option, please attach this form to your letter(s) and mail to:
AMCAS, attn: AMCAS Letters
AAMC Medical School Application Services
P.O. Box 18958
Washington, DC 20036

4. VirtualEvals (VE): VE is available to members of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP). If you are a VE user, make note of the requesting student’s AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID included above and upload your letter(s) to VE.

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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