Looking for a Pre-Health Advisor?
▪ Check your school’s advising website
▪ Check out National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions
▪ Get connected with an advisor:
▪ https://www.naahp.org/public-resources/student-resources/find-an-advisor
▪ See if your school has an NAAHP advisor:
▪ https://www.naahp.org/public-resources/student-resources/find-an-
advisor/locate-an-advisor-by-institution
Looking for shadowing opportunities during the pandemic?
▪ Virtual Shadowing Program created by CU Faculty!
▪ Watch over the shoulder of one of our physicians, nurse practitioners, or PAs as they go
bedside in the ED to assess and diagnose a simulated patient. Each video is followed-
up by a series of questions posed to the student and then a summary by the physician.
A short quiz on the topic addressed finalizes each class.
▪ 14 hours of shadowing material
▪ Apply for a Certificate of Completion from the University of Colorado School of Medicine
for a $50 fee
▪ If the fee is a barrier, just email them
▪ https://www.coloradowm.org/courses/pre-med/virtual-shadowing-nano-course-
emergency-medicine/
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of Recommendation (LORs)
WHO TO ASK?
▪ Doctors, PIs, professors, extracurricular coordinators, job supervisors, religious leader
▪ Range of individuals to highlight different aspects of you & your application
▪ Important: If applying DO, AACOMAS will ask for a DO LOR
WHEN TO ASK?
▪ The earlier the better
▪ Give them a date you would need the letter by
▪ They know when they need to work on it & can complete it in time
▪ Can be stored on third party sites -- keep confidentiality (Interfolio)
HOW MANY SHOULD YOU GET?
▪ Try to get 2-6 letters
DO SOME RESEARCH
▪ Does your school have committee letters
▪ Medical school LOR requirements (science professors, humanities, volunteering, etc.)
Tips:
- Talk to professors at the beginning of
the course
- Send letter writers your resume,
personal statement, etc. and specific
characteristics/qualities you would like
them to attest to.
LOR - What should be in a LOR
▪ Provide writers official Guidelines for Writing a Letter from the AAMC
▪ Writers should provide stories/concrete examples of times you demonstrated
Core Competencies for Entering Med Students
▪ Ask different writers to speak to different competencies
Tips:
▪ Provide a packet with Personal Statement draft, CV/updates, and other useful
documents like thos listed above (also see Email Correspondence Example)
▪ Use thank you cards to nudge/remind writers when the deadline is soon
▪ Ask your premed advisor to proof LORs if a writer is new to this process
Emailing a Letter Writer (previously agreed to write one)
Hi [Letter Writer]!
Thank you so much for writing a letter of recommendation in support of my application to medical school. I just took the MCAT
yesterday, and I’ll get my scores back in about one month – things are getting very real, but I’m looking forward to having a little more
breathing room and getting to enjoy some of my hobbies again! In the event that you might still find it helpful, I’ve attached a copy of my
CV that includes awards, employment, volunteering experience and the like from both my undergraduate and postbaccalaureate
experience. Other resources that might be helpful include the list of pre-medical competencies published by the AAMC that can be
helpful when structuring a letter. These are traits and skills that many medical schools use when evaluating an application, so letters
that speak to some of these competencies tend to be very helpful. Those competencies can be found here, and the main page for the
AMCAS Letter Service is here, which may include answers to any other questions you have. Also attached is the letter request form
that needs to accompany your letter, regardless of how it’s submitted. It contains my AAMC application ID, as well as the specific letter
ID that will help match the correct letters to the correct application (and on my end, to make sure get those letters sent to the correct
school). While you might be familiar with the process already, there are three methods to upload a letter; all of my schools are using the
AMCAS Letter Service, and their application works pretty seamlessly, so that might be the simplest route to go. You go to
https://services.aamc.org/letterwriter.”
Thank you,
[Student]
Emailing a Letter Writer (has not agreed to write one)
Hi [Potential Letter Writer]!
I hope your time out east with your family has been super helpful (and restful)! I know the Daily staff has missed having you around – I
filled in once, but I’ve been so horrifically busy since January that I haven’t been able to help out many of the times that Nina asked!
I’m gearing up to apply to medical schools this May/June, and since I’m considered a non-traditional student (I’ve been out of
undergrad for some time now), some of my letters of recommendation can come from current and previous employers. If you feel that
you might have the time and energy I was wondering if you would be willing and able to write a positive letter of recommendation in
support of my application.
I’m still figuring out how the application process works, but I believe that once the applications open in May, I can simply send you a
link where you can upload a letter. This letter then gets sent to the schools depending on the individual specifications for each program
(how many employer letters they’d like, how many academic letters, volunteer letters, etc.).
If this isn’t going to be feasible for you right now, I completely understand, but I wanted to ask you since I really have valued my time at
the Daily (as limited as it is now!) and because I have really enjoyed working for and with you in my time in Jackson! Please just let me
know if this sounds like something you may or may not be able to take on.
Thank you,
[Student]
AAMC Core Competencies
Pre-Professional Competencies Thinking and Reasoning Competencies Science Competencies
▪
Service Orientation
▪
Critical Thinking
▪
Living Systems
▪
Social Skills
▪
Quantitative Reasoning
▪
Human Behavior
▪
Cultural Competence
▪
Scientific Inquiry
▪
Teamwork
▪
Written Communication
▪
Oral Communication
▪ Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
▪
Reliability and Dependability
▪
Resilience and Adaptability
▪
Capacity for Improvement
What does CUSOM say?
▪ How many letters do you require?
▪ 3 to 5 letters
▪ If a school offers a committee letter, do you want to see one?
▪ Yes
▪ If a student sends the maximum number of letters, do you read
them all?
▪ Yes
▪ Do you prefer 3 vs 5 letters?
▪ There is no need to have 5 letters, just make sure that every letter is strong and
from someone who knows you really well
▪ What makes a great letter of recommendation?
▪ Have someone write it that knows you well and in a longitudinal fashion
▪ What mistakes do students make?
▪ A common mistake is getting letters from someone who doesn’t know you well. The
letter might say “they were in my biology class and got an A”
LOR Example
School Requirements
Premed Course Requirements
Every med school has different requirements!
In general:
▪ 1 year biology WITH lab
▪ 1 year general chemistry WITH lab
▪ 1 year organic chemistry WITH lab
▪ 1 year physics WITH lab
▪ 1 year English/Humanities
▪ 1 year math
▪ 1 semester biochemistry
TIPS: Course Requirements
▪ You don’t need to be a science major!
▪ Check if schools take AP credits
▪ Consider timing your classes to help prepare for the MCAT
▪ Might be able to use “unusual” courses to satisfy requirements (e.g.,
Mechanical engineering lab for physics lab requirement; anthropology for
genetics course)
▪ Work with the medical school you are applying to
▪ Save your syllabus/course description
▪ Double check course requirements for each school in case there is something
unique!
Creating a School List
What to consider when picking where to apply
▪ Location
▪ Stats
▪ GPA, MCAT
▪ Requirements
▪ Pre-requisite courses
▪ Mission
▪ Curriculum
▪ 2 year didactic or shortened didactics
▪ CUSOM transitioned to 1 year
▪ Clinical rotation
▪ Traditional vs longitudinal
▪ Special programs
▪ MD/PhD, MD/MPH, tracks (global, rural, research)
▪ Tuition cost
▪ Residency placement success rate
▪ Learning environment, facilities
▪ Out of state acceptance %
▪ Any “ties” to the school
▪ Public vs Private- Public may accept more in-state
students
▪ Make an argument of why you’ll fit the new community
How the AAMC organizes how to choose a school
What is the MSAR?
▪ Compiles all up to date information that is relevant to applicants in one place
for each school.
▪ Matriculant demographics
▪ Primary application information
▪ Letter of evaluation information
▪ Research information and opportunities
▪ Combined degrees and special programs
▪ Application deadlines
▪ Enrollment data
▪ Campus type
▪ Mission statements
▪ Where schools accept applicants from
PRICE:
1 year = $28
2 year = $36
2 year subscription included with the
AAMC Fee Assistance Program
Example MSAR Page
Other Ways to Build your Medical School List
▪ LIzzy M score - Student Doctor Network
Tips
▪ Some schools have an agreement to be an “in state school” for “out of state
applicants”
▪ WWAMI
▪ Utah
▪ Talk to your pre-med advisor (or find one on NAAHP)
▪ Make an excel sheet to organize your schools
▪ How to you think about “out of state friendly” schools:
https://www.reddit.com/r/premed/comments/iz4rj4/what_percentage_of_a_student
_body_is_considered/
▪ Reddit how to make a school list: https://www.reddit.com/r/premed/wiki/schoollist
▪ Disclaimer: Reddit threads are one person’s opinion, but may help you conceptualize
PreMD Exit Survey
Please complete our survey!
Thank you!
Questions?
