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Among the requirements of most medical schools are letters of evaluation from your University. These evaluation letters, submitted on your behalf by the Health Professions Advisor, are an important component of your total application. Generally, letters of evaluation (sometimes referred to as letters of recommendation) originate from the undergraduate institution that the student is attending and may take a different format depending on the size and traditions of the University. The following are the most commonly asked questions that should help premedical and other health professions students with this phase of the application process. |
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What type of evaluation procedure does Rice University use in assisting premedical applicants? There are several accepted procedures that are commonly used in Health Professions Evaluations: 1) the evaluation form (usually included in the application packets), 2) the committee evaluation based on your interviews with a group of professors, and 3) the individual evaluation in the form of a detailed evaluation by the Health Professions Advisor. Because of the size of Rice and our ability to provide personalized student-professor contact, we use the individual letters of evaluation from the Health Professions Advisor. It and other letters of evaluation are photocopied and submitted as a packet to each medical school to which you have applied. Who should I ask to write my evaluation letters? Choosing the correct people to write letters of evaluation should be well thought out in advance. Certainly you should choose a professor from your major as they are perceived to know you well. At least once science professor (for the students who are not science majors) should also be included. In addition, college masters, resident associates or other advisors may be appropriate as good character references. What about references from outside the university? Evaluation letters form outside the
academic community tend to be more in the line of character
references and should generally not be relied upon too
heavily. Such letters from family physicians or prominent
medical experts typically do not add all that much
credibility to your application. On the other hand, an
outside evaluation from a physician, professor, or even an
employer that you have worked with directly in a
medical/laboratory setting may be a real plus. How many letters do I need? There is no magic number that needs to be included. Typically a student will request evaluation from 2-4 individuals. You should be cautious of asking too many people to submit evaluations as this may give the impression of "overkill." A typical set of letters would include an evaluation from a major professor, a science professor, and a character reference from a master or perhaps a person with whom you have worked in a health/science related position. But many of my classes are large and the professors don't know me well. What should I do? Unfortunately, science classes are large as they tend to lend themselves better to the lecture hall format. This, however, is not a valid reason for choosing other professors outside your major or the sciences. It is as important to develop a good rapport with your professors as it is simply to perform well academically on exams, assignments, etc. Because this is such an important part of the admissions process, it behooves you to begin early to identify potential evaluators. When should I ask my professors for a letter? Obviously, it is best to request an evaluation when you have had recent direct contact with a professor or other evaluator such as following completion of a course, summer job, or project that you have worked together on. Often this may not be the appropriate time. Most premedical applicants request evaluation letters between the middle and end of the Spring semester of their junior year (or prior to their departure for the summer). This gives professors ample time to write the evaluation and send it to the Health Professions Office (HPO). Are there any ways to ensure a quality letter being written on my behalf? Yes. First, pick up an evaluation waiver form from the HPO which instructs the professor where to send their letter and also indicates whether you have requested a confidential or non-confidential evaluation. Second, attach a copy of your updated or current resume along with any other useful information that will assist your evaluator, and third, ask them directly whether they can write a good evaluation. Offer to meet privately in their office to discuss your goals and/or past record of accomplishments. Some professors may not feel this is necessary and will simply request that you provide them with the supporting documents. |
Should I relinquish my right to see my letters or should I retain my rights and request non-confidential evaluations? Every student has the right to gain access to their letters of evaluation. However, waiving your right to see your evaluations can give them more credibility. It is assumed that a student will select an evaluator who knows them and with whom he/she has some rapport. Non-confidential requests often make it more difficult for your professors or other evaluators to write letters that are honest, candid, and objective. Likewise, medical schools are informed if evaluation letters are non-confidential and (whether correctly or not) place less credibility upon them. Thus, most students will benefit from signing the waiver form and releasing their right to access their evaluations. The Health Professions Advisor can provide more information on this issue. Why are evaluation letters sent to the HPO and not directly to the medical schools? Does anyone other than the premedical advisor get to read them? The HPO's efforts in the evaluation process are designed to facilitate and coordinate evaluation letters thereby making it easier for both students and professors/evaluators. By requesting that your evaluations be addressed to the Health Professions Advisor and forwarded to the HPO, a "generic" letter is produced. These letters and other supporting documents are used to help the Health Professions Advisor evaluate each candidate and produce an overall composite evaluation letter. This letter is mailed to each medical school along with the other photocopied evaluations that are in the candidate's file. In this way Dr. "Jones" does not have to write multiple letters and have them sent to multiple addresses. The HPO coordinates the mailing of your evaluation letters thereby saving the student and the professor/evaluator time and money. I'm applying for the MD/PhD programs. Do I need 2 sets of letters? Careful consideration prior to requesting evaluations may eliminate your need to secure two separate sets of evaluation letters. Often research oriented-students will choose the same individuals to write on their behalf for both programs. These professors can address a student's research skills as well as other academic and personal characteristics in the same letter. It is best to discuss your selection of evaluators with the Health Professions Advisors prior to beginning this phase of the application process. How about all these special evaluation forms and instructions that are found in nearly all the application packets? Although most medical schools produce their own evaluation forms as well, or give specific guidelines to the Health Professions Advisor and other evaluators, they allow quite a bit of flexibility in this area. In general, a detailed evaluation "letter" is always preferable to a "form" where a student is rated or levels are checked. A few out-of-state schools may request that special cover sheets be attached to evaluation letters prior to their mailing. It is a good idea to share these with the Health Professions Advisor so that the correct procedure can be followed. Is there a fee for mailing my letter of evaluation packet? The HPO will mail up to 8 packets of your letter without charge. Each additional request will cost you $5.00. This will help defray our time and photocopying expenses and also encourages students to carefully select schools as opposed to randomly applying to larger numbers across the country. Any other important advice about obtaining letters of evaluation? START EARLY!!! Unlike students, who perceive this process to be one of the most important steps they must take in life, professors do not share the same level of urgency. Professors are busy people who have multiple responsibilities at the university in addition to teaching and research. Unfortunately, writing letters of evaluation does not rank high on most of their lists of things they need to do and enjoy. Yet, most are happy to oblige students, as it is an important part of their roles as educators, if given adequate notification and other supporting documents. It is unrealistic to assume that a professor will write a thorough evaluation in a matter of a couple of days and forward it to the HPO. Furthermore, students who wait until the fall of their senior year to request letters often catch professors at a very busy time, further delaying their letters. Nicholas K. Iammarino, Ph.D., Chief
Health Professions Advisor |