A few questions questions for you kind souls

[deleted915763]

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Hey, everyone, I have two questions,

1. Do medical schools check your DMV record? If you pay to get an early Certiphi background check for your personal use, is that what medical schools will see once you send out a background check to them?

2. Also, my school does not write committee letters, will I have to explain that to the medical schools, and is it a big deal for them?

3. Lastly, what is a deans letter, I know about MSPE that medical schools write, but do all medical schools require a dean's letter from your undergrad college. I don't even know who my dean is. I heard it had something to do with what disciplinary action you had in school or is it like a letter of recommendation? I've searched online but I am still confused.

Thank you all for your help!!

 

[curbsideconsult]

1. I think they don't check DMV records per se, but if you've done anything that ends up as a misdemeanor or higher while operating a vehicle, it will show up on your background check.

2. No. Most adcoms are familiar with schools that don't give committee letters. I think there are less of them than schools that do so I would think they're a little more memorable.

3. The Dean's letter/MSPE is a med school thing. It's like a committee letter for residencies and I don't know of a med school that doesn't write those for their students. The MSPE includes the highlights and lowlights of your medical school career. Obviously, the school is going to write them pretty nicely, while being as honest as they can, because they want all their students to match. Whatever good and bad you do during med school will end up in that letter which is sent out to PDs.

 

[deleted915763]

Thank you for your help, for the dean's letter, I am referring to medical schools that ask for a dean's letter from your undergraduate institution, I heard some medical schools require this? I can't really find any information online about this.

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you for your help, for the dean's letter, I am referring to medical schools that ask for a dean's letter from your undergraduate institution, I heard some medical schools require this? I can't really find any information online about this.

I've heard that WashU requires this -- I don't know if it is true and I don't know if there are other schools. You go to a college or university, there is a dean for the school that will award your undergraduate degree. Google it. Usually each school (arts & sciences, engineering, music, etc) has a dean. In some small liberal arts colleges, there is only one Dean and that person might be called "Dean of Students". Anyway Google is your friend.

The purpose of the Dean's letter is to have someone with access to your academic and disciplinary record take a look and write a statement that you did not have any disciplinary action taken against you while you were enrolled, or that you did and here's what it was. No big deal. If your school has ever had anyone admitted to medical school, it is likely that the school officials are familiar with this "dean's letter".

 

[DameJulie]

I can answer one of your questions.

2. Also, my school does not write committee letters, will I have to explain that to the medical schools, and is it a big deal for them?

No, not having committee letter would not put you in any disadvantage. My school doesn't have a committee either, and we just ask for individual letters required by the school. On every school's website, they tell you what to submit if you don't have a committee letter. And don't worry, people still get accepted without committee letter, and according to my advisor that doesn't put you in an disadvantage if you come from a school that doesn't write a committee letter

 

[deleted915763]

I've heard that WashU requires this -- I don't know if it is true and I don't know if there are other schools. You go to a college or university, there is a dean for the school that will award your undergraduate degree. Google it. Usually each school (arts & sciences, engineering, music, etc) has a dean. In some small liberal arts colleges, there is only one Dean and that person might be called "Dean of Students". Anyway Google is your friend.

The purpose of the Dean's letter is to have someone with access to your academic and disciplinary record take a look and write a statement that you did not have any disciplinary action taken against you while you were enrolled, or that you did and here's what it was. No big deal. If your school has ever had anyone admitted to medical school, it is likely that the school officials are familiar with this "dean's letter".

Yes I have also heard that WashU requires this, (I found out through these forums), I will go ahead and ask my advisor about this, thank you. I was having trouble finding which schools require this, but I'm sure my advisor would know.

 

[LizzyM]

Yes I have also heard that WashU requires this, (I found out through these forums), I will go ahead and ask my advisor about this, thank you. I was having trouble finding which schools require this, but I'm sure my advisor would know.

Unless you have something to hide, there isn't much point in doing this legwork now. Wait until you get admitted and are asked to produce the letter. There is a likelihood that the information you seek doesn't even matter.

 

[deleted915763]

Unless you have something to hide, there isn't much point in doing this legwork now. Wait until you get admitted and are asked to produce the letter. There is a likelihood that the information you seek doesn't even matter.

Yeah that makes sense, thank you.