Health Science Committee Letter vs. Individual?

[sshashid87]

Hi, so I guess the title pretty much says it all...

I just found out that my school has a HSC letter writing service, and it says I have to include 5 LORs (2 BCPM, 1 Non-BCPM, 1 MD experience, 1 Character reference), a rough draft of my personal statement, a copy of the AMCAS that I would be turning in, and then I have to have an interview...

I know 4 of my LORs will be great (1 science, 1 non, and the other two non-school ones), but my 5th LOR (2nd BCPM) will be from a professor I only had for a semester, and I'm worried about how good the letter really will be...I'm sure it'll be a normal letter at least, but it may not be glowing...

What I'm worried about is totally messing up the interview for the Health Science Committee, most probably done with people I haven't met before (big state school). If this happens, than not only would I look like an idiot in front of this committee, my LOR from them could be terrible...I don't really know anyone who has used this service, but since schools seem to really prefer having the 1 group letter instead of 3-5 individual ones, I would like to have a good letter...

Does anyone have any advice? I think it's set up as a mock interview, but do schools generally help the student out with this and look at the letters, or if I have a bad interview am I pretty much screwed? Obviously, I don't want to send 40 MD/DO schools a letter from a committee that could possibly say I am a tool and not to accept me...

Any advice would be appreciated, sorry for such a long post...oh, and I am applying next year for anyone who thinks this is too late for this application cycle...thanks again!

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[SarsMO]

I would suggest going through the hoops for the committee letter. In the letter, they summarize the good (and bad) points from your letter writers, but they also INCLUDE the original letters in the packet sent to the schools (whether the schools look at the individual letters is another question). Then they write about their impressions from your interview. SO if your interview with them doesn't go well, but you have 5 great (or 4 great and one good) LORs, your med schools will see that.

The interview is VERY helpful. It's set up like a med school interview, and they (at least at my school) asked you to come back for a follow-up meeting where they could tell you what you should improve on for your real interviews.

If you are super concerned about not having a good interview, see if your career center on campus sets up mock-interviews and get some practice in. It really does help. If you don't have the opportunity for mock-interviews, look up typical questions on the internet and have a bf/gf, mom/dad, sister/brother, friend ask you questions...

Hope this helps!

 

[ami1983]

Hi, so I guess the title pretty much says it all...

I just found out that my school has a HSC letter writing service, and it says I have to include 5 LORs (2 BCPM, 1 Non-BCPM, 1 MD experience, 1 Character reference), a rough draft of my personal statement, a copy of the AMCAS that I would be turning in, and then I have to have an interview...

I know 4 of my LORs will be great (1 science, 1 non, and the other two non-school ones), but my 5th LOR (2nd BCPM) will be from a professor I only had for a semester, and I'm worried about how good the letter really will be...I'm sure it'll be a normal letter at least, but it may not be glowing...

What I'm worried about is totally messing up the interview for the Health Science Committee, most probably done with people I haven't met before (big state school). If this happens, than not only would I look like an idiot in front of this committee, my LOR from them could be terrible...I don't really know anyone who has used this service, but since schools seem to really prefer having the 1 group letter instead of 3-5 individual ones, I would like to have a good letter...

Does anyone have any advice? I think it's set up as a mock interview, but do schools generally help the student out with this and look at the letters, or if I have a bad interview am I pretty much screwed? Obviously, I don't want to send 40 MD/DO schools a letter from a committee that could possibly say I am a tool and not to accept me...

Any advice would be appreciated, sorry for such a long post...oh, and I am applying next year for anyone who thinks this is too late for this application cycle...thanks again!

wow, i wish my big state school did all that!

 

[sshashid87]

I suppose it is worth it...a good committee letter probably cancels out the mediocre 5th letter...i have a while before i have to actually do the interview, i don't even have to apply for the letter until next June, so I guess i'll try to find out from random ppl. how the interview at my school is set up to prepare...is there any real advantage to it though, i know the adcoms prefer it but is there any real advantage? i suppose it could make their job easier instead of wading through a bunch does will that happiness cross over to my app ? i hate this application process...and it hasn't even started for me...

and ami, yeah i just happened to find this...this isnt exactly something they advertise, i just stumbled across it one time on a google search, pre-med advisors didn't even mention this to any of my friends or me, even though they did tell us to get some letters of rec (my advising office is practically useless, the head advisor has a degree in criminology...i really don't know how she got into this field...but as far as the committee goes, i suppose i am lucky)

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

Mine does it, and it blows. It delays your application BIG time. I will be complete at most schools roughly 2 months later than I would have been if my school did not offer the committee letter. The school waits until the start of September to write them, then it'll take however long it for them to mail it to the medical schools before I'll be complete. I/SDN talked myself into waiting for it though.

I have the same concerns as the initial poster. It would suck to have 5 kickass LORs then say something wrong or not give a great impression in the committee letter interview and get a less than stellar letter. If that happens you'll just have to kick yourself in the butt for making the wrong decision in waiting for the committee letter and kiss a year of your life good bye. Hopefully neither of us gets screwed like that.

 

[MassTransport]

If your school has a pre-health committee, med schools will expect a letter from them. It'll also let you skirt med schools' individual LOR requirements. It's in your benefit to take advantage of the service. An interview may be stressful, but it gives you good experience.

Whether or not a bad interview sinks you depends on your committee's reputation. Ask around.