Questions about not having a committee letter

[uaena123]

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Hey all,

I am currently a senior in university, but I did not contact the pre-med advising at my university in time to receive a committee letter. To be honest, I have never spoken to the pre-med advisors at my university, but I have still completed all of the pre-reqs (most were done through my biochemistry major) and have plenty of clinical and volunteering hours. I am planning to take two gap years doing research at NIH through the post-bacc program.

Is it possible to ask for a committee letter after graduating? How does it look to medical schools if I apply without a school committee letter from a university that offers pre-med advising?

 

[KnightDoc]

School policies vary, so check with your school regarding whether you can get one now for use later, whether they would give you one as an alum in two years, or whether you will be SOL. Med schools tend to know which schools offer them, and to whom, and which ones don't. It's not tied to pre-med advising. Many schools have advising and don't do committee letters.

If you can get a committee letter and don't, many med schools will draw a negative inference. It won't kill you, but it won't help. OTOH, if you won't be able to get a committee letter as a 2023-24 applicant, then you will be fine without one. No negative inference. Start by asking your advising office what your options are, and take it from there. Good luck!!

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

I didn’t have a committee letter because they cost $300 or something from my school. Never got asked about it. I went to a state school so it would have been possible to see that I was “supposed” to have one. However it’s not a huge pre med feeder school and esp not to the schools where I applied (all out of state DO). Get one if you want to do everything by the books but it doesn’t seem like it’s highly considered in most cases. Also recommend getting the letter if you’re applying from a big feeder school to an instate school or one that’s close by and the absence of the letter would be blatant next to your peers.