Should I use Health Professions Office OR do it by myself???

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Jobe

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My school has a health professions office and they take care of reommendations basically.. They answer questions regarding applications.. but I believe their job is to just organize the letters I send to aadsas..

So.. Do you guys think working with Health Professions Office is better or Just doing by myself (print out LOE matching/requesting form) and do all that application related stuff myself better?

Which do you guys prefer????

I feel like I can do whatever my health professions office can do.

Thanks.

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If they only compile all of your letters without writing a recommendation letter, then do the work yourself. Because sometimes (depending on the school) the health profession committee can delay applications by not sending out the letters on time.

You can simply email your evaluators a request for a letter through your AADSAS application, so there is no need to print out matching forms, etc. They can simply submit it online.

Doing the work yourself, would be beneficial if you were applying THIS cycle. But since you are applying next year, go ahead and use the health profession of your school.
 
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Does your committee require an interview? If so, then they will be doing more than compiling your letters - they will write their own. My committee interviewed me and wrote a detailed letter on my behalf that incorporates all the information in my file - GPA, DAT, Letters from professors, evaluation forms from professors, personal statement, and a personal history questionnaire that includes all your extracurriculars, shadowing, volunteering, research, etc. Your professors do not have access to this information and therefore will probably write generic, unimpressive letters on your behalf. Also, the committee has the power to explain away any blemishes in your file, another thing your professors can't do.

Also I have heard that schools may wonder why you were too lazy to go through the committee if you don't.

I strongly recommend it.
 
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Thanks sugarsting.
But, I actually want 3 letters from my professors and 1 from my dentist..
If this is the case.. then what would I benefit from my schools' health professions office?

It's either 1 commitee letter OR 3 letters from professors + 1 dentist.
 
If your pre-health office does interviews they will write a letter for you with all the info, LORS, and your performance on your interview and then send the letter to AADSAS (electronically if they can). So the original LORS from your professors and dentist will be included as well as the compiled LOR from your pre-health committee so technically they're giving out 5 letters in your case. If your school has a pre-health committee the dental schools prefer that you get a letter from them, at least that is what Dr. Ancajas from UNLV has said. It doesn't look that good if you do it all yourself when you have a committee at your school.
 
Thanks sugarsting.
But, I actually want 3 letters from my professors and 1 from my dentist..
If this is the case.. then what would I benefit from my schools' health professions office?

It's either 1 commitee letter OR 3 letters from professors + 1 dentist.

What wendo said.

My committee required 3 letters from professors/dentists in addition to 6 evaluation forms. I believe it is standard for the committee to forward the letters to AADSAS in addition to their own. If this is true for your advising office (and you should double check), then you only stand to gain.
 
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