Weird Letter Requirements (List)

[WhizoMD]

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I just found out that UF requires a peer letter, and USF requires two character letters... Are there any other schools with letter requirements beyond the usual (2sci, 1 non-sci, or committee)?

List:
UF (Peer Letter)
USF (2 Character Letters) "Character letters may be written by physicians you've shadowed, team leaders, supervisors, clergy, etc."

 

[northpenn]

Are those required in addition to a committee letter?

 

[WhizoMD]

Are those required in addition to a committee letter?

yep, the committee letter can replace the academic letters , but not the character/peer.

 

[Ignatius M.D.]

I just found out that UF requires a peer letter, and USF requires two character letters... Are there any other schools with letter requirements beyond the usual (2sci, 1 non-sci, or committee)?

List:
UF (Peer Letter)
USF (2 Character Letters) "Character letters may be written by physicians you've shadowed, team leaders, supervisors, clergy, etc."

Yup. I'm a FL resident and I honestly think that it's a bit obtuse to require a friend to write a letter. Physicians that we shadow won't be able to write much either, except perhaps about curiosity/friendly personality. I am the team leader so that one is out. I don't go to church, so that would be a bit awkward. Oh USF...why?

 

[Morzh]

The pre-med advisement office at my university put together this nice spreadsheet with every school's specific LOR requirements and other useful information.

 

[slatermd]

^great resource. Thanks.

 

[wanderer]

At least for UCF you can use a friend/colleague for the peer letter. Maybe the same is true for the other Florida schools?

 

[WhizoMD]

The pre-med advisement office at my university put together this nice spreadsheet with every school's specific LOR requirements and other useful information.

wow, very nice spreadsheet, thanks for enabling my laziness. 🙂

 

[venacontracta]

Why is it that these odd LOR requirements (peer, character, pet, parole officer, etc) are so Florida-centric?

 

[venacontracta]

Here are my notes that I compiled from school websites regarding LOR requirements (not a necessarily complete list, but I noted all schools I am aware of for which a committee letter does not completely fulfill LOR requirements):

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University of Alabama

"Strongly recommends" but does not require that applicants submit two additional personal letters of recommendation in addition to the committee letter

University of Central Florida

in addition to committee letter - requires two character letters, one of which can be from a peer

University of South Florida

Requires two additional character reference letters

Indiana University

Requires one personal letter of recommendation "To be completed by a person who has known you for several years and who can evaluate your personality, character, and general fitness for the study and practice of medicine." in addition to academic letters of recommendation

Harvard

Requires letters from all research supervisors you've ever had.

University of North Dakota

Requires character letter "These recommendations should include a letter from a peer, such as a roommate, spouse or friend and a letter from a science instructor."

University of Wisconsin

Requires character reference "One committee letter and one individual letter from a nonacademic source (someone other than a faculty or family member or personal friend)"

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Guess it's not as Florida-centric as I remembered.

 

[Neuro Advocate]

The pre-med advisement office at my university put together this nice spreadsheet with every school's specific LOR requirements and other useful information.

This is amazing, thank you!

 

[skiing]

When it says "science" in the spreadsheet, do letters from my PI's count? I have better relationships with each of my research supervisors (separate labs) than my professors in classes. Can I use their letters in lieu of letters from science classes?

 

[Morzh]

When it says "science" in the spreadsheet, do letters from my PI's count? I have better relationships with each of my research supervisors (separate labs) than my professors in classes. Can I use their letters in lieu of letters from science classes?

From what I understand, it will depend on the schools. Some schools specifically state that science letters must be from a professor with whom you took a BCMP class. Other may not care as much.

I'm confident you'll want AT LEAST one letter from a prof with whom you've had a class, and then maybe you can use your PI as a second.

I didn't make the spreadsheet. I'm just passing it along. Your best bet would be to visit the school-in-question's website and see what it says. If it doesn't specify, then they probably don't care.

Also this was for last years applicants, and while I doubt much has changed, that is even more reason to double-check the spreadsheet with the websites, or better yet just call/email them.

 

[wanderer]

I agree with the previous post. I had one science lecture LOR and one science research LOR. Other than one school I wasn't given any issues for not having 2 science lecture LORs, even though a couple of them seemed to have precise wording that all applicants needed to have two lecture LORs.
I never asked for special permission either. Most of these schools have >5000 applications so it's hard to expect them to look that closely at these things.

 

[sc2016]

The pre-med advisement office at my university put together this nice spreadsheet with every school's specific LOR requirements and other useful information.

Thank you Myrzh! 😍 This is really helpful.

 

[ClandestineStar]

I just found out that UF requires a peer letter, and USF requires two character letters... Are there any other schools with letter requirements beyond the usual (2sci, 1 non-sci, or committee)?

List:
UF (Peer Letter)
USF (2 Character Letters) "Character letters may be written by physicians you've shadowed, team leaders, supervisors, clergy, etc."

That's odd

 

[Ignatius M.D.]

The pre-med advisement office at my university put together this nice spreadsheet with every school's specific LOR requirements and other useful information.

Thank you! Btw, are you sure those requirements for Jefferson are accurate?

Edit: Nevermind. I verified it on Jeff's website. Strange...

 

[Anonymous01]

The pre-med advisement office at my university put together this nice spreadsheet with every school's specific LOR requirements and other useful information.

Great spreadsheet. Huge thanks.

 

[GS Mikami]

Spreadsheet of the month!!!!

 

[CougarMD]

Thank you! Btw, are you sure those requirements for Jefferson are accurate?

Edit: Nevermind. I verified it on Jeff's website. Strange...

If you're a non-trad, they will waive those letter requirements. If you ask nicely🙂

 

[RelicLTD]

I doubt too many non-residents apply, but Utah has some unique letter requirements.

Requires 2 science, 1 non-science, 1 research supervisor, 1 service, 1 clinical.

It is a PAIN to try to find that many strong letters, believe me.


NO COMMITTEE letters accepted!