| The committee letter of evaluation is offered to facilitate your application for
admission to medical, osteopathic, dental, podiatric or optometry school. Most health
profession schools require letters of evaluation for all applicants, and in recent years
they have stated a preference for a single summary letter of evaluation prepared by a
committee and including input from faculty who know the applicant best. If you desire a
committee letter from the Premedical Advisory Committee, follow the instructions listed
below. Dr. Erica Kosal, Professor of Biology, is the contact for the Advisory Committee.
- Using the provided faculty recommendation forms, request letters of recommendation from
three to five Wesleyan faculty or staff. These letters should then be sent to the
Premedical Advisory Committee Chairperson. At least two letters should be from science
faculty, and at least one from non-science faculty. These letters will be read and used by
the Premedical Advisory Committee in their evaluations. They will also be copied and sent
with your committee letter to each health professional school to which you apply.
Since
it is clear that most admission committees of health profession schools prefer
confidential letters of recommendation and evaluation, you are encouraged to sign the
statement which waives your right of access to these letters. If you choose to retain your
right of access, we must so advise the professional schools, and your letters will be
viewed as being non-confidential.
Faculty letters of recommendation can be requested and returned to the committee office
at any time, even as early as your freshman year. However, all letters should be received
in the office no later than June 15 during the summer in which you will be applying to the
schools.
If you are requesting letters of recommendation by individuals other than Wesleyan
faculty or staff, you should obtain the Committee Chairperson's approval of such letters
prior to your request.
- Before your committee letter of evaluation can be prepared, three steps must be
completed: (1) at least three faculty or staff letters must be received by this office;
(2) you must complete and return to the premedical office the provided four page Request
for Compiled Premedical Evaluation form; and (3) you must schedule a 30 minute interview
with the representatives of the Premedical Advisory Committee. The members of the
Committee are Professors Jay Quinan, Deborah Glover-Fischer, and Phil Brown. These
interviews are generally conducted during late spring or summer, and cannot be scheduled
until steps (1) and (2) are complete.
- The Committee will not send an evaluation letter to more than one type of health
profession school during one application period. For example, you cannot request that your
evaluation letter be sent to both medical and dental schools during the same year.
However, we will send letters of evaluation to both allopathic and osteopathic medical
schools during the same year.
- You can always add to the list of professional schools (on p. 2 of the request form) to
which you want committee letters sent. Also, if you don't know the date when your letter
should be sent, you can notify the Committee when you do know. You don't want committee
letters sent until you know that the individual schools have received your AMCAS
materials; in other words, after you have received your AMCAS transmittal notice.
- Do not be modest when completing pages 3 and 4 of the request form. List everything and
take some time in preparing your personal comments statement. As you probably know, you
must include a similar personal comments statement on the AMCAS application form. It is
acceptable to have the same statement for both forms. The information you provide us on
the request form is just for committee use and is not forwarded to the schools.
- If you have any questions, contact any of the premedical advisors or the chair of the
Premedical Advisory Committee.
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