Guide to Writing a Supporting Letter of Evaluation

Guide to Writing a Supporting Letter of Evaluation for Med/Dental/Vet School In this powerpoint: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Format and Structure Confidentiality What to Know About supporting Letters for Medical/Dental/Vet school Some Letter Guidelines Med School Perspective on “Competencies” Earlier Letter Deadlines This Year Summary of Steps Thank You! Dartmouth College Health Professions Program (HPP)

Format & Structure 1. Please use a LETTERHEAD or, if letterhead is not available or appropriate, include a heading with your contact information 2. Letters must be SIGNED (any of the following work well) ◦ Adobe Reader w/ signature capability ◦ JPG/PNG of signature for Word ◦ Signed by hand scanned), and dated 3. Letters have no stated minimum or maximum length, but one to two pages is typical 4. Typical salutations (for those who ask) include "To Whom It May Concern" and ”Dear Admissions Committee. ”

Confidentiality YOUR LETTER IS CONFIDENTIAL The applicant has waived rights to see the letters. Please do not share your letter with your applicant. Others will see your letter on a "need-to-know" basis, including, for example: ØThe author of Dartmouth's Composite Letter of Evaluation for that applicant ØThe staff of Dartmouth's Health Professions Program ØParticipants in the admissions processes at medical schools, including admissions office personnel, admissions committee members, and interviewers ØVarious administrative staff at Interfolio and AMCAS All will keep the letter confidential from applicant

What to know about Supporting Letters of Evaluation (LOE) for Medical/Dental/Vet school 1. You are one of a handful of writers speaking on behalf of the student—you get to focus on your own experience with the student. 2. Medical Schools are very interested in knowing about the applicant’s “competencies” (see slide 6), skills, and personal qualities. Your applicant chose you because they value the set of lenses you have had on them—which may be academic (science or non-science), research/scholarship (science or non-science), athletic, service, medical, job/internship, etc. 3. Sentences and/or phrases of your supporting letter will be included and quoted in a comprehensive Composite Letter of Evaluation. 4. Your letter, in its entirety, will be packaged with other supporting letters and the Composite Letter of Evaluation into ONE final packet and sent to the designated application service.

Some Letter Guidelines First, it’s your letter, your voice, your narrative—but here are some tips about what Medical Schools find useful: 1. Briefly explain your relationship with the applicant 2. Medical schools are most interested in details about the APPLICANT. They prefer information about the writer, lab, course, research, job, institution, etc. to be used primarily just for context. 3. Medical schools have all of the applicants’ grades and MCAT scores. Include information on grades, GPA or MCAT scores only if you are providing context to help interpret them. 4. Share personal information only with permission of the applicant. A writer is often able to create useful context, however, disclosure of information on health issues, family health issues, finances or other potentially sensitive topics should be done only with permission. ◦ If in doubt, ask the applicant! 5. If relevant to your knowledge of the applicant, a candidate's potential to also make “unique contributions to the incoming class“ is of interest to Medical/Dental/Vet schools 6. Share your assessment of how the applicant’s qualities support their candidacy for medicine.

Med School Perspective on Competencies To learn more details about the four main “core, entry level competencies " (Thinking and Reasoning, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Science) that the AAMC has noted as valuable, see full AAMC document. NOTE: While you may find these useful, you are not obliged to share your knowledge of the applicant through these frames.

Why do IDEAL TIMELINES for letter submission seem earlier this year? If an applicant has approached you and asked for submission by April 1 st-15 th, this is correct information. 1. We have pushed up our "ideal" deadlines for applicants this year because of changes that have been happening nationally in the application timeline (i. e. there is a huge tilt to applicants completing their applications earlier in the cycle (July->June), interviews starting earlier (Sept->Aug), and fewer slots as the season progresses in many schools). 2. While a later submission will still work, many students may complete their tasks earlier in the cycle and we are hoping many writers can commit to an earlier deadline in order to get composite letters completed in a timely fashion. 3. We have instructed students to take your schedule into account and co-create a deadline that also works for you if needed. 4. Below is a link to a form that applicants sign for us. It summarizes letter deadlines and tasks. We post a target deadline and an HPP deadline. The HPP deadline is strongly recommended to help us all serve the process in the best way possible. https: //dartmouth. co 1. qualtrics. com/jfe/form/SV_85 Ky 0 n. ERb. CFg. KH 3

Summary of Steps 1. You will have agreed to write for your applicant and discussed a timeline for submitting your letter to Interfolio 2. The applicant has opened an Interfolio account and has sent you a “Request for Letter of Evaluation” from Interfolio 3. The applicant will have or has sent you their materials (resume and autobiographical sketchand, transcript upon request) 4. If you choose to, you can meet with the applicant to discuss/reflect on their experiences and motivations 5. You will upload your SIGNED, dated, letter on LETTERHEAD onto Interfolio (NOT send to the applicant) 6. Questions or concerns? We are here to help at 603 -646 -3377 or hpp@dartmouth. edu

THANK YOU!! The Medical/Dental/Vet School process is unique in the many years of preparation, and year-plus application process involved. Thank you for time you take, in the middle of all your commitments, to write on your applicants’ behalf. It means so much to them!