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University of Virginia
The Basics
• Think carefully about how well you know the student who is requesting a recommendation
letter. Do you know him/her well enough to write an endorsement for medical school? If
for any reason you do not feel that you can write positively on a student’s behalf, be
honest with him/her and decline to write the letter.
• We advise prehealth students to give recommenders information about their academic
studies, employment history, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and research. Ask
for this material if it is not provided.
• Sit down with the student and discuss his/her interest in the field of medicine and reasons
for pursuing a medical education.
• Confidentiality. It is the student’s right to decide if the letter will remain confidential or
non-confidential. Confidential letters are taken much more seriously than non-confidential
letters, and we strongly encourage students to keep their letters confidential. The
Interfolio cover sheet, provided by the individual you are recommending, indicates if
he/she has waived access to your letter.
• All letters should be on official letterhead. Sign your letter. Make sure to use your full
name and professional title.
• A student may provide you with a school-specific recommendation form, including a chart
or grid where you are asked to rank students. You are not required to complete this form,
but you may staple the blank form behind your letter if you are submitting it by mail. All
U.S. medical schools accept the collection of letters our prehealth students send from their
Interfolio account.
What to Include
An author’s personal style influences the format for his/her letters. However, many writers follow
a composition similar to the following:
What to Avoid
Recommendation letters are submitted to medical schools through Interfolio, an online credentials
service that collects letters and distributes them to graduate schools or employers at the
student’s request. You can submit your letter to Interfolio in three different ways:
1) If you have a scanned image of your signature, paste it into your letter, which should
be written on electronic letterhead. You can upload this signed letter electronically to
Interfolio using the “document identification number” provided by the student (on the
cover sheet). If you do not have a scanned image of your signature, contact Donna
Ryan (tel. 924-8914) in University Career Services for assistance.
2) Letters can also be sent via U.S. mail or expedited mail services. The student
requesting the letter should provide you with a stamped envelope addressed to
Interfolio in Washington, D.C. Include the cover sheet in your mailing.
3) You can fax your letter to Interfolio.
Interfolio can be contacted at 877-77-FOLIO or help@interfolio.com. Their website is:
www.interfolio.com.
Our thanks to Heather Bois, Graduate Intern, for her work on this project.