Letters of Recommendation Instructions

These instructions are intended to brief prospective students about letters of recommendation for the MD Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.

After we have received and reviewed your American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application, and you have received an e-mail inviting you to submit our secondary application, you will need to have letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf.

Note: Beginning with 2010 applications, the UW School of Medicine and Public Health will only receive letters via the American Medical College Application Service. Further details follow.

Letters Needed for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health MD Program Application

• One committee letter and one individual letter from a nonacademic source (someone other than a faculty or family member or personal friend) or
  
  
• One letter packet: This packet should include letters from three faculty members and a letter from a nonacademic source (someone other than a faculty or family member or personal friend) or
  
  
• Four individual letters: Three academic letters of recommendation from faculty members and a fourth nonacademic letter from someone other than a faculty or family member or personal friend. Note: Academic letters may be from science and/or nonscience faculty members in any combination

Types of Letters (As Defined by AMCAS and Adopted by the UW School of Medicine and Public Health)

• Committee letter: A committee letter is a letter authored by a prehealth committee or prehealth advisor and intended to represent your institution's evaluation of you. A committee letter may or may not include additional letters written in support of your application
  
  
• Letter packet: A packet or set of letters assembled and distributed by your institution, often by the institution's career center
  
  
• Individual letter: An individual letter refers only to a letter authored by, and representing, a single letter writer. If you have already included an individual letter within either a committee letter or letter packet, you do not need to add a separate (letter request) entry for the individual letter

Content of Letters

• The letters should address one or more of the following: character, integrity, motivation for medicine, ability to relate and communicate with others, personality, emotional stability, intellectual abilities
  
  
• Instructions to Letter Writer forms are within the secondary application and may further assist letter writers regarding the desired content of the letters. Forms are also found at the end of these instructions

Designating Letter Writers

• The admissions committee gives serious consideration to letters of recommendation submitted by individuals who know the applicant well. Applicants should solicit letters from individuals who are in a position to provide informed and objective information regarding the applicant's activities, employment, service, and/or health related experiences

Means of Submitting Letters

• All letters must be submitted to the American Medical College Application Service by December 1
  
  
• Letters must be submitted directly to the American Medical College Application Service per AMCAS instructions. You must create an entry for each letter of evaluation being sent to AMCAS. Up to six letter entries may be created for the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
  
  
• You may also use letter services such as Interfolio and VirtualEvals (through advising offices) that in turn make your letters available to the AMCAS letter system.
  
  
• For more information about letters, see the AMCAS 2011 Instruction Book

Waiver Forms

Applicants must complete a waiver form relating to their right to review the letter of recommendation. Waiver forms provided by letter services may be used. A waiver form is available within our secondary application for use as needed and is a part of the Instructions to Letter Writers form (doc).

Reapplicants

If you are reapplying to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health MD degree program, all letters must be submitted via AMCAS. It is recommended that two new letters of recommendation be submitted (one academic and one nonacademic).

Other letters may be resubmitted and/or updated and resubmitted. If you wish you may submit all new letters. The admissions committee requests a total of four letters per applicant. No letters from previous applications will be accessible for the 2012 application.