I know the scary feeling after interviews when you haven’t heard back from your top medical school yet and are questioning if you are actually still in the game. Especially since the waiting can make you feel so helpless. Also, it doesn’t seem like there is anything more you could do. But trust me, there is one more card you can play – sending a letter of intent for medical school. This can be a powerful step to secure your spot but I know it can also be a daunting step. Especially if you are unsure on how a successful letter of intent should look like. So let’s explore how letters of intent work, how to write one, and other important considerations you might take.
This post is all about letter if intent for medical school.
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Learn How To Write Letter of Intent For Medical School
What is a letter of intent for medical school?
If the school you’re applying to accepts letters of intent, take advantage of this by sending them one. It’s your chance to let a school know that they’re your top choice school. You also need to advise that they’re not just one on a list of schools you’ve applied to.
Within the letter of intent, let them know why this school is your first choice while combining their curriculum, research programs, student culture, faculty etc. (depending on why you are most drawn to this school) with your own application. This shows them why you are a great fit for their school’s goals and missions. You can treat this like an essay and show them how you would contribute to the school.
Best practice would be to also include any relevant updates but only if you actually have meaningful updates to share. More about that later!
But why is a letter of intent meaningful for schools?
In order to show a high rank, they want to boost the percentage of accepted students who actually decide to enroll. Therefore they see great value in students who already committed to their school through a letter of intent and are sure to enroll if accepted.
This could give you that extra advantage to secure your acceptance letter among the thousand of applicants.
Should I choose an update letter OR letter of intent?
You might have already heard about update letters as well. So let’s get super clear on the difference to a letter of intent and their purposes.
When to send a letter of intent:
A letter of intent is a soft “commitment” to attend the school that you’re the most interested in. It helps schools understand where they stand with you.
So you should only send a letter of intent to one school. This should be your top choice that you wouldn’t hesitate to attend if given the opportunity.
When to send an update letter:
You’re only going to want to send an update letter if you actually have meaningful updates to share. As an example, if you have accomplished feats that will further strengthen your application. For example, if you’ve gained another relevant work experience that positions you for success in medical school.
An update letter can be sent to several schools, so you don’t have to be fully committed to attend this school if accepted.
Integrating both:
Sometimes, best practice is to combine both of these kinds of statements into a holistic letter. Both should be able to underscore your commitment to your top choice school. It should also provide them with meaningful updates about your strengths. Think of this as a chance to prove yourself. Show them how you have further grown as an applicant since your interview with them. Highlight why that makes you a stronger candidate for acceptance.
Do all schools accept letters of intent?
Keep in mind that each school has their own distinct application process. This includes what kinds of letters they want to see from prospective students. If they don’t accept letters of intent – don’t send one.
If you’re not sure, there are some steps you can take. First, check the online application instructions if your top school has them. They’ll often give you a broad level overview of the application process on their website. Find out what kind of letter they want, and what they’re looking for specifically in that kind of letter.
Another great way are the Q&A sessions on interview day. This is an excellent chance to, not only get to know the school you’re interested in a little bit better, but also to ask specific questions that haven’t already been answered or that you’re not sure about.
Still, if you didn’t get a chance to ask at the interview, there are a few other places to look. In addition to the school’s website, MSAR and the school’s secondary application portal might let you know what the school is looking for. And if all else fails, you can always call the admissions office directly and simply ask there.
How to Write a Letter of Intent
How long should a letter of intent be for medical school: Your letter of intent should be long enough to clearly outline your intentions. Also, explain why you’d be a great fit, but not too lengthy or convoluted. About a page, or 600-800 words is a common rule of thumb.
What to Include in a Letter of Intent
When writing your letter of intent, try to remain mindful of the purpose of this letter. It’s to let a school know what your intentions are. Here are some of the things you might include:
- Why you’ll be a great student at this school: Think about your strengths and passions. Highlight how they align with the school you’re applying to.
- What you like about the school: Once again, think about how your strengths and passions align with the school. Let the school know if you’re interested in their fields of study, their faculty, their track record for excellence, or any other factors that contributed to your choice.
- How you’ve further grown as an applicant: If you have meaningful updates to share that weren’t already included in your essays and interviews, this is the perfect place to show them you how you’ve become an even stronger applicant since then.
How to Structure Your Letter of Intent
Each letter might look a bit different, but here’s how you might structure yours:
- Introduction: Remind the recipient who you are, and where you are in your application. You might say that you interviewed recently to jog their memory. Importantly, let the school know that you intend to attend. This is the main purpose of this letter, and you don’t want to beat around the bush.
- Body: How you organize your body paragraphs may depend on how you want the letter to flow. You can rearrange these components depending on whether you want to start with what’s great about their program and then segue into why you fit right in.
Or, you might go the other way around, starting off with your strengths and how they’ve been informed by your experiences, only to segue into why the school will be a perfect fit for you. Consider including these components:
- What you like about the school.
- What you hope to accomplish as a student.
- Why you would be a great fit and your life experiences that contribute to your fit.
- Relevant updates you have to share.
- Conclusion: You can wrap up with a brief summary, well wishes, and affirmation of your intentions. This is your chance to thank the recipient for reading your letter and conclude that you think you’ll be a great fit and will attend given the opportunity.
What NOT to Include in a Letter of Intent
Remember, this is a letter of intent, not a personal statement. As such, it’s important to include relevant information to that end.
- Life experiences that are irrelevant to your fit: This isn’t the same as writing a personal statement or resume. You don’t need to attempt to wow admissions teams with all of your accomplishments. Only mention that which is relevant to your success at their school.
- What they already know: If you’ve already interviewed, you likely don’t need to let the admissions team know that you did well on tests, or how much you’ve accomplished in premed. If it’s in your application, they already know. Save the space and their time, for what’s important and new.
Sending a Letter of Intent – Best Practices
When writing a letter of intent, there are some factors to consider:
- When to send a letter of intent for medical school:
Typically, you’ll want to send a letter of intent after you’ve begun the application process and after your interview. Naturally, you’ll want to send it before a decision has been made, though!
- Who to address letter of intent to medical school:
This is important. You’ll want to address your letter of intent to the person who is making the decision. If you can’t find out who that is online, you may be able to email or call the admissions office to inquire.
- How to send a letter of intent:
Each school will have its own system for receiving letters, and you want to make sure you follow that carefully. Check for whether they accept it through a portal, through physical mail, or through email. How to find out? Same as how to know if they actually accept letters of intent – by asking directly in your interview or gaining information through their website, the MSAR platform or secondary portal.
Do you still have a chance of getting accepted? Check out When Do You Hear Back from Medical Schools After Interviews? for all the details and how to move forward from here.
If you decide to gear up for applying again next cycle, make sure to sign up for my Free Premed Workshop so you can avoid repeating any previous mistakes. I’ll also share the exact strategies that helped me get accepted to 10 medical schools the second time I applied (despite my 3.3 GPA and other “red flags” in my application).
This is your #1 resource to maximize your chances and stand out among the thousands of applicants, with confidence and much more ease.
Letter of Intent Medical School Example
Let’s take a look at an example letter to get a better idea what one might look like. Remember, yours might look a little bit different! This is just to demonstrate what kinds of topics you might discuss. Also, broadly, how to write a letter of intent for medical school.
Jane Doe, M.S. Medical Studies
Contact Information
Dear Dr. AdmissionsHead,
My name is Example Name. I’m writing to let you know that I am impassioned at the possibility of attending Example School of Medicine Studies. I’m currently applying and I interviewed on June 13th with Dr. VeryIntelligent. In the interview, my excitement at the possibility of attending was only strengthened, as I feel that the broad goals of the program align perfectly with not only my passions in medicine, but my strengths as well. In this letter, I aim to demonstrate why ESMS is my first choice, what I have to offer to such an esteemed program, and finally, a brief update on some experience I’ve gained since my interview.
Given the opportunity, ESMS would be my first choice and I would wholeheartedly devote myself to studies; with ESMS’ focus on cutting edge research in the field of gene therapy and oncology, there’s no program that I would rather attend. The reason is simple, but twofold.
First, my experience aligns well with the bodies of research the ESMS is a leading institution in. As a postgraduate in my masters program, I worked in a research lab as an intern, where in addition to studying genome sequencing and its applications in cancer research, I gained valuable experience working with a wonderful team, and together, we published a study in the Example Fictional Journal of Cancer Research.
As a coauthor, my responsibilities included both helping develop an empirically observable hypothesis, but also interviewing and vetting potential study participants. We were able to demonstrate that we could replicate certain mechanisms repeatedly over the course of the trial, and we are excited to see how the research may spur further investigations in both treatments in oncology but also cancer prevention through better understanding of genotypes that are more susceptible to certain kinds of cancer and how they intersect with lifestyle facets such as diet, behavioral habits, and UV exposure.
Second, this field of study is one that I am passionate about to this day. I hope to continue assisting in researching these critical mechanisms that can help us treat cancer more effectively.
It was around my internship at the Example Lab at Example School that I first became aware of ESMS’ vast body of research in these areas. After reading Dr. ReallySmart’s paper last year in the Other Example Journal of Medicine, I was amazed how they were able to demonstrate that certain gene expressions can lend us vast insights into cancer risk, comorbidities, and future treatment avenues.
If given the opportunity, I’m excited about the possibility of eventually helping to effect more progress in the studies of genetics and cancer treatment. Being able to work with Dr. ReallySmart, yourself, and the oncological studies department would be a dream come true in many regards.
This is why ESMS is my first choice of schools, and I cannot think of a better environment for me to apply my strengths in research and pragmatism with the public — as I am certain that future studies will require us to rely on the public for subjects and participants.
Since my interview, I’ve begun working in another research lab, where we study the effects of diet and nutrition on the development of certain types of cancers. Here, I’ve gained a wealth of understanding of not only effective experiment design, but also regarding dealing with prospective trial participants. As much as I’ve learned, I hope that at ESMS, I could further hone my skills as a researcher and eventually medical practitioner.
With a highly esteemed program, I know that ESMS has a strong track record for not only producing cutting edge research, but also producing some of the best doctors in the country. I know that I have what it takes to join these ranks, with a background in these relevant fields, and a strong passion for the work that we would be doing. I hope to hear from you soon, and I hope to speak in person soon.
Best,
Jane Doe
Final Thoughts on Writing a Letter of Intent for Medical School
So, there you have it! Writing a compelling letter of intent can definitely be a source of confusion for aspiring medical students! Still, there are some solid steps you can take to ensure that, for your first choice school, you’re able to provide a meaningful demonstration of your intention to attend.
As we discussed, it’s important to make sure a letter of intent is an appropriate communication. Only send it to the school that really is your top choice. Similarly, an update letter is only applicable if you’ve gained meaningful further experience or education that would strengthen your application. While it can be tempting to show that you’ve gained other tangentially related experiences, it isn’t always appropriate or helpful to do so.
Finally, be sure that you’re aware of what your top choice school is looking for. Whether they even accept letters of intent, for example. Also, if they do, what the procedure is for submitting them. Whether that may be via email, physical mail, or even through a portal. While it can seem like a daunting challenge, remember, this is also a great opportunity to connect with those at the school you really want to attend! Once you’ve made sure that the school you’re applying to wants letters of intent, do your best to clearly show them who you are and remember — you’ve got this!
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