Whether you’re applying for your first time, or reapplying and trying to lean into all the lessons you’ve learned, it can feel daunting. You’re so much more than just your application. But, you still need to find a way to demonstrate your passion and commitment through the official channels. Not to mention — not hearing from the admissions team for extended periods is a nail biter! That’s where update letters come in.
If you’ve ever wondered about sending an update letter, it might be a great idea — though only in certain cases! It’s a way to reach out and let the admissions team know what you’ve been up to while waiting for their next move. It can help you reaffirm your commitment to the school and help you give meaningful updates on your experiences. But not every update warrants an update letter.
Rather, in some cases, it might be the right move — only if you have significant updates to share and your application is in certain stages. To better understand, let’s take a look at some of the scenarios in which you might send one. We’ll also dive into how they’re written, what to include, and when you might send one.
This post is all about medical school update letter.
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How To Write A Strong Medical School Update Letter
Should I Send an Update Letter?
In general, there are three scenarios where it would make sense to send an update letter:
- You’ve been interviewed, but haven’t heard back since the interview,
- You’ve been waitlisted and haven’t heard back in a while, or –
- You’ve submitted a secondary application, it’s been a while, and you’ve yet to receive an interview invitation.
You’ll only want to send an update letter if one of these scenarios applies to you and you have significant updates to share.
If you’re wondering what kinds of updates might warrant an update letter, don’t worry. We’ll explore some examples down below. In general, it should be developments that are relevant to your medical school journey — such as work experience in a relevant field, additional education you’ve received, or improved academic performance.
Do All Schools Accept Them?
No. Not all medical schools accept update letters. If they don’t accept update letters, do not send one.
You can find out if your prospective school does through a few different means:
- Checking their admissions pages on their website. They may publish guidelines for communications during the application process there.
- Q&A during interview day: This is a great opportunity to learn more about the school, including whether or not they like to receive update letters.
- MSAR or the school’s application portal.
- Calling the admissions office (or emailing) and asking directly.
What Should Go in an Update Letter?
The body paragraphs should mostly focus on meaningful new directions you’ve taken, whether that might be dramatically improved academics, a new publication that you took part in, or some other significant update that might shift your readiness to attend this school. Here are some examples of what you might include in an update letter:
- A recent promotion at work that is relevant to the program. This might include positions at a lab, clinic, or other relevant experiences.
- A new leadership position you’ve taken on, or a significant milestone in your current station.
- Additional clinical, research, or volunteering updates (If you didn’t already have enough hours in your application. Otherwise, this may be less relevant.)
- Initially unmet requirements that you have since rectified and met.
- Improvement to your core academics, such as GPA, or updated MCAT score.
- A recent publication that you authored or helped with.
- A recent presentation that you’ve given.
- An award you’ve received recently.
What Shouldn’t Go in an Update Letter?
Are there any updates that generally won’t help in an update letter? Yes, they include:
- Projects or positions that you’ve just started.
- MCAT scores or grades from classes that you’re still taking unless there’s been a dramatic enough improvement to mention.
- Additional clinical, research, or volunteering updates if you already met the hours requirements in the first place.
- Shadowing experiences.
- Anything already in your application that doesn’t warrant a serious update.
Don’t Forget…
It’s useful to connect any updates in your medical school update letter to the mission of the school you’re hopeful for. Remember, it’s important to rhetorically answer the question: Why is this relevant?
So, if your recent research experience is highly relevant to the fields of research your hopeful school is focused on, you can point out that this experience has lent you a wealth of insights into the practices involved in this type of research and how hopeful you are that you’ll be able to continue learning at their school.
Or, you can point out that your improved MCAT score positions you well to align with the school’s impressive standards of excellence in academics.
How to Write a Medical School Update Letter
Remember, an update letter for medical school should only be sent if you really have meaningful updates to share. It’s not an appropriate communication to use simply to pry about the status of your application or repeat what they already learned about you from your primary or secondary application.
Like many other communications, you should start your letter with an introduction. This part should clearly state who you are, and offer details to make you easier to identify. For example:
“Dear Dr. AdmissionsProfessional, my name is Example Name, and I interviewed with you on the 14th. My AMCAS ID is 4.”
Next, you’ll want to get to the point and let them know why you’re writing an update letter:
“Though I submitted my initial application this past spring, I have recently been published in the Journal of Example Medicine, and I also retook the MCAT and received a much higher score.”
The bulk of your body paragraphs should focus on these meaningful updates and why they matter. It’s often important to align these experiences with the school’s focus or mission; remember that when writing communications to the admission team you should always be able to answer the question: Why is this relevant?
For example, if you retook the MCAT and received a much higher score, this might be important because you’re now more aligned with the standards of the school. Or, let’s say that you’re applying to a very research-intensive medical school and your recent participation in a major clinical trial will give you invaluable insights into research practices that you think will make you an even better fit for the school.
Finally, you’ll want to wrap up, politely, thank them for their time, and — if applicable — inform them of your intentions:
“Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I hope it found you well. I also want to take the opportunity to reaffirm my commitment to the program. Should I receive the chance to attend, this is the only school I am truly interested in at this time.”
In some cases, this is a great opportunity to also fold in the critical element of a letter of intent. Simply letting the school know that if they accept your application, you intend to matriculate, no matter who else accepts your application. Of course, you should only say this if it’s true!
Sending Best Practices – When, How, Where, and How Long
Keep in mind that there are a few factors to consider when sending an update letter for medical school. These might include:
When to Send an Update Letter to Medical School
You don’t necessarily want to send an update letter too soon. Here are some general rules of thumb you might consider:
- One month after your interview, if you haven’t received a response yet.
- One month after being waitlisted if you haven’t heard back again.
- Optionally, two months after sending your first letter, approximately 3 months after your interview.
- Six weeks after sending your secondary, if you haven’t received an invitation for an interview.
How Long Should Your Medical School Update Letter be
Remember, this isn’t meant to be a lengthy or convoluted communication. A good rule of thumb is around 1 page. This should be sufficient to provide a brief update on your progress. Remember, also, to keep a professional and formal tone.
To Whom do You Address Your Medical School Update Letter
You should be purposeful in how you address your medical school update letter. Address it to either the dean, or the director of the admissions committee directly.
How Should You Send an Update Letter to Medical School?
Often, you can simply send an update letter via email. However, check with any documentation you have, or with the admissions office, to see if they accept it through their application portal. Find out if have a specific means of receiving update letters that they prefer.
Update Letter Example
Here’s an example of an update letter. Remember, yours might look different, but this should give you a better idea how you might structure yours:
Dear Dr. DirectorOfAdmissions,
My name is Example Name and I interviewed with you on the 14th of February. For reference, my AMCAS ID number is 4. I’m writing to you to provide a brief update on my progress in academics and some further experience I’ve gained working in a research laboratory.
When we last spoke, my tentative cumulative GPA was around 3.2, but in the subsequent semester, I was able to bring this up to a 3.6. I believe that this is reflective of the passion I feel for the possibility of attending Example University School of Medicine. I know that many of the students in past incoming classes have displayed exemplary academics, including high GPAs, and I feel that my improved GPA is even more aligned with the standards of Example University.
I’ve also been hard at work expanding my understanding of research procedure and the related challenges that it can require us to overcome. You may remember that at our last discussion, I had recently begun a position at the Example Research Lab, one that is associated with my undergraduate alma mater, Example Undergrad University.
Since then, I’ve been selected to assist in a trial in which we attempted to isolate critical mechanisms that underpin a difficult to treat disease. We were able to do so successfully, and I’m excited to inform you that we will be publishing our findings in Example Science Journal this month.
I’m more excited than ever at the possibility of attending Example University School of Medicine. While these experiences have lent me a wealth of insight into not only the disease that we were studying but how to put together a successful experimental trial, I hope to continue on my journey of learning at Example University School of Medicine, where I know there are cutting edge research opportunities in the same field.
That’s why, given the chance, Example University School of Medicine is my top choice, and an institution that I would not hesitate to commit to fully. Thank you for taking the time to read this update — and I hope to speak soon.
Best regards,
Example Name
If you Don’t Hear Back…
If you haven’t received an acceptance from any medical schools by March, you might consider getting ready for a new round of applications next cycle OR taking a gap year beforehand to further improve yourself as an applicant.
I also didn’t get accepted the first time I applied. So don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be the end of your medical school path!
Keep in mind though that submitting the same application again will likely lead to the same results, so you must make meaningful changes! Apart from things like gaining more clinical experience, boosting your research or volunteering hours and creating an upward trend in your GPA – you also want to re-do your application itself. Look for any areas of improvements, let it be in how to set up a rock solid school list, writing a stellar personal statement or the timeline of your application.
In my Free Premed Workshop, I’ll guide you through the exact things I improved from my first to second application, and how I earned 10 medical school acceptances in the process! Including the countless mistakes I made (maybe you did too) that you want to avoid at all cost next time. Plus, lots of real-life examples from myself and successful RTA applicants.
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The Bottom Line
It’s not always necessary to send an update letter for medical school. Still, if you’ve received relevant experience that you think might change how a medical school will look at your application — it might be a good move. While yours might look a little different, we’ve covered some of the most important factors you might consider — including how to write one, what to include, what not to include, some best practices for sending, and how you might structure one. Taking these factors into consideration can help you craft the best possible update letter. Remember – you’ve got this!
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