Medical School Letter of Intent

A letter of intent for medical school (or update letter) is a letter that is sent by an applicant after an interview at the medical school they are applying to.

After having an interview, the applicant is placed in a waitlist, and there is a certain period of time they have to wait before they get a response from the admission committee. When the end of the interview season comes and there is no response yet, the applicant might send the free school letter of intent. It will help them remind the committee about themselves and solidify their intent to get admitted at this particular school.

Every medical school is interested in admitting applicants that show their strong desire to attend this exact institution, which is why you should use the letter to show your genuine wish to become a part of the school academic community. Here you will find our full article about letters of intent.

What to Include in a Letter of Intent for Medical School

A letter of intent for medical school should include:

  1. An expression of gratitude to the admission committee for taking into consideration your application
  2. Medical school’s mission, programs, objectives, etc. that you resonate with
  3. A statement of you wishing to attend this particular school if you get admitted
  4. New experiences and activities you took since your last interview and how they align with the school’s mission and programs
  5. What contributions you might make to the academic community
  6. Another expression of gratitude for taking into consideration your application

5 Tips on How to Write an Effective Letter of Intent for Medical School

The main goal of a letter of intent for a medical school is making the school aware at the end of the interview season that they are your number-one choice and you would be happy to get admitted.

There are certain tips that should be followed when writing a letter of intent for a medical school.

  1. Convey how you match with the school’s curriculum and programs, academic environment, mission, etc.
  2. Use a letter of intent to show that you might contribute to the school if you get admitted.
  3. Send a letter of intent at least a month after your interview. Doing it right after the interview will most likely show that you are desperate, anxious, or premature. If there is no response to this letter, you might send another letter of intent approximately two months after your first one (especially if you have new experiences and activities you would want to share in the letter).
  4. Don’t send a letter of intent to several medical schools simultaneously. The main goal of the letter is to indicate that a certain school is your top choice, and it would be logical to assume that you have only one “top” choice. A letter of intent is not a legally binding document, but if several schools would decide to admit you, you would face an awkward situation.
  5. Try to stick to the length of the letter which is not more than one page. Writing only several sentences will create a sense of rush while two and more pages of text will make your letter cumbersome to read.

How to Fill out a Letter of Intent?

Step 1 – Opening

A letter of intent should start with “Dear Dean of Admissions/ Director of Admissions at [NAME OF MEDICAL SCHOOL]. To find their name, you should make a search on the website of the medical school or use their contacts to call and ask about who is the appropriate recipient. Try to avoid using “To whom it may concern.”

Step 2 – Name of the applicant and purpose of the letter

Further, the letter should tell who the applicant is and why they are writing the letter. Mention the date when you had an interview and thank the admission committee for considering your candidacy. Then, specify why it is your wish to study at this specific medical school.

Step 3 – Reasons for studying at the school

Next, you should tell how you came to an understanding that you want to study at this particular institution. It might be the information that you learned at the interview, your thorough research on the medical school and what it offers, or a talk with a current student of this medical school (it would be good to mention their name in the letter).

Step 4 – Updates on activities

The following information should be the activities you took after the interview. Interviewers have already learned your objectives, aspirations, interests and beliefs, so now your goal is to show that you continue pursuing your goals. It might be your work, any relevant projects or public work that should be connected with the medical school’s mission and fields of research.

Step 5 – Possible contributions

The letter should also tell how the applicant might contribute to the medical school’s diversity using their unique experience, knowledge, and personal skills. Mention that you will surely accept the offer if you get admitted to the school and make a great addition to the school’s community.

Step 6 – Closing

At the end of the letter, tell that in case of any questions you might be contacted via your email. Thank the committee again for considering your application and end with “sincerely” and your name.

If you want to get a customized letter of intent, just answer several questions and let our online document builder do the work for you.

Sample Letter of Intent for Medical School

From: Louisa McKinley
64 Oakwood Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78211

April 4, 2021

To: Dean of Admission Committee
Texas A&M College of Medicine
8447 Riverside Pkwy, Bryan, TX 77807

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Louisa McKinley, and I am applying for a medical school course this fall season. I was interviewed on March 4, 2021. The initial speech by the interviewer with regards to the medical profession and a brief introduction to the medical school was really great.

I was asked about my opinion regarding my career aim and reason for pursuing medical studies. I was advised to choose a school that provides me with the best opportunity to take up the specialization that I desire to undertake—neurosurgeon. Regarding this, I want to request your esteemed medical authority to give me an opportunity to take admission from Texas Medical School, which provides me a chance to take up bio-medical studies that I am highly interested in.

Currently, I am learning the various research methods that biomedical study proposes, which has sufficiently helped me get a clear grasp of the subject matter. Moreover, Texas Medical School is exactly the type of school with continuous research being undertaken by the world’s most renowned medical experts.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Louisa McKinley

Published: Jul 26, 2022