So you want to get a letter of recommendation for medical school.

Good!

But the problem is (nod in agreement to all that apply):

* Your school has so many students your professor looks only 4 feet tall from your seat in the lecture hall

* You have no idea how to create a relationship with intimidating-looking Professor Importante

* You don’t go to office hours, so what do you have in common?

The answer is simple – your ambitions to medical school are what you have in common. Connect up with your instructor at the beginning of the semester and say the following:

“Hello Professor [name], you don’t know me. My name is [yourname] and I am a student in your class [name of class].

I am a pre-med.

I don’t feel comfortable asking you for a letter of recommendation, because you don’t know me.

I would like to ask you if you would observe me during this semester, and I would like to talk with you about my motivations to medicine and my contributions to the school.

Then, at the end of the semester, I’d like to come back and ask you if you’d be willing to write me a letter of recommendation to medical school. Would that be OK?”

Use this approach to create a direct, clear and integrity-based relationship. Now you have a good reason to talk to your potential recommender, and you have a pre-set topic (your plans for medical school) to discuss.

Wow! You’re all set … let me know how this approach works. Leave a comment below.

DonO