June 19, 2025
Written By
Zach French
Subscribe to the Premed Catalyst Newsletter
You’ve studied hard, volunteered your weekends, and maybe even survived Orgo without crying (much). But now you’re staring at one of the most underestimated gatekeepers of med school acceptance: the letters of recommendation. It’s frustrating. You’ve done all the work, but now your future hinges on someone else’s words. And worse? You don’t even know what a great letter is supposed to look like.
In this article, we’re going to show you a real medical school letter of recommendation example that earned an acceptance to UCLA. We’ll break down what Adcoms actually care about, the five key pillars every strong letter hits, and who to ask for the most impactful endorsements.
Letters of recommendation are only one part of the med school application process. To get in, you’ll also need a compelling personal statement, standout extracurriculars, and secondaries that show real insight and reflection. That’s why we created something we wish we had as premeds: a free database of 8 full AMCAS applications from students who got into top med schools. Use it as a guide to creating your own winning application.
Get your free resource here.
Letters of rec aren’t just formalities. They’re not filler. They are one of the few parts of your application that you don’t write yourself. That makes them powerful. It’s someone else standing behind you and saying, “I’ve seen this student work. I trust them. I’d vouch for them with a patient.”
This gives Adcoms something your stats can't: real, human insight into you. They get a window into your personal qualities, academic abilities, and potential as a future physician, things that just don’t show up in a score report or transcript.
That’s why a strong letter can tilt a borderline app into the accepted pile and a generic one into the rejects. So yes, letters of rec matter for med school. A lot.
Adcoms are reading hundreds, sometimes thousands, of letters of recommendation. The last thing they want is another “Pleasure to teach” or “Hard worker” with no soul behind it.
They want letters that tell a story. That show:
The best letters aren’t just glowing. They’re specific and honest.
Not all letters of rec are created equal. Some make you unforgettable. Others make you invisible. Here’s what separates the “meh” from the “must-admit.”
The five pillars every strong letter needs.
Before the praise, Adcoms need the setting. How does this person know you? In what capacity? For how long? A standout letter grounds itself in a real relationship: professor/student, research mentor/research mentee, clinical supervisor/supervisee, not just doctor and “someone that shadowed me for a day.”
Why does this matter? Because the weight of a letter comes from the lens. A glowing review from a TA you met with once means next to nothing. But steady praise from a PI who’s seen you work for two years straight? That’s powerful.
The best letters don’t just compliment. They show why that compliment is earned.
Saying you’re “hardworking” isn’t enough. Everyone applying to med school is hardworking or at least says they are. What makes a letter stand out is when that praise is backed by a story that brings your character to life.
Think: “She stayed up until 2 am for three nights in a row, troubleshooting a broken gel rig before her final research presentation. Most students would’ve panicked. She problem-solved, kept her team motivated, and delivered results.”
“This student is in the top 1% of all undergrads I’ve taught in my 17 years.” Boom.
Comparative language is a secret weapon. It places you in context. It helps Adcoms measure you. And if the writer has the experience and authority to make that kind of claim? That kind of ranking holds serious weight.
What did the writer feel about working with you? Trust? Admiration? Genuine respect?
The best letters aren’t all logistics about your work ethic. They’re personal to the writer. A line like, “I would trust her to care for my own family” or “He reminded me of why I started teaching in the first place” are powerful because they’re vulnerable. Emotion signals authenticity.
Adcoms want evidence that you have the qualities of a future physician.
That means letters should speak to things that matter in medicine: resilience, communication, curiosity, compassion, professionalism. A great letter connects your past actions to your future potential in a clinical setting.
It's not about being perfect. It’s about being ready. Ready to grow. Ready to serve. Ready to shoulder real responsibility. A great recommender sees that and says it loudly.
Letters of rec are a behind-closed-doors conversation about you that the Adcoms hear, but you never see. Until now.
For the first time, we’re opening that door.
Below is a breakdown of a real letter of recommendation that helped Mike, our co-founder, get accepted into multiple top 20 medical schools, including UCLA. We’re not just going to show you the letter. We’re going to reverse-engineer it. You’ll see what worked, why it worked, and how you can set up your own mentors to write something just as impactful.
1. It opens strong.
The very first sentence sets the tone: “It is my distinct pleasure to give my strongest recommendation…” This is what behavioral psychologists call an “anchor.” It tells the reader what to expect and primes them to look for proof of excellence. You want your letters to start with clarity and strength, not lukewarm introductions.
2. The relationship is crystal clear.
The letter doesn’t just say the writer knows me. It shows how, for how long, and why their opinion matters. “I’ve mentored 30+ undergraduates. Mike stands in the top 6 or 7.” That’s powerful relativity. It gives weight to the praise.
3. It shares personal, private insights.
Most letters regurgitate your resume. This one doesn’t. It talks about my family’s immigration story, Mike’s values, and what he cares about outside the lab. Those details came from just one or two early conversations, but they mattered. Because real mentorship is personal.
4. It tells specific stories.
The professor didn’t list every task done in the lab. He picked moments like training mice for complex behavioral tests, working 12–15 hours weekly, asking insightful questions before even joining the lab. That’s what makes a letter feel lived-in, not templated.
5. It compares me to others, honestly.
“Of 30 undergrads, Mike ranks in the top 6 or 7. Others went to Yale, Columbia, Stanford…” This kind of context gives Adcoms a mental slot to place you in. You don’t have to be #1. You just need to be ranked by someone credible.
6. It reflects who I am, not just what I did.
One of the most meaningful lines? “He’s gregarious, easygoing, always cracking jokes. A rare Millennial who respects deadlines and etiquette.” Not the smartest or hardest-working student, but he can connect with people. And this professor saw that. That’s what stuck.
Letters of recommendation are meant to come from your biggest advocates. So, don’t just ask someone with a fancy title. Ask someone who knows you.
Here’s who you should be targeting:
Medical schools often require at least one or two science faculty letters. Prioritize professors from smaller, discussion-based classes where you participated and stood out. They should know more than just your exam scores. They should remember how you think.
If you’ve been in a lab for 6+ months, your mentor has seen your grit, curiosity, and problem-solving in action. That’s gold. Especially if they’ve mentored other students who’ve gone on to med school, they can offer valuable comparisons.
If you’ve committed serious hours volunteering in a clinic, nonprofit, or community health initiative and someone has seen your growth firsthand, that’s a powerful voice. Especially if you’re passionate about underserved communities or public health.
The way you ask for a letter often determines the kind of letter you get. So don’t make this an afterthought. Be thoughtful. Be respectful. Be clear.
Here’s how to do it right:
If there’s even a sliver of in-person interaction, take it. Sit down, be real, and ask them directly:
“Would you feel comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation for medical school?”
That one word—strong—is key. It gives them permission to say no, and that’s a good thing. A weak letter is worse than none at all. If in-person or Zoom isn’t realistic, a well-written email works. Just make sure it’s personal, not copy-paste.
Give them at least 4–6 weeks. Great letters don’t get written the night before a deadline. Plus, asking early signals professionalism and respect for their time.
Make it easy for them to brag about you. The more context they have, the better the letter will be.
Send:
No response? Gently follow up in a week or two. Close to the deadline? Send a reminder. After it’s submitted? Always, always send a thank-you. Bonus points for a handwritten note.
Let’s be real: sometimes a recommender says, “Sure, I’d be happy to sign whatever you draft.” It’s more common than people admit. Professors are busy. Clinicians are overwhelmed. And you're the one who needs the letter to happen, so you end up writing it yourself.
If that happens to you, don’t panic. But also don’t waste the opportunity. A well-written draft can become a powerful, authentic endorsement if you do it right.
You're not writing as you. You're writing as them. That means:
Ask yourself: Would this person actually say these words? If not, revise.
You’re not just writing a list of achievements. You’re telling a story through someone else’s eyes. So be sure to use a structure like this:
“It is a genuine pleasure to write this strong letter of recommendation for [Your Name].”
Set the tone immediately. Anchor the reader in the strength of the endorsement.
“I have worked with [Name] for the past 18 months as their research mentor in the Department of Neurology at [University].”
This builds credibility. Show how long they’ve known you and in what capacity.
Instead of: “They are hardworking and intelligent.”
Write: “They regularly stayed late in the lab to troubleshoot failed protocols and once identified a flaw in our calcium imaging setup that even our grad students missed.”
This is where you shine through evidence.
4. Add Relativity and Context
“Of the 30+ undergraduates I’ve mentored, [Name] stands among the top 5 in terms of intellectual curiosity, resilience, and interpersonal skill.”
This tells Adcoms where you stand in a crowd. That’s what they want to know.
5. Close With Confidence
“I recommend [Name] without reservation for admission to your medical school. I am confident they will excel in both academic and clinical environments.”
Short. Strong. Memorable.
A great letter can open doors. A bad one can quietly close them without you even knowing. Here are the biggest red flags Adcoms look for with examples and how to make sure your letters don’t raise them.
Even if you follow all of this guidance, you don’t see what gets written. And you don’t know with certainty that your recommender “gets” you. All you can do is ensure the rest of your app is as strong as possible.
That’s why at Premed Catalyst we created a free resource that includes real AMCAS that earned acceptances to top medical schools like UCLA. You’ll see exactly what worked well, including activity sections and personal statements.
This is the resource we wish we had when we were applying. No fluff. No generic tips. Just real, successful applications you can learn from and model.
Get your free resource here.