Application Process

The committee letter is an evaluation that highlights your background and accomplishments in pursuing your career choice. Authored by the Pre-Health Director, it will provide an objective, holistic perspective of the applicant’s life journey and professional portfolio (academic performance, clinical experience, research, leadership, and community service). 

In addition, this packet includes your six individual letters of evaluation from your professors and evaluators. Although a committee letter is not required, it is an important step in the application process for health professional schools. 

Students must attend our mandatory Pre-Health Information Sessions to be eligible for a Committee Packet. 

Information for Previously-Interviewed Applicants: Students who previously interviewed for a committee packet and would like to provide new information for their letter will need to schedule an Update Committee Interview. Please refer to the Committee Interview Requirements & Procedures for further instructions. 

Some health professional programs do not accept committee packets. If you plan to apply to any of the following: Physician Associate, Veterinary, Chiropractic, Optometry, Special Master's Programs (SMPs), or Post-Baccalaureate programs, please refer to the instructions listed on the program's website or designated application portals.

Please Note: The Pre-Health Office does not submit individual letters. Students should provide their professors and evaluators with instructions to submit their letter of evaluation directly to the application portal or professional school. 

For Initial Committee Interview: The interview is 45-60 minutes with the Pre-Health Director. Business Professional attire is required, as this will serve as a dress rehearsal for a professional school interview. For tips on professional clothing and interview preparation, we recommend visiting Toppel Career Center's resources.

Be prepared to discuss any of the following topics:

• Personal strengths or areas of improvement
• Your academic preparation 
• Your motivations to pursue this career path
• Clinical or non-clinical experiences that have made a significant impact and solidified your interest in the field
• Research experiences, honors, or awards
• Current health care policies or ethical issues
• Hypothetical scenarios to assess your analytical skills and competencies
• If planning to take a gap year, what are your goals and what do you wish to accomplish during that time?

Review the Committee Interview Requirements & Procedures for further information on how to prepare. 

For Update Committee Interview: The interview is 30 minutes with the Pre-Health Director. Business Professional attire is required, as this will serve as a dress rehearsal for a professional school interview. For tips on professional clothing and interview preparation, we recommend visiting Toppel Career Center's resources.

Be prepared to discuss any of the above topics as well as the following: 

• Updated grades and unofficial transcript review
• Reason for a gap year
• In what ways did you seek to strengthen your portfolio during that time?
• Areas of your application that you may be concerned about?

NOTE: Please adhere to the instructions on the Committee Interview Requirements & Procedures.

For Re-Applicants: If you previously interviewed and had a committee packet submitted on your behalf, and wish to use the same packet without making any updates, you do not need to interview. Once the application portals open please refer to our Submission Procedures available on Blackboard. 

• Committee Interview Request Form (available on blackboard)
• Three individual Letters of Evaluation: one UM science faculty, one health professional, one wild card/UM non-science faculty
  • For UM Faculty submit using the Pink Sheet Request
  • For all other evaluators (physicians, research mentors, etc.) use Other Letter Request
• Personal statement essay (include your name and C# in the header of each page)
• Sweeping autobiographical essay (a minimum of two pages, double spaced and include your name and C# in the header of each page) Unofficial Transcript of Degree Progress Report 

This option contains a general information sheet with your name and C# followed by a minimum of three and a maximum of six individual letters of evaluation. No interview is necessary for the cover letter packet. Please note, the cover letter does not include any background information, or outlines of your accomplishments, challenges, and overall preparation for pursuing a career in a health professional field. Additionally, the cover letter does not include an overall rating of the applicant’s academic and professional strengths.

The office will not submit letter packets before your centralized application has been submitted. In most cases, the centralized applications cannot be submitted prior to June 1. Even in instances where you can submit your application before June 1, we will not accept requests for Cover Packets before June 1. 

Once you have submitted your application, please log into your prehealth blackboard site and complete the following: 

• Cover Packet Request 
• PDF copy of the submitted application
  • Make sure to fill out the letter or evaluation request sections using the prehealth office contact information. Additional information for individual portals is available in the Portal Submission Procedures tab on blackboard. 

Re-applicants who have already interviewed and had a letter packet (committee or cover) submitted through our office and wish to use the same packet without making any updates do not need to schedule an interview.

If you plan to resubmit your letter packet to health professional programs in summer 2022, please log into your prehealth blackboard site and fill out the Queue for Submission Form once the centralized application portal(s) open. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via email. 

For students who had an Initial or Update Committee Interview and do not have all of their letters in their file should concentrate on finalizing their evaluations.  To ensure your letter packet is complete and ready for submission once you submit your centralized application, be sure to:

• Follow up on pending evaluation letters
  • Send gentle reminder emails to your evaluators
  • Provide them a 2-week deadline before you plan to submit
• Confirm that all six letters of recommendation have been received by the office (see "My Letters" tab)

Most centralized application services open in May, and applicants may begin filling out the primary application. However, in most cases, you will not able to submit the application before June 1st. 

When creating the letter entry in the Letters of Evaluation section, you will be required to indicate who submitting letters on your behalf.  Please follow the below instructions to ensure you enter the information accurately:

• Letter Type: Select "Committee Letter"
• Delivery: Select "Electronic Evaluation" 
• Author: Prof. Michael Gaines, Director of Pre-Health Advising and Mentoring
• Email address: prehealth@miami.edu
• Phone number: (305) 284-5176
• Address: 

Note: DO NOT enter the names of the individual letter writers who submitted letters to the Pre-Health Office. The committee letter packet will be all six individual letters and submitted to the portal(s). 

Reference the Application Guides/Manuals for Help

All application services provide a step-by-step guide for completing each section of the application. We recommend you refer to the relevant application services' instruction manual for guidance. 

AMCAS Applicant Guide

AACOMAS Application Instructions

AADSAS Application Quick Guide

TMDSAS Application Handbook

For additional application service links, refer to the Pre-Health Student Guide.

Our office utilizes a queue system to process requests for letter packet submission to the application portals. The queue is a first-come, first-serve and requests will be processed in the order in which they are received by the office starting June 1st.  Only students whose files are complete and have all necessary documents will be placed in the queue and assigned a number.

Once you are placed in the queue, please allow three (3) to four (4) weeks for your letter packet to be submitted to the portal (e.qug., AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS, or TMDSAS). This time frame does not include university closures and holidays. 

Note: it takes the application services four to six weeks to verify your application and review your transcript(s). Therefore, our timeline will not negatively affect your application. 

Once you submit your primary application to the relevant centralized application services, you are now ready to complete the Queue for Submission Form. Please note letters are not required in order for your to submit or application or for it to be verified. The application can be submitted before your letters of evaluation are uploaded to the portal. 

You must have the following to be placed in the queue:

• All six (6) letters of evaluation in your file
  • 2 from UM science faculty with whom you have taken a course (with a pink sheet)
  • 1 from UM non-science faculty with whom you have taken a course (with a pink sheet)
  • 1 shadowing physician or health care practitioner
  • 2 wild cards (research mentor, community or volunteer service institution, employer, athletic coach, etc.)
• A PDF copy of your “Letter Request” form (AMCAS)
  •  “Evaluation Request” from AACOMAS and AADSAS should be submitted using the office email: prehealth@miami.edu
• A PDF Copy of your completed and submitted application(s), must have the submission date and time or say received at the top of the page

Off-Shore Program Submissions:

For off-shore schools that do not utilize a designated application portal, please complete the Off-Shore and International Submission Request form available on the prehealth blackboard site.