Guidelines for Letters and Activities

Guidelines for Letters and Activities

A student should register with the Health Professions Office immediately upon knowing his/her interest in a health profession career, even as early as the first semester of freshman year. Once registered, the student should meet with an advisor of Health Professions each semester thereafter. Such frequent communication between advisor and student allows for a more in-depth evaluation of the student’s academic performance and progress toward an application timeline.

The Evaluation Letter – Faculty and Mentors (Evaluation Request Form)

Students are expected to reach out to faculty for a Letter of Evaluation.  The letter from faculty should include information on class knowledge, participation, oral presentations, interaction with classmates and any other information relevant to the student’s expected performance once in the health professional school.  Some students may request letters from faculty outside of Queens College; the same information is requested.

Students are expected to participate in off campus activities which include patient care, community service, research and/or internships and other activities which add to the student’s quality of life.  A Letter of Evaluation from a mentor, volunteer supervisor, health professional activity, or any letter the student believes will add value to her/his application should be requested.  The letter from a supervisor or mentor should include program knowledge, participation with other staff and clients, length of time interacting with the student, and any information relevant to the student’s expected performance once in the health professional school.

The faculty and mentor letters will be sent to the health professional schools: Dental, Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy, Podiatry, Veterinary Medicine for the doctor degree, the student is applying.  Letters are not sent to any Master Degree Programs.

All letters in word pdf, with signature, on official stationery, via email to HPASLetters@qc.cuny.edu.

Required Letters – one in each discipline:

Biology 105 or 106; Chemistry 113, 114, 251 or 252; Physics 121, 122, 145 or 146; and a Liberal Arts Letter.   Any one from each discipline should be on file for the student by the time the student is ready to apply to a health professional school.

If a Committee Letter is written for the student, all letters in the student’s file will be sent as an attachment when the Committee Letter is sent to the designated health professional schools.

Activities Strongly Advised

Participation in Outside Classroom Activities – weekly 4+ hours and continued even after filing health professional school application:

    • Pre-Medical –  Hospital patient care (some time in ER preferred)
    • Pre-Optometry – Hospital Ophthalmology Experience and shadow an Optometrist
    • Pre-Dental –  Hospital dental experience
      • Private Dentist Specialist for 10-15 hours within year applying
    • Pre-Pharmacy – Hospital patient care, shadow a pharmacist, work as a pharmacy cashier
    • Pre-Veterinary – Hospital patient care, large animals – farm, ranch, zoo
    • Volunteer Community Service – City Harvest, Red Cross, Education Alliance, NY Cares, Museums, NY Guild for the Blind, Public Library, Public School tutoring program, Highline, Police Athletic League, NYFD, Habitat for Humanity, Associations which include Heart, Cancer, Alzheimer, Diabetes or any health related concern.

Preparation for the Application – Advisor Meetings with students

For medical, veterinary medical, and dental school applicants, a final meeting before completing your application should occur between January 20 and May 30, of the year in which you will apply.

For optometry, pharmacy or podiatry school applicants, a final meeting before completing your application should occur between March 1 and August 15, of the year in which you will apply.

Timely scheduling of your final meeting helps to ensure that your Evaluation Letters are on file and you have an understanding of the application guidelines.

The HPAS Office requires more than two weeks to honor a request to mail/submit student’s letters.  A copy of the student’s complete application must be on file with the Office before any letters are mailed or submitted to a health professional institution.

Letters of Evaluation/Recommendation Forms

Letter Evaluation forms for your professors, research advisors, mentors and/or health professional mentors are available in the HPAS Office.  Request letters from your professors as soon as possible after completing a course with them. All letters should be on corporation/institution official stationery, not shared with the student, signed by the evaluator, and submitted as a PDF file which is e-mailed to: HPASLetters@qc.cuny.edu.

Students must print a complete copy of application and have on file with HPAS Office if letters are to be mailed. ​​​