references

[Guest hesam7]

Is there any specific requirements for choosing referees for UofC applications? For example, is it required to have at least one academic referee?

 

Thanks

[Guest CrazyKath]

From the UCalgary website:

 

"Choose your referees carefully. Where possible, you should have one or two letters from professors who have taught you and know you well. Other good choices would be supervisors and employers."

 

They clearly want at least one academic reference (ideally from a prof or research supervisor who knows you personally). Other good choices would be volunteer supervisors or "community" references. The most important thing is to choose someone who will write a personal, thoughtful letter. The committee will read thousands of letters, you want yours to really stand out from the "Yes, _____ got an A in my class" references.

 

Remember to contact your referees early on! You don't want to have to stress at the last minute

[Guest not rex morgan]

Also, do not be afraid to ask if they feel comfortable writing a "favourable" letter. You can also help them out by providing them with a copy of your CV and maybe a paragraph about why you want to go into medicine. That way they have something to say about you that might be interesting, specific, and unique. I know one of the years I got in, I met with the admissions committee at UBC and they told me that one of my letters was absolutely glowing, but it was all of 2 sentences long. This counted against me. Looking back, it would have been smart to spoon feed him a bit more.

[Guest kayak22]

I agree with both asking referees whether they will write a favorable letter as well as providing them with a current CV and/or previous letters of reference that have been written about you. I myself have had to write professional letters of recommendation and have found this information, when provided to be invaluable. I have been more than honest when I tell someone whether or not I can write a positive letter. In addition, I have always asked the person to let me know what it is the letter should target and what the person reading it might be looking for. This helps me to target the appropriate audience.