Premedical Office
Xavier University
1 Drexel Drive
Box 120C
New Orleans, LA 70125
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- QuoVadis Webster
- Assistant Premedical Adviser
xupremed@yahoo.com
(504) - 520-7437
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- Part-Time Staff
- Sr. Joanne Bauer, S.B.S.
- Premedical Adviser
- Assistant Professor of Chemistry
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- JW Carmichael, Jr.
- Director of Premed Program
- Professor of Chemistry
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Advice For Xavier Premeds About Collecting and Sending Letters of Evaluation to Health Professions Schools, Research Programs, Summer Programs, etc. (Updated 10/9/09)
This document is one in a series designed to provide instructions to XU premedical students for collecting and/or forwarding evaluations.
Advice/Instructions
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Faculty members are NOT required to write evaluations. Therefore, since you are asking for a favor, be VERY nice when asking.
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When considering which faculty members you should ask, think about the following questions: 1) Did you make a grade of "B" or better in the course, and 2) How would this faculty member evaluate you beyond classroom performance (i.e. observations and impressions of you based on behaviors in and outside of the classroom)?
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When you give the forms to complete to the faculty member, make sure you give them a) an updated copy of your Post-Secondary Experiences Form and b) a copy of your career essay/personal staetment (for Juniors this means your AMCAS or AADSAS essay).
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If the school/program gives you a special form for the evaluation, complete your part and then save it to include with your evaluation when you request that the evaluation is xeroxed and mailed (i.e. when you request that your evaluations be sent out by the Premed Office). Then ask faculty to write evaluations as indicated below. NOTE: This means each faculty member only has to write one rec for you which can be sent to lots of schools rather than a different one for each different school to which you apply. This, in turn, means they may actually do it on time.
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In response to the previous note, if you are ONLY APPLYING TO THE SUMMER MEDICAL AND DENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (SMDEP), the faculty member who argrees to write your letter of evaluation may use the SMDEP Recommendation Form in lieu of writing a letter on department letterhead.
- When you ask faculty for evaluations, have them send the evaluations to the Premedical Office rather than the individual program. We will put your evaluation on file in the Office and photocopy it for mailing when you request.
- We STRONGLY ENCOURAGE students to waive their right to see letters of evaluation that are written on their behalf. Why? First, medical schools will put little weight on evaluations that they know students have access to (i.e. the evaluator may be less prone to give an honest and thorough evaluation of a student if that student retains his/her right to view the evaluation). And second, many faculty will NOT write letters of evaluation unless the student waives his/her right to see the evaluation.
- To get an evaluation from a Xavier faculty member :
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Complete and submit the Evaluation Waiver Form to the PM Office to be placed in your file (You need only submit the Evaluation Waiver Form to the PM Office ONCE...it will suffice as long as your evaluations are on file in the PM Office).
- Ask the faculty member if he/she will write the evaluation.
- If he/she agrees, download, print, and complete a copy of the Faculty Evaluation Cover Letter (copies also available in the PM Office) which...
- Thanks the faculty member for agreeing to write the evaluation,
- Gives him/her your name,
- Reminds him/her the course(s) which he/she taught you, the term(s) you enrolled, and the grade(s) you earned
- Tells him/her the date the evaluation is needed, and
- Tells him/her the purpose of the evaluation.
- Inform him/her as to whether or not your have WAIVED your right to see the evaluation (AGAIN, we strongly encourage you to WAIVE this right!!!)
- Give the completed cover letter with a copy of your UPDATED Post-Secondary Experiences Form and a copy of your UPDATED Career Essay (Personal Statement) to the faculty member. NOTE: If you are only applying to SMDEP, attached the SMDEP Recommendation Form as well.
- To get evaluations already on file in the Premedical Office sent to a health profession school, research program, summer program, etc. :
- Print a copy of XU's "Send Evaluation Form" or pick up a copy from the Premedical Office.
- Fill out the information requested.
- If the school/program gives you a special "cover" form to include with your evalutions, complete your part and then attach it to include with your evaluation when your evaluation is xeroxed and mailed from the PM Office; if you are sending an evaluation that was written on department letterhead to SMDEP and NOT the SMDEP Recommendation Form, you must complete the student portion of the SMDEP Rec Form (available in the PM Office) and submit this "cover" with your "Send Evaluation Form."
- Put completed "Send Evaluation Form" and any cover forms in the "IN" basket in the Premedical Office.
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OR (if you are not currently attending XU) send an e-mail indicating your name, which evaluations you want sent, and the complete address of the school/program to which it should be sent to xupremed@yahoo.com.
- NOTE: Senior Premeds who need evaluations sent to medical, dental, etc. schools should NOT use the "Send Evaluation Form"; instead, these students will be sent SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS via email (during the summer they apply) regarding the appropriate way to have evaluations on file in the PM Office transmitted to health professions schools.
- Finally, if you are accepted into the program, write formal "Thank You" notes (like your mama taught you) to the faculty who wrote evaluations for you. You may need to ask them for another favor later.
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