Committee Letter and Forms

Committee Letter and Forms

The 12+ months patient care and community service are required beginning summer 2022 for a committee letter to be written.

The HPAS Director has consulted with medical, dental, and vet medicine deans to determine what their institutions expect from applicants who plan to apply after summer 2021.

Optometry, pharmacy, and podiatry do not require committee letters for students to be accepted. The HPAS Office Advisors will not write Committee Letters for optometry, pharmacy, or podiatry students.

The Committee Letter is written at the request of the student for dentist, physician, or veterinarian, when the student has complied with the Queens College/CUNY Office of Health Professions Advisory Services guidelines listed below, a committee letter is written:

  • Meet with an advisor a minimum of four consecutive semesters before June, the semester the letter is to be written
  • Submit by the first Thursday in March, year of application, the required 3 part student profile paper:
    • Personal background
    • 21 day observation and reflection
    • Knowledge of the profession
    • Research on a medical ethics issue – if medical and veterinary medicine applicant
  • Participate by June year of application, volunteer hospital patient care and community service – more than 12+ consecutive months – required
  • Have on file at least three College science faculty letters, patient care letter and a community service letter on file by June – Year applying
  • Provide Office with copy of complete application before first Friday in September

What’s in Committee Letter

  • Knowledge of the student is based on the student’s office meetings, attendance at pre–professional health related events, on/off campus activities, and letters attached to the student’s file.
  • Students are required to volunteer for a health/patient care activity and a community service activity – each a minimum of four hours per week, for more than one year – required
  • The Committee Letter includes personal information about the student, comments from faculty and mentors, and the student’s expressed level of commitment of interest in the profession in which she/he is applying.

The Committee Letters are written after June 1 and before the first Friday in September by

  • Valli Cook, MBA, MS.Ed, Director and Advisor
  • Mika Vesanen, PhD,  Advisor

If a student has not met with an HPAS Advisor at least once (in sequence) Spring, Fall, Spring, Fall, Spring, during the semester planned to file an application, no Committee Letter – dental, physician, or veterinarian will be written for the student. 

However, students are encouraged and expected to meet with an advisor for application assistance and support.

Time Line for Committee Letter and Packet:

  • Meet with Advisor each semester
  • Accomplish completing  required course work
  • Document participation in relevant activities;
  • Establish an office file which documents meetings and discussions
  • Submit an autobiography as outlined in the form below
  • Submit letters from science faculty on file before November 1​
  • Participate in patient care for 12+ consecutive months, one day a week 4+ hours
  • Participate in community service for 12+ consecutive months, one day a week 4+ hours
  • Submit letters from mentors and volunteer representatives
  • Submit a copy of the complete application for each institution applying

Time Line for Early Application

  • Letters in file before May of year applying
  • Application completed by June – July of year applying
  • Optometry students usually file application by August
  • Copy of complete application submitted to HPAS Office before July
  • 2+ weeks needed to write and mail letter to institutions once all steps have been followed.

Committee Letter – Obligations for Students to Review

The Forms below are available for students to review and prepare their application personal statement before January.  Students who request a Committee​ Letter and have been notified by their advisor that a Committee Letter will be written, should follow the instructions and return their autobiography to the HPAS Office before the first Thursday in March.

Please Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these forms, which can be downloaded free from Adobe’s site.