Most schools provide a letter storage service via their career center or similar resources. There are also online letter-holding services like Interfolio’s Dossier that you may use to store letters for multiple application systems.
Because letters of recommendation are generally meant to be confidential, each service has its own method by which letter writers can submit their letters directly to the service. The letters must be signed and should have an official letterhead.
You will be able to use these letters later on when you are applying to osteopathic or medical programs. Centralized storage service like Interfolio help simplify the process especially if you’re applying to both MD and DO schools.
Using a service like this prevents last-minute scrambling when it is time to turn in the letters for your application.
Sahil Mehta M.D. is an attending physician in the Department of Radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Founder of MedSchoolCoach. Dr Mehta is one of the world’s experts on medical school admissions having founded MedSchoolCoach in 2007. MedSchoolCoach provides admissions consulting to premedical students in the form of interview preparation, essay editing and general advising. In the past 10 years, he has had a hand in over a thousand acceptances to medical school.
