Purpose
The Health Professions Committee supports the candidacy of Williams students and alumni applying to medical or dental school by participating in the Committee Letter Review. Pre-med students and alumni requesting a committee letter will submit application materials to the health professions office and participate in interviews with committee members.
A Committee Letter is a letter authored by the Director of Health Professions Advising and is intended to represent Williams’s evaluation of their candidacy. Although not required for admission, medical schools prefer a Committee Letter and expect to receive one from Williams College. At Williams, the Committee Letter is a composite letter that includes a multi-page narrative written by the health professions advisor with input from the Health Professions Committee and letters of recommendation.
Responsibilities of Committee Members
- Participate in short training for the Health Professions Committee review process
- Actively participate in 10-15 hours of applicant “speed” interviews held in the spring semester (to take place in 3-4 sessions in March-April)
- Based on the interviews, assess applicants in one of the following designated areas:
- Scientific Inquiry/Research (Div III faculty)
- Healthcare Experience (healthcare provider)
- Service Orientation/Cultural Humility
- Community Impact: Engagement & Leadership
- Motivation/Professional/Maturity and Readiness
Membership
At a minimum, the Committee shall consist of:
- 2 Faculty members from Div III (to assess scientific inquiry and research)
- 1-2 Additional Faculty members from any discipline
- 2-4 local physicians/community members
- 2-4 staff members
Ex officio:
Director of Health Professions Advising
Career Advisor for STEM & Health Careers
No prior knowledge of medical school admissions is required of Committee members, but members should be interested in supporting and engaging with Williams pre-med and pre-dental students and alumni. Ideally, some members would be interested in engaging with the committee for more than one year.
Faculty Membership
- Duncan Clark
- Cynthia Holland
- David Loehlin
- Bob Rawle
- Chad Topaz