Students attending The University of Tampa who intend to pursue professional doctoral studies in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, and podiatry are strongly encouraged to request a letter of recommendation from the University’s Pre-Health Professional Committee (PHPC) referred to as a "committee letter." Most doctoral programs expect a committee letter if the institution offers one.
Deadline:
The deadline for submitting the letter request form is March 1 of the year you intend to apply to professional school. Students apply to professional school a full year before they intend to start, and applications open in the summer. This deadline allows time for faculty to gather feedback and for the student to prepare ahead of time for the application as it is always encouraged to apply early since many schools have rolling admissions. Learn more about your professional school’s timeline on the pre-health page.
For students applying in the 2025-2026 cycle, submit your PHPC letter application to Dr. Kimberly Dobrinski at KDobrinski@ut.edu, by March 1, 2025.
If you are graduating in 2025 but are not applying until the following cycle of Summer 2026, you can apply for a committee letter with this current cycle so we can gather timely faculty feedback. Please indicate your growth year plans in the PHPC letter application.
Process and Application:
PHPC surveys all UT science (biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics) professors, from whom each student has taken a course, about the student's performance in their courses and other factors as appropriate. These survey results are used to compose an informed, impartial letter that reflects the consensus of the committee with regard to the student’s suitability for graduate professional study in their intended field.
Students should include all available materials regarding name, address, student ID, etc... with a note that exam scores and personal statements will be accepted when they are made available (or written) and included in the application. After all materials have been provided to the committee, the co-chairs will decide if a committee letter will be written. Please note, submission of an application does not guarantee a letter will be written. Please read the PHPC letter application for full instructions.
GPA requirement:
To receive a committee letter, the minimum BCPM GPA requirement is a 3.2 for students applying to allopathic (MD) medical school. Students with a BCPM GPA below 3.2 are urged to contact the co-chairmen of the PHPC for advising and should seek letters of recommendation from faculty members who can best speak to their academic performance and character.
A minimum BCPM GPA of 3.2 is suggested for the other health professions, including osteopathic medical school (DO), to be considered for a committee letter, but lower GPAs will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.
*Please note, having a BCPM GPA around 3.2 is not considered competitive for most professional schools. Students should continuously be meeting with the committee and pre-health advisor to make sure they are on the path to the most appropriate career choice for their interests and strengths.