Some dental, optometry, and podiatry schools prefer a committee letter. Committee letters are composite letters based on individual evaluations, autobiographical material, your academic record, and a brief interview. Additional evaluations may be from faculty, teaching assistants, employers, volunteer service supervisors, or physicians you have shadowed. The better the person knows you, the more helpful your evaluation will be. You may need to make an appointment for a few minutes to talk with the teacher about yourself or your plans.
Most teachers have some routine of their own to handle the writing of evaluations.
Ask whether they are willing to do this for you and be guided by their response. Evaluations from your family doctor, your congressman, or your banker are not appropriate. Evaluations from persons who are in a position to comment on your abilities to learn, to perform responsibly, to handle pressure, to be well-organized and productive are the most helpful. There is no maximum. Provide your evaluators with plenty of time to complete evaluations, and also give them a deadline.