For a printable copy of the guide to letters of recommendation, please click here.

Medicine and Pharmacy: 2 Letters of Recommendation are required to complete your application. At least one (1) of the letters must come from an academic referee, preferably a science or mathematics professor, lecturer, or teacher.

Dentistry: 2 Letters of Recommendation are required to complete your application. One (1) of the letters must come from an academic referee, preferably a science or mathematics professor, lecturer, or teacher. Candidates are also required to present a Letter of Recommendation from a practicing dentist or dental professional with whom they have worked/shadowed.

Physiotherapy: 2 Letters of Recommendation* are required to complete your application. At least one (1) of the letters must come from an academic referee, preferably a mathematics or science professor, lecturer, or teacher. *NOTE: University College Dublin requires one (1) additional letter from a licensed physiotherapist you have worked for, volunteered with, or shadowed. Therefore, UCD requires a total of 3 letters before their review.

For all applications apart from those to UCD Physiotherapy, the admissions committees will not consider more than two letters of recommendation.

The importance of letters of recommendation cannot be overstated. The Irish schools place significant emphasis on your letters of recommendation. Below are some guidelines which may be helpful to your referees when they are preparing your letter. Feel free to provide a copy of this document to your referees.

Steps for Submission:

  1. In your Atlantic Bridge Application portal, navigate to the “Documents” section of your application(s) and click “View”
  2. Navigate to the bottom of the page where you will find the “Letters of Recommendation” section and click “Manage requests”
  3. Select the document type (Letter of Recommendation) and input your referee’s full name and email address. Please be sure to input your referee’s professional email address.*
  4. Once you click “send request,” your referee will receive an email containing a one-time link to submit their reference letter directly to your application. You can manage and view the status of your requests through your Atlantic Bridge Application portal. Please note that if you have applications for multiple disciplines (e.g. Medicine and Dentistry), you must submit separate reference letter requests from each discipline.*
  5. Once they receive this email, they will click on the link and fill out their first name, last name, and email address. From there, they will be able to upload the document directly to your application. The letter must be in a (i) PDF document format, (ii) on official letterhead, (iii) signed, and (iv) sent from a professional email address.
    *Please note that if one or more of the four highlighted requirements is not met, your referee will be asked to resubmit the letter, which may delay the processing of your application*
  6. The referee will receive a confirmation email after they submit their letter. The email will confirm that the letter has been received by Atlantic Bridge and is awaiting review. If the letter does not meet at least one of the four requirements, a second email will be sent to the referee noting that the letter must be resubmitted with the required components. 

*NOTE: Reference letters that are submitted using the Interfolio platform must be sent directly to admissions@atlanticbridge.com using Dossier Delivery. All other letters should be submitted through your Atlantic Bridge Application portal.

Letter Requirements:

  1. Letters of recommendation should be addressed to “The Admissions Committee” and should contain NO references to any specific university if applying to more than one (e.g. Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork).
  2. Your referees should include the following information in their letters:
    • Your first and last name as listed in your application.
    • The capacity in which they know you
    • Remarks on your accomplishments, contributions, attributes, etc. that they have observed
    • Details about your communication skills (oral and written, if applicable)
    • Your interests and future plans and how they relate to your desire to pursue a career in the health profession
  3. Your academic referees should try to comment on the following:
    • Your intellectual qualities
    • How you compare with other students they have taught
    • Your performance in class and examinations
    • Whether they believe your academic performance reflects your true ability
    • Why they believe you will be able to manage the rigors of a health science curriculum.
  4. Choose people who know you well and can submit substantial and helpful letters of recommendation.
  5. When asking for a letter, make sure you allow the referee the option of saying “no”. It is better to have someone be honest with you at the start so that you can find another evaluator who will be more enthusiastic. Determine this by asking the person if they feel comfortable writing a strong letter for you.

NOTE: Some universities provide a committee letter. We will accept one committee letter in place of two Letters of Recommendation.