Effective Writing for Health Care

Harvard Medical School provides limited tuition assistance to qualified candidates based on need. Priority is given to current residents and citizens of low-to-middle income countries as defined by the World Bank. No assistance is provided for travel, program materials, or other program-related expenses.

During the application process, you will be prompted to apply for tuition assistance and will be asked to submit a brief statement, up to 250 words, explaining your need for financial assistance.

Tuition reduction is based on the program’s full tuition price and cannot combined with any other reductions.

Tuition assistance will not be considered if received after your application has been completed and submitted.

To prepare your application for submission, please have the following documents available:

• Current contact information and credentials: This information is required for the online application.
• Curriculum vitae/résumé/list of awards or publications: You will be prompted to upload either your CV or résumé (.doc, .pdf).
• Personal statement: A 250-500-word personal statement explaining why you would like to be considered for the Effective Writing for Health Care program. Your statement should include a brief description of your background, your area of professional interest, how this course will impact your career, as well as the institution and country where you work.*
• Written statement: A writing sample in support of your application. Your writing sample should not be more than 2 pages in length.
• Tuition assistance: If you are requesting tuition assistance, you will be prompted to submit a statement in support of your request. Please read the Tuition Assistance section above for further details.

Please note: Effective Writing for Health Care requires a high level of English reading and writing proficiency.

There is no application fee for this program.

*Your personal statement is an opportunity for the admissions committee to hear your voice. We strongly discourage the use of generative AI technologies, like ChatGPT, in your application essay. If an essay does use generative AI, then it must be acknowledged. If an essay is suspected to have used one of these tools without attribution or in its entirety, we reserve the right to deny your admission to the program or request that you submit a new essay in order to be considered.

Full tuition should be paid two weeks prior to the start of the program. However, a scheduled payment plan option is available. There are no fees or interest charges associated with the payment plan. Payment default will result in losing access to the learning platform.

Questions? We are here to help. Contact the admissions team at learn@hms.harvard.edu.

Accepted applicants may be eligible to enter a payment plan to help budget their tuition. To request enrollment into a payment plan, a request must be submitted in writing to learn@hms.harvard.edu.

Payment Methods

Credit Card — Preferred Method

Credit card payments are accepted through your application account. Please refer to your tuition invoice for complete payment details. We recommend that you contact your credit card issuer to pre-authorize your payment.

Wire Transfer

Reference HMS Effective Writing for Health Care — [Student last name] in the memo section of the wire.

Please wire funds in US dollars to:

Bank Name: Bank of America
Bank Address: 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110
WIRE ABA#: 026009593
SWIFT Code: BOFAUS3N
Account Name: President and Fellows of Harvard College
Account #: 9372639404

• Please inquire with your bank about any fees associated with sending a wire transfer, including any from an intermediary bank. Applicants are responsible for all associated wire transfer fees and should increase the total amount transferred to cover tuition and fees in full.
• Please send a copy of your transaction receipt to learn@hms.harvard.edu to allow our team to both track and process your order.

Check

Make check payable in U.S. Dollars to Harvard Medical School and mail to the following address:

USPS:
HARVARD COLLEGE
PO BOX 417476
BOSTON, MA 02241-7476

COURIER (UPS/FedEx):
BANK OF AMERICA LOCKBOX 417476
MA5-527-02-07
2 MORRISSEY BLVD
DORCHESTER, MA 02125

Reference HMS Effective Writing for Health Care — [Student last name] on the memo line of the check.

Additional Information

• We are unable to process payments submitted via peer-to-peer payment applications, such as Venmo, PayPal, etc.
• Cash payment are not accepted.
• An email confirmation will be sent to you upon receipt of your paid registration.

Refunds

Refunds, less an administrative fee of 10% of the program fee (minimum of $75), will be issued for all cancellations received at least two weeks prior to the start of the course. Refund requests must be made by emailing learner_services@hms.harvard.edu. “No shows” are subject to the full course tuition.

Do international participants attending a program on campus at Harvard Medical School need a current visa to travel to the United States? 

• No, if you are a citizen of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program
• Yes, if you are a citizen of another country - in this case, you typically will need a B-1* visa 

Please follow U.S. State Department guidelines to check requirements and to obtain a visa. Harvard Medical School cannot assist in this process. If you are admitted to a program, the admission letter you receive should be sufficient to obtain a visa for entry into the United States. It can be a lengthy process to obtain a visa, so be sure to apply at as soon as possible. 

*Please note: Program participants are not considered full-time students at Harvard University and thus are not eligible for Harvard University's F-1 student visa sponsorship. 

For programs OUTSIDE of the United States, please check with your local consulate for visa requirements. 

We will acknowledge receipt of all applications and maintain all application information in strict confidence.

Students can expect to hear a decision on their application within four to six weeks from the date all application materials were submitted.