How Do I Interpret This Letter of Recommendation?

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Much has been written about how to improve the writing of letters of recommendation, particularly with respect to mitigating bias and maintaining equity. Many of us rely on templates and standardized processes to craft programmatic and departmental evaluation letters. Yet when we are on the receiving end of letters, we are often at a loss. How should we interpret the personal, unstructured letters of recommendation of students applying for residency? Prior literature suggests two ideas about the interpretation of letters;1) we don't do well in inferring the letter writer's intent, and 2) our interrater reliability as readers is low. This, coupled with the known pitfalls of bias and inequity, leaves us with a need to streamline and routinize our process for the reading and interpretation of personal letters of recommendation. To further characterize the issue, we piloted a project analyzing letters of recommendation received during the 2022-2023 recruitment cycle. Combining our review of the literature and examination of the letters, we developed a guide to help faculty interpret letters. During the workshop, we will introduce the guide, and describe the supporting literature and pilot findings. We will use the guide in practice, both individually and in a large group setting. Each participant will take home the guide and sample letters, in order to better prepare their own frontline faculty. We aim to help our faculty to recognize common biases, identify necessary characteristics of recommendations, and be able to recognize behaviors and characteristics that matter.

Speakers

  • Bethany Gentilesco, MD, FHM, FACP
  • Ross Hilliard, MD, FACP
  • Sarah Freeman, MD
  • Kate Mayans

Additional Information

Year Published: 2023 - APDIM Fall Meeting

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