The LETTER of Recommendation: Showcasing a Student’s Strengths

As you wrap up your end-of-rotation feedback with a student, the student asks hesitantly, “Would you be willing to write me a strong recommendation letter for residency?” Your internal monologue starts to alarm: “Should I say yes? What makes a strong letter? I’ve never done this before! Where do I even start?” This article, next in the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics series on teaching medical students, will help you approach this important task with confidence and skill.

Physicians in a variety of practice settings are tasked with teaching and evaluating students and may be approached to write a letter of recommendation (LOR). Writing an LOR can be a daunting task, especially for those unfamiliar with its expected structure and content. With this article, we provide a framework that any author can use to craft a strong LOR to facilitate a successful application for residency.

LORs are an integral component of residency selection and have been shown to correlate with performance in pediatric internship.¹ They provide an opportunity to highlight applicants’ professionalism and adherence to ethical standards, which are qualities important to program directors when selecting applicants to interview.² In the next few years, US Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 will transition to a pass-fail test, and residency programs may increasingly …

Address correspondence to Erin Pete Devon, MD, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104. E-mail: petedevone{at}email.chop.edu