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. 2018 Mar;11(3):26-29.
Epub 2018 Mar 1.

Characterization of the 2016-2017 Dermatology Standardized Letter of Recommendation

Rebecca F Wang  1   2   3 , Myron Zhang  1   2   3 , Allireza Alloo  1   2   3 , Thomas Stasko  1   2   3 , Jordan E Miller  1   2   3 , Jessica A Kaffenberger  1   2   3
Affiliations

Characterization of the 2016-2017 Dermatology Standardized Letter of Recommendation

Rebecca F Wang et al. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to analyze the reformatted standard letter of recommendation (SLOR) for dermatology residents to examine trends in grading and content based on the positions of the letter writers, their backgrounds, and their relationship with the applicant, as well as to evaluate the SLOR's ability to discriminate applicants. Design: This was a retrospective characterization study of dermatology SLORs from the 2016-17 application cycle. Setting: We examined SLORs received by The Ohio State University, the University of Oklahoma, and Hofstra University Northwell Health dermatology residency programs. Participants: We included dermatology residency applicants and their letter writers from the 2016-17 application cycle. Results: A total of 141 SLORs were analyzed from 115 applicants. SLORs demonstrated grade inflation from letter writers of all backgrounds. Ratings for research potential and inquisitive nature were significantly lower than ratings for other categories. Letter writers with limited clinical and research contact graded applicants significantly lower than did writers who had more extensive contact. Word boxes were underutilized. Conclusion: The dermatology SLOR is useful in differentiating applicants, and ratings correlate with the relationships that letter writers have with their applicants. Residency programs should be aware of these findings when evaluating letters of recommendation for applicants.

Keywords: Letter of recommendation; applicant; application; residency; standardized.

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Conflict of interest statement

FUNDING:No funding was provided for this article. DISCLOSURES:The authors have no conflicts of interest to relevant to the content of this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Histograms of assessment ratings (1=average; 2=excellent; 3=outstanding; 4=exceptional) by letter writer characteristics and question category. The Y-axis is scaled from 0% to 50% for all plots.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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