Best Practices in Writing Letters of Recommendation
CLIME | Recorded August 14, 2020
Jeanne Cawse-Lucas, MD
Dr. Cawse-Lucas is a board-certified family physician and Professor and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Family Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School. She is also affiliated with UW Medicine at Harborview and the University of Washington Medical Center. Dr. Cawse-Lucas earned her medical degree from UMass Chan and has over a decade of experience in clinical care. Her areas of expertise include diabetes, hypertension, and bipolar disorder.
Tomoko Sairenji, MD
Dr. Sairenji is a board-certified family physician and Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. She cares for patients at the UW Neighborhood Northgate Clinic and serves as the Olympic College Head, a faculty mentor, and advisor to the Family Medicine Interest Group and students pursuing careers in family medicine.
Originally from Japan, Dr. Sairenji earned her MD at Okayama University and completed residency training at Aso-Iizuka Hospital before moving to the U.S. She completed her family medicine residency at UPMC Shadyside in Pittsburgh, where she served as Chief Resident and completed a faculty development fellowship and a Master of Science in Medical Education.
Her professional passions include building strong, trusting relationships with patients and helping students find purpose and joy in medicine
Description:
Have you ever found it challenging to write a strong letter of recommendation (LOR) for a student who didn’t stand out, or struggled to interpret the true message behind someone else’s letter? This interactive workshop helps educators write more effective and equitable LORs using a competency-based framework. Participants will explore how to craft letters that are clear, descriptive, and genuinely helpful to selection committees.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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Identify characteristics that make LORs helpful, or potentially harmful to applicants.
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Recognize the impact of bias in the letter-writing process.
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Formulate LORs that are concise, credible, contextual, concrete, and comparative.
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Apply a competency-based framework to improve clarity and consistency in LORs.
WATCH THE RECORDING
Recorded on August 14, 2020, Captions Available