Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Thirty years ago, education leaders in emergency medicine (EM) developed a standardized letter of recommendation to address limitations of narrative letters of recommendation in the residency selection process. Since then, multiple iterations and improvements with specialty-wide adoption have led to this letter being cited as one of the most essential pieces of a residency application. Based on the experience and success in EM, many other specialties have also now adopted standardized letters of their own. In this paper, we detail the 30-year history of the EM standardized letter including form changes and technological innovations, research and validity evidence, and discussion of research and administrative priorities for the future.
Authors: Jenna S Hegarty, Cullen B Hegarty, Jeffrey N Love, Alexis Pelletier-Bui, Sharon Bord, Michael C Bond, Samuel M Keim, Kevin Hamilton, Eric F Shappell
Institutions: Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Regions Hospital, University of Minnesota, HealthPartners, Georgetown University, Cooper University Hospital, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Arizona, University of Maryland Medical System, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $500
Funder: Massachusetts General Hospital
OpenAlex ID: W4416771248