Caught Writing Own LOR

[RedSox12]

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I've searched this forum about writing your own LOR, and half the people seem to think it's okay (assuming everything in the letter is true and the "author" signs off on it) while the other half seem to think it's unethical no matter the circumstance. LizzyM and some other doctors here seem to say it's okay while students write that a doctor he or she knows says its unacceptable. Whether or not writing your own letter is ethical or not, it happens and I'm in a situation where I have to write one.

I already have a draft written which in my opinion is strong. Everything is true and my supervisor will have a copy of it. I just need to bring it to him. My concern is that adcoms will know it was written by me because of the style. I tried to stray from my writing style, but it's really hard to write it well while trying to write like someone else.

How many of you guys have written your own letter (which is factual and was signed off by the supervisor) and did not run into any problems? DId you just write it without worrying or did you intentionally try to sound like someone else?

DId anyone here get caught? If so, what happened? Did you just get rejected from that school or did you get blacklisted?

#paranoid

 

[joshyabs]

I've searched this forum about writing your own LOR, and half the people seem to think it's okay (assuming everything in the letter is true and the "author" signs off on it) while the other half seem to think it's unethical no matter the circumstance. LizzyM and some other doctors here seem to say it's okay while students write that a doctor he or she knows says its unacceptable. Whether or not writing your own letter is ethical or not, it happens and I'm in a situation where I have to write one.

I already have a draft written which in my opinion is strong. Everything is true and my supervisor will have a copy of it. I just need to bring it to him. My concern is that adcoms will know it was written by me because of the style. I tried to stray from my writing style, but it's really hard to write it well while trying to write like someone else.

How many of you guys have written your own letter (which is factual and was signed off by the supervisor) and did not run into any problems? DId you just write it without worrying or did you intentionally try to sound like someone else?

DId anyone here get caught? If so, what happened? Did you just get rejected from that school or did you get blacklisted?

#paranoid

I would suggest sending it to some good friends who can read it, and rewrite it in their own words. That should make it sound different.

 

[TheBossDoctor]

Just write it up and get someone else to edit the wording and change it up. Then ask the author to change up the wording. By the time it's sent, the style will be completely different. IMO, no it isn't unethical if you've been given permission. Just don't forge any signatures. You definitely won't get blacklisted anywhere. My guess is that even if you are caught, they just discredit that one letter and use only the other letters when making their decision.

 

[RedSox12]

Yeah I mean I'm not going to forge anything lol...I just don't know what the deal is...especially with the waiver thing because people interpret it differently...

anyways, im gonna post this in the med school forum too just in case to see what responses i get

 

[SN12357]

I've searched this forum about writing your own LOR, and half the people seem to think it's okay (assuming everything in the letter is true and the "author" signs off on it) while the other half seem to think it's unethical no matter the circumstance. LizzyM and some other doctors here seem to say it's okay while students write that a doctor he or she knows says its unacceptable. Whether or not writing your own letter is ethical or not, it happens and I'm in a situation where I have to write one.

I already have a draft written which in my opinion is strong. Everything is true and my supervisor will have a copy of it. I just need to bring it to him. My concern is that adcoms will know it was written by me because of the style. I tried to stray from my writing style, but it's really hard to write it well while trying to write like someone else.

How many of you guys have written your own letter (which is factual and was signed off by the supervisor) and did not run into any problems? DId you just write it without worrying or did you intentionally try to sound like someone else?

DId anyone here get caught? If so, what happened? Did you just get rejected from that school or did you get blacklisted?

#paranoid

There is nothing to get 'caught' at. There is nothing wrong with this. It is NOT a problem if the right steps are followed.

People ginning up paranoia by saying there's something wrong with this procedure are doing everyone here a disservice.

The proper steps to follow are: 1. Draft Letter 2. Give letter to actual letter writer, never touch letter after doing so 3. Letter writer sends valid and acceptable letter to correct locations.

Do you see any fraud in that? Why? The letter writer knowingly signed the letter and was aware of its contents. Nothing was changed or falsified or lied about.

This is common practice and normal, and it's in fact MORE common practice and MORE normal the more important the person writing your letter is.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

One of my letter writers asked me to write a draft/outline. After sending it to him he asked me to come into his office to make sure he gets the letter written since he is so busy. With my outline in his hand, he asked me to transcribe what he said. So basically, I typed my own letter. Then I emailed it to him, he made a few revisions, signed it, then uploaded it to Interfolio. I don't believe there was any ethical violation, even though I typed it all because he put it into his own words.

 

[Mr Avante]

I have signed about 25 letters and hundreds of official documents.
there is no guilt.
THERE IS NO GUILT.

 

[MedGrl@2022]

I've searched this forum about writing your own LOR, and half the people seem to think it's okay (assuming everything in the letter is true and the "author" signs off on it) while the other half seem to think it's unethical no matter the circumstance. LizzyM and some other doctors here seem to say it's okay while students write that a doctor he or she knows says its unacceptable. Whether or not writing your own letter is ethical or not, it happens and I'm in a situation where I have to write one.

I already have a draft written which in my opinion is strong. Everything is true and my supervisor will have a copy of it. I just need to bring it to him. My concern is that adcoms will know it was written by me because of the style. I tried to stray from my writing style, but it's really hard to write it well while trying to write like someone else.

How many of you guys have written your own letter (which is factual and was signed off by the supervisor) and did not run into any problems? DId you just write it without worrying or did you intentionally try to sound like someone else?

DId anyone here get caught? If so, what happened? Did you just get rejected from that school or did you get blacklisted?

#paranoid

I was asked to write my own LORs by several of my recommenders... I gave them bullet points... this allows them to modify my LOR as they see fit.. I used the AAMC advice on LORs for help. I also gave them a copy of the AAMC LOR instructions. It is on their website. I hope this helps! 🙂

 

[TeddyBoomBoom]

There is no issue. Even if you bring in a fully typed, formatted letter in your own words, and then your recommender just signs it and drops it is the mail, that is still perfectly legal.

 

[Radon XP]

The downside to writing your own LOR is that adcoms might see that you did not waive your right of access to the letter, which means they know you know the contents of the letter. I don't know what effect that would have.

 

[SN12357]

The downside to writing your own LOR is that adcoms might see that you did not waive your right of access to the letter, which means they know you know the contents of the letter. I don't know what effect that would have.

Adcoms won't see anything. You can still waive your right to access your letter because you didn't see or control the actual, finalized letter.

You can waive your right to access the letter and if the letter writer shows it to you voluntarily you STILL haven't done anything wrong.

 

[DokterMom]

I've searched this forum about writing your own LOR, and half the people seem to think it's okay (assuming everything in the letter is true and the "author" signs off on it) while the other half seem to think it's unethical no matter the circumstance. LizzyM and some other doctors here seem to say it's okay while students write that a doctor he or she knows says its unacceptable. Whether or not writing your own letter is ethical or not, it happens and I'm in a situation where I have to write one.

I already have a draft written which in my opinion is strong. Everything is true and my supervisor will have a copy of it. I just need to bring it to him. My concern is that adcoms will know it was written by me because of the style. I tried to stray from my writing style, but it's really hard to write it well while trying to write like someone else.

How many of you guys have written your own letter (which is factual and was signed off by the supervisor) and did not run into any problems? DId you just write it without worrying or did you intentionally try to sound like someone else?

DId anyone here get caught? If so, what happened? Did you just get rejected from that school or did you get blacklisted?

#paranoid

There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with doing this, and you don't need to make any attempt to 'change your voice' even. If point-blank asked if you wrote a LOR, hold you head up, answer directly that "Possibly - Dr. X asked me to write a LOR for him and I did provide him with a draft. Because I haven't actually seen the letter he turned in, I have no way of knowing how much editing he did or didn't do. Dr. X is an amazing and very busy man, and I enjoyed working for him very much. He seemed to feel the same way about me --"

 

[RedSox12]

sorry to be a such a pain, but i'm sitll paranoid lol...

is there anyone here on a admissions committee who can answer what the rule is on writing our own lor? i mean, i dont think my supervisor will edit and to my ears, my draft is kind of weird and revealing since i never wrote a letter

i mean i can edit it with friends, but in the end, they are students too and im sure adcoms are trained to pick these things up...although my supervisor is not much of a writer too since his english isnt the best

also, is there anyone who was asked if you write the letter during a interview? howd you answer?

again, sorry for asking but i want to be 100% sure im in the clear

 

[SN12357]

sorry to be a such a pain, but i'm sitll paranoid lol...

is there anyone here on a admissions committee who can answer what the rule is on writing our own lor? i mean, i dont think my supervisor will edit and to my ears, my draft is kind of weird and revealing since i never wrote a letter

i mean i can edit it with friends, but in the end, they are students too and im sure adcoms are trained to pick these things up...although my supervisor is not much of a writer too since his english isnt the best

also, is there anyone who was asked if you write the letter during a interview? howd you answer?

again, sorry for asking but i want to be 100% sure im in the clear

Jesus, can you give up? Adcoms do not give a ****. Adcoms to not care. No one is scrutinizing the writing style of your letters because it DOES NOT MATTER.

I'm not a damn adcom but I work for a big name professor who writes letters of all sorts all year round. 1/3 he writes himself, 1/3 he asks me or another staff member to draft first, and 1/3 he asks the person asking for the letter to write and then edits it. The original writer NEVER matters because its his signature on it in the end. GIVE THIS UP.

 

[TeddyBoomBoom]

sorry to be a such a pain, but i'm sitll paranoid lol...

is there anyone here on a admissions committee who can answer what the rule is on writing our own lor? i mean, i dont think my supervisor will edit and to my ears, my draft is kind of weird and revealing since i never wrote a letter

i mean i can edit it with friends, but in the end, they are students too and im sure adcoms are trained to pick these things up...although my supervisor is not much of a writer too since his english isnt the best

also, is there anyone who was asked if you write the letter during a interview? howd you answer?

again, sorry for asking but i want to be 100% sure im in the clear

You are beginning to illustrate why so many ppl hate premeds.

Your question has been answered, but you could have researched the answer yourself. You didn't, but instead just drag it out. As long as your recommender signs it and mails it, your fine. What is so hard about this?

 

[TheBossDoctor]

My friend goes to Columbia (undergrad) and her PI is on the medical school admissions committee there. She asked him for a letter and he told her to write it on her own and he'd sign off on it. basically an ADCOM actually encouraged it

 

[Doctor Bob]

is there anyone here on a admissions committee who can answer what the rule is on writing our own lor? i mean, i dont think my supervisor will edit and to my ears, my draft is kind of weird and revealing since i never wrote a letter

It's fine. This happens all the time. I don't give it a second thought.
As your LOR writer asked you to do it and they review the letter before signing it, everything is copacetic.

I have reviewed applications and seen LORs from the same person on two different applications and the writing styles could not have been more different. That says to me that the letters were written by the students and the recommender signed off on them. I don't view it as a detraction to the application; I view it as the recommender is very busy and delegated the task of letter writing to the people most likely to make sure it gets done.

 

[circulus vitios]

The downside to writing your own LOR is that adcoms might see that you did not waive your right of access to the letter, which means they know you know the contents of the letter. I don't know what effect that would have.

I don't know if med schools use Interfolio's "confidential status," but there is a way to make the letter confidential as far as Interfolio is concerned: put the LOR inside a sealed envelope, and then place that inside another envelope.

 

[Mel Belle]

I'm not to the point where I need to run out to gather a bunch of LORs just yet. But this thread has me asking... Should I expect to write my own LOR or should I expect to have one written for me?

 

[Narmerguy]

There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with doing this, and you don't need to make any attempt to 'change your voice' even. If point-blank asked if you wrote a LOR, hold you head up, answer directly that "Possibly - Dr. X asked me to write a LOR for him and I did provide him with a draft. Because I haven't actually seen the letter he turned in, I have no way of knowing how much editing he did or didn't do. Dr. X is an amazing and very busy man, and I enjoyed working for him very much. He seemed to feel the same way about me --"

It's fine. This happens all the time. I don't give it a second thought.
As your LOR writer asked you to do it and they review the letter before signing it, everything is copacetic.

I have reviewed applications and seen LORs from the same person on two different applications and the writing styles could not have been more different. That says to me that the letters were written by the students and the recommender signed off on them. I don't view it as a detraction to the application; I view it as the recommender is very busy and delegated the task of letter writing to the people most likely to make sure it gets done.

+1. This is a very common practice, is done in multiple fields at multiple levels, and isn't something that people blink eyes at. No one is going to ask you about who wrote your letters, and if so, you honestly answer that you provided him with a draft of ideas that you thought were good and he did whatever he felt necessary with that. As long as you waive your right to read it, it's not a big deal because he could change it before submitting.

 

[ChiDO]

Writing your own letter is the best. Everyone who says its unethical is just mad because their letter writer didn't let them write their own.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

@Catalystik Can you weigh in on here? Because you've indicated before that this is an unacceptable practice

 

[Catalystik]

@Catalystik Can you weigh in on here? Because you've indicated before that this is an unacceptable practice

I think you are recalling my situation-specific cautionary comments (regarding a prof who refused to write an LOR) out of context, which differed from that of the above 3-year old query. Review here: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/writing-your-own-lor.1134146/

Lizzy M's long-ago more-general comments can be seen in this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/writing-your-own-lor.592175/

 

[Promethean]

Man. Today is necrobump day on SDN!

The last thread I read was from 2011, brought back by the OP.

Is this the start of the zombie apocalypse? The dead threads shall rise and walk among us again?

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

I think you are recalling my situation-specific cautionary comments (regarding a prof who refused to write an LOR) out of context, which differed from that of the above 3-year old query. Review here: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/writing-your-own-lor.1134146/

Lizzy M's long-ago more-general comments can be seen in this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/writing-your-own-lor.592175/

So in your opinion, it's ok in a situation where the letter writer wants the student to give him/her a draft even though the writer knows and likes the student?

 

[bearintraining]

I have written many of my own letters for a variety of purposes. They have ranged from brief points of discussion to entire letters, and they were all requested by the letter writer/referee. It is that person's responsibility to then reword, rewrite, or paraphrase. In every case, I never saw or submitted the final letter. I have also had letter writers who only wanted my CV.
The purpose of writing your own letter is, in part, introspection, and part, reminder for the referee of things you have done/accomplished/etc. They, in turn, have an ethical duty to ensure that what is in there is accurate and truthful.

My point above is that this is (1) common practice, and (2) not unethical. Use this opportunity to critically appraise your own work. Be realistic about what you think you did well.

And good luck!

 

[Catalystik]

So in your opinion, it's ok in a situation where the letter writer wants the student to give him/her a draft . . . ?

"Draft" might be too strong a word, but, yes. And in agreement with the comments of @bearintraining , I feel it is the official letter writer's responsibility to put their personal spin on the final letter.

 

[JustAPhD]

Writing your own LoR can be an odd experience for an undergrad, but I can assure you it happens quite frequently in the real world and is completely ok. Sometimes the signer will change things up, sometimes they'll leave everything exactly as it stands.