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

 

[Arbor Vitae]

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

didn't you already post this in pre allo?

 

[RedSox12]

didn't you already post this in pre allo?

yeah but i later thought that med students might know better since they had actually gone through the application process

 

[Rickettsia]

Just have a friend or someone you trust write it for you or at least look over it. A lot of people have to write their own letters, but it definitely shouldn't be obvious that you wrote it. I know two people who wrote letters for each other when doctors told them to write their own letters. It's hard to write it about yourself.

 

[evilbooyaa]

You think ADCOMs know your writing style based off just your personal statement? And without any knowledge about how your LOR writers write their LORs?

Yeah you should be sending them a draft for review (if they ask for it). They will hopefully make some edits before they send it in.

 

[VCorp]

Did this as well, for two of the LORs which I had submitted. Both suggested I write something up and they'll read it, and if it looks good they'll sign it. Emailed it to them, and they emailed me back with a few changes they made (ie grammar, choice of words, and other minor things).

Said it looked good, they signed it, and gave it to me.

 

[orthoengie1315]

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've had several of my letter writers tell me to write my own letters, for both graduate school and med school. A few things:

1) It is an excellent exercise for self-reflection and often will result in a better end-product than what they could write for you; it is to your benefit.
2) Admissions committees aren't going to be doing an analysis of the writing among your letters, personal statement, etc. They have thousands of applications to go through. Unless you use the same few words over and over on multiple letters and your PS, it should be fine.
3) I help interview applicants for the MD/PhD program at my school, and not once has anyone made any mention of the writing style among letters, personal statements, etc. It will be your words (edited, hopefully) but on their letterhead and with their signature, so few will doubt it's legitimacy.

tl;dr: relax, you'll be fine.

 

[berkeleyboy]

I've had several of my letter writers tell me to write my own letters, for both graduate school and med school. A few things:

1) It is an excellent exercise for self-reflection and often will result in a better end-product than what they could write for you; it is to your benefit.
2) Admissions committees aren't going to be doing an analysis of the writing among your letters, personal statement, etc. They have thousands of applications to go through. Unless you use the same few words over and over on multiple letters and your PS, it should be fine.
3) I help interview applicants for the MD/PhD program at my school, and not once has anyone made any mention of the writing style among letters, personal statements, etc. It will be your words (edited, hopefully) but on their letterhead and with their signature, so few will doubt it's legitimacy.

tl;dr: relax, you'll be fine.

I second this, relax you'll be fine....no one is going to recognize that you wrote it unless something dumb happens (for example true story) I write an awesome letter that my staff ended up using for both myself and someone else that went to the same program. Thing is, he didn't change the name on both letters, the letter of rec only had my name on it! and it was the same damn letter. Obviously we both didn't get interviews at that institution but it didn't matter at all anywhere else and we still matched fine....happy ending etc etc. end of story. but seriously that was a fluke and did it matter in the end...NOPE not at all.

btw: the best letter always says, we are ranking this person #1 or we really really really want this person to stay here at our home institution but any other program would be lucky to have them.

so relax...just my 2 cents.

 

[Smurfette]

Crossposted in PreAllo. Since OP is still premed, will close this duplicate thread.

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