How to write your own letter of recomendation

[hylecious]

Hi guys,

I just finished shadowing a doctor and nicely ask him to write me a letter of recommendation. However, he is so busy that he asked me to write the letter my own and he will take a look at it and fix it, then sign it.

The problem is I don't know how to start writing my own letter of recommendation. Do I put myself into his position and write about myself? or Do I just write my own experience and my reflection on the experience observing him?

Either way, how to avoid bias in the letter since I guess i am gonna be really biased writing my own letter.

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[type12]

The old adage: "show, don't tell" still applies. Use real examples that made the doctor want to write a recommendation for you. At the end, add a short paragraph listing the doc's credentials, basically explaining why he is in a position to vouch for you and have some weight.

 

[Person0715]

Is it really ideal to be writing your own LOR? It's going to be hard to write from another person's perspective.

 

[LizzyM]

Here's the basic outline:
In the first sentence, you express pleasure in being asked to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of [your name]. In the rest of the paragraph you describe how long you have known one another and in what context you first met and what other interactions you have had over time (e.g. you met because you are neighbors or you reached out to him when looking for a someone to shadow).
In the next paragraph, you describe what the doctor does and how you interacted with him. For example, I am an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in lower limb trauma. I am part of a group practice consisting of 8 surgeons, six physician-assistants, etc etc. Jason was able to shadow me in the OR and in the office for six days over a two week period. He observed ....

The next paragraph tells about your positive attributes: you were curious, unfailing polite to patients and staff, a quick study. yada yada

If there is going to be something negative, it comes next but you aren't going to add anything negative about yourself.

Finally, you close with a statement that [name] shows great potential and is will be a fine physician who the doctor would like to have treat his own family members someday or something like that.

Sincerely,

 

[hylecious]

Here's the basic outline:
In the first sentence, you express pleasure in being asked to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of [your name]. In the rest of the paragraph you describe how long you have known one another and in what context you first met and what other interactions you have had over time (e.g. you met because you are neighbors or you reached out to him when looking for a someone to shadow).
In the next paragraph, you describe what the doctor does and how you interacted with him. For example, I am an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in lower limb trauma. I am part of a group practice consisting of 8 surgeons, six physician-assistants, etc etc. Jason was able to shadow me in the OR and in the office for six days over a two week period. He observed ....

The next paragraph tells about your positive attributes: you were curious, unfailing polite to patients and staff, a quick study. yada yada

If there is going to be something negative, it comes next but you aren't going to add anything negative about yourself.

Finally, you close with a statement that [name] shows great potential and is will be a fine physician who the doctor would like to have treat his own family members someday or something like that.

Sincerely,

Thank you very much for this outline. I will try to follow this and see how this goes.

 

[Donald Kimball]

Here's the basic outline:
In the first sentence, you express pleasure in being asked to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of [your name]. In the rest of the paragraph you describe how long you have known one another and in what context you first met and what other interactions you have had over time (e.g. you met because you are neighbors or you reached out to him when looking for a someone to shadow).
In the next paragraph, you describe what the doctor does and how you interacted with him. For example, I am an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in lower limb trauma. I am part of a group practice consisting of 8 surgeons, six physician-assistants, etc etc. Jason was able to shadow me in the OR and in the office for six days over a two week period. He observed ....

The next paragraph tells about your positive attributes: you were curious, unfailing polite to patients and staff, a quick study. yada yada

If there is going to be something negative, it comes next but you aren't going to add anything negative about yourself.

Finally, you close with a statement that [name] shows great potential and is will be a fine physician who the doctor would like to have treat his own family members someday or something like that.

Sincerely,

Does this format change much for employers?

 

[LizzyM]

Does this format change much for employers?

pretty much the same although you might have more paragraphs about job duties, promotions, interaction with other employees or with clients, etc.

 

[Optimus-Prime]

so and so is the most brilliant individual who has ever graced me with his presence; I would be surprised if he did not cure AIDS.

Or something along those lines...

 

[Dr. Biology]

one word, Don't. they have to be submitted on a non disclosed basis. if some how it got out that you wrote it or something like that it could ruin your application

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Hi guys,

I just finished shadowing a doctor and nicely ask him to write me a letter of recommendation. However, he is so busy that he asked me to write the letter my own and he will take a look at it and fix it, then sign it.

The problem is I don't know how to start writing my own letter of recommendation. Do I put myself into his position and write about myself? or Do I just write my own experience and my reflection on the experience observing him?

Either way, how to avoid bias in the letter since I guess i am gonna be really biased writing my own letter.

http://depts.washington.edu/gowwami/AWARE/documents2012/CarolTeitzLORsamples.pdf

 

[type12]

one word, Don't. they have to be submitted on a non disclosed basis. if some how it got out that you wrote it or something like that it could ruin your application

You waive your right to see it; that doesn't make it illegal to see it. You just are waiving a normal right that you are allowed to demand to see what was written about you. Now if someone shows you it, it wasn't like you were exercising that right that was waived, you were just shown it.

It's kind of like Poker: if the other player shows you their hand by accident, you don't get disqualified (though that'd be a hilarious tactic); however, if you take pains to peek at his cards, that's a whole different ball game.

 

[Mad Jack]

one word, Don't. they have to be submitted on a non disclosed basis. if some how it got out that you wrote it or something like that it could ruin your application

I dunno, LizzyM just provided an outline for one, and she's an adcom. If it was an app ruining practice I doubt she would encourage it like that.

And LORs are confidential as a courtesy to those writing them- if they choose to let you see them for whatever reason and waive that courtesy, you're not violating anything.

 

[pharmolu]

.

 

[Aerus]

one word, Don't. they have to be submitted on a non disclosed basis. if some how it got out that you wrote it or something like that it could ruin your application

I don't think you've requested many letter of recommendations before, have you?

This happens a lot more often than you think. Waiving your rights to see a letter doesn't mean you aren't allowed to see it; it just means you won't be able to request to see it later on, officially. Anything done off the radar is totally fine.


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