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Any strong opinions out there re: whether or not one should waive his/her right to view a LOR for residency application?
Waiving rights to LOR
- Thread starter gungho
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I feel pretty strongly that you should waive your rights for the following reasons:
a) almost everyone does so it might look unusual if you didn't
b) it might imply that you are worried that your letter writers might say something unpleasant about you.
Your medical school should review these letters before they are sent out and advise you that one of your letters doesn't support your candidacy and ask you to get another in its place. That way you are still not seeing the letters but aren't sending out unfavorable ones.
a) almost everyone does so it might look unusual if you didn't
b) it might imply that you are worried that your letter writers might say something unpleasant about you.
Your medical school should review these letters before they are sent out and advise you that one of your letters doesn't support your candidacy and ask you to get another in its place. That way you are still not seeing the letters but aren't sending out unfavorable ones.
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I was told that you could just leave that part blank and then you'd be able to read it, without actually stating that you did not waive your right to read it. However, one of my letter writers asked me to sign it b/c they wanted to follow the rules and include in their letter that I waived my right. My other letter writers did not include it in their letters and didn't ask me to sign the waiver either way.
I was out of town when a couple of my letters made it into the office at my school, so I didn't get to read them and knew they'd be great letters anyway, that's why I asked those people to write me letters. Well, at one of my interviews I got a chance to look at one of those and guess what?- the guy who wrote it, who knew me pretty well, used a different first name while refrring to me in one part of the letter. I'm pretty sure it was b/c he wrote so many letters and was just using a basic format for many of those glowingly nice sentences and filling in the blanks on the name and maybe didn't change that part. Anyway, I can't help but think that was kind of a bad reflection. My school had us read our own Dean's letters so they could correct minor errors like that. I wish I'd read all of mine. In the whole scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter much b/c I doubt they read the letters all that carefully, but I kind of wish I'd read that one and maybe could have had the mistake corrected.
I was out of town when a couple of my letters made it into the office at my school, so I didn't get to read them and knew they'd be great letters anyway, that's why I asked those people to write me letters. Well, at one of my interviews I got a chance to look at one of those and guess what?- the guy who wrote it, who knew me pretty well, used a different first name while refrring to me in one part of the letter. I'm pretty sure it was b/c he wrote so many letters and was just using a basic format for many of those glowingly nice sentences and filling in the blanks on the name and maybe didn't change that part. Anyway, I can't help but think that was kind of a bad reflection. My school had us read our own Dean's letters so they could correct minor errors like that. I wish I'd read all of mine. In the whole scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter much b/c I doubt they read the letters all that carefully, but I kind of wish I'd read that one and maybe could have had the mistake corrected.
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Waiving your right to see your letter does not equate to the inability to read it - it just means you can't demand to see it. However, your letter-writer can allow you to see what they've written...if they feel so inclined. Good luck to all!
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Here are the advantages to waiving your rights:
1. You will have no need to explain why you retained your rights, if asked in an interview.
2. Letter writer may not write you a letter if you have retained your right to view the letter
3. Selection committee may feel that the letter is more candid because you waived your rights
4. Selection committee may feel that you have nothing to hide and that you are not concerned about what the writer might say about you
5. Letter writer may be less inhibited in praising you if you have waived your right
Many medical schools consider confidential letters to have greater credibility. Because of this, they may be given greater weight in the application process. In the end, to read or not to read the letter is your right and you must choose what you feel is in your best interests.
Samir Desai, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
1. You will have no need to explain why you retained your rights, if asked in an interview.
2. Letter writer may not write you a letter if you have retained your right to view the letter
3. Selection committee may feel that the letter is more candid because you waived your rights
4. Selection committee may feel that you have nothing to hide and that you are not concerned about what the writer might say about you
5. Letter writer may be less inhibited in praising you if you have waived your right
Many medical schools consider confidential letters to have greater credibility. Because of this, they may be given greater weight in the application process. In the end, to read or not to read the letter is your right and you must choose what you feel is in your best interests.
Samir Desai, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
