Writing your own LOR: What to say?

[elephunt]

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If anyone has written their own LOR, what did you say about yourself? I know it's not that unusual for MDs or other recommenders to ask people to do this. I have to write my own LOR from my boss (he'll read it, add anything he feels like adding, and sign off on it.) I'm a non-trad who's been out of school and working for three years, but my job is not medically related. Any thoughts?

 

[elephunt]

Bump...anyone?

 

[gaf]

Some medical school admissions websites talk about the things they look for in LORs. Check some of the schools you're interested in and see if you can write an LOR that talks about the qualities they're looking for. Use concrete examples -- don't just say "elephunt is a great communicator," provide an example that depicts your great communication skills.

 

[leechy]

I had to write myself an LOR because my boss was too lazy to do so. (I didn't use it for med school apps, though - I used it for job searching). Ironically, interviewers who received the recommendation questioned me about how close my relationship was with my boss, because they said the letter seemed "too impersonal". It was pretty hilarious. In retrospect, I think I wrote myself such a bland letter because I felt awkward and afraid about writing myself an LOR (I personally wouldn't do it again, and wouldn't have done it in this case had I not been forced to). I didn't want to be caught.

So, I'm not sure I'm a good role model for this question, but I wrote that I was a diligent, intelligent, capable person who could be trusted to complete tasks efficiently and accurately, and that I was also a pleasant person to work with. I also described my duties and projects. The letter was about 250 words long.

I suppose if you want to avoid falling into my trap, sprinkle your letter with one or two anecdotes about how you went beyond the call of duty or exhibited positive personality traits. I hope this helps.

 

[elephunt]

Thanks, leechy and gaf! Good advice! 👍

 

[principessa]

Check your PM box. I recommend that you find someone who will actually write their own letter.

 

[leechy]

I forgot to add - the other difficulty I had in crafting my own LOR was having to show it to my boss (who I was going to continue working for) to have him sign off on it. I didn't want to glorify myself excessively, and then show it to my him, because I worried he'd think I was being arrogant. Of course, whether this concern matters in your case depends on your particular relationship with your supervisor, and his/her personality.

In retrospect, I should have taken the opportunity and done a better job with it. But whatever, you can learn from my mistakes. 🙂

 

[!dr_nick!]

My business communications prof actually recommended people to offer to write a letter of rec for the person you needed the rec from. Only to use as a template though, not word for word. That way he/she can include all the things you want.

Either way, if you write your own, make sure that the letters read like two different people wrote them. Also, make sure each letter focuses on different strengths.

 

[elephunt]

LOL I just went to my boss to talk to him about this, and he said he does want to write the letter himself after all. 😀 🙄

I think he just wants to do a really good job for me and make me look as good as possible, and he's never had to write a med school LOR before so he wasn't sure what qualities he should spotlight or what he should include, and he assumed that I would be able to tell him. Little does he know how ignorant I really am! He's a really great guy and is totally supportive of my goals, so I don't think we'll have too much awkward feeling about writing about my strengths. I mean, it's always kind of embarrassing to seem to be praising yourself, but we both understand the purpose behind it, so I hope it will all work out okay. All this advice has been very helpful--I'm working on compiling some LOR guidelines for him to think about as he writes.

Thanks, knowledgeable SDN folks! 👍