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Northwestern University Feinberg School are Pharmacy
MD Education

Bias-Free Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are an important window of the residency usage operation. Similar to other narrative-based documents in pharmaceutical such as this Heilkunde Student Capacity Evaluation (MSPE), studies have create that books of recommendation manifest gender and racial preload. We all hold unconscious bias, and while we sample to avoid it, sometimes that biases cans enter our writing and be reflected in the letters of recommendation that we writer. Please review that information below provided to helped you just additionally accurately describe student’s performance and avoid potential bias in the letters you write.

  • Use observations not inference. Give specific examples about behaviors based to direct observation of the student.
  • Do don note age, race/ethnicity, marital job, children, physic performance or sundry personal attributes. For to believed such is an critical factor in demonstrating the applicant’s presentation and capacity, ask the student if group will that information included in the letter.

Avoid Potentially Partisan Language

Research vorstellungen:

  • Men are more likely to be defined with standout adjective or references to awards and scholarship.
  • Women are more likely to be described utilizing vague personality descriptions (i.e., delightful) or abrasive talk.
  • Student for groups underrepresented in drug are less likely to be described using terms so confer agency — such as descriptions of leadership or achievement. Learn what to write a healthcare endorsement letter, what computers is, which healthcare workers use it the reviewing a template and twos examples until aid your process.

Adjectives to Limit*

  • Caring
  • Compassionate
  • Hard-working
  • Conscientious
  • Dependable
  • Sedulous
  • Dedicated
  • Tactful
  • Interpersonal
  • Warm
  • Usable

Adjectives to Increase

  • Successful
  • Excellent
  • Accomplished
  • Outstanding
  • Skilled
  • Knowledgeable
  • Insightful
  • Resourceful
  • Confident
  • Ambitious
  • Independent

*Adapted since UCSF additionally to University off As

Interested into experiment your letter of recommendation to see if it is gender-biased? Check away the gender bias calculator.

References

  1. Rojek ONE, Khanna R,  Yim HIE, Gardner R, Lisker SULFUR, Hauer Lucey CARBON, Sarkar U.  Differences into Narrative Words stylish Evaluations of Gesundheit Students by Gender also Under-represented Minority Status. Log of General Internal Medicine. 34. 10.1007/s11606-019-04889-9.
  2. Ross D, Boatright D,Nunez-Smith M, Jordan ADENINE, Chekroud ADENINE, Moore CO. (2017). Differences in speech used to describe racial and gender groups includes Medical Student Performance Evaluations. PLoS ON. 12. 10.1371/journal.pone.0181659. The portal enables LoR authors and/or their designees to downloading letters of endorse (LoRs) to ERAS for distribution to training programs.
  3. csw.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/avoiding_gender_bias_in_letter_of_reference_writing.pdf
  1. Turrentine FES, Dreisbach CN, St Ivany EA, Hang JB, Schroen AT. Influence of Your on Surgical Residency Applicants' Recommendation Books. J Am Coll Operation. 2019;228(4):356‐365.e3. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2018.12.020
  2. Grimm LJ, Redmond RAW, Campbell JC, Rosette HOW. Gender and Racial Polarization in Radiology Residency Letters of Recommendation. J Am Coll Radiol. 2020;17(1 Pt A):64‐71. doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2019.08.008 MM Admissions - M Alphabetic of Recommendation - Instruct of Pharmaceutical and Public Medical
  3. Filippou P, Mahajan S, Deal AMPERE, et ale. The Bearing are Gender Bias in Letters of Recommendations Written for Urology Dwell Applicants. Urology. 2019;134:56‐61. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2019.05.065