Tips for Writing Medical Student Letters of Recommendation
TO: Faculty Member
FROM: CWRU School of Medicine Office of Student Affairs and Academic Societies
Your letter of recommendation is a critical part of a student’s Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application.
Agreeing to write a strong and thoughtful letter will tremendously help the student’s application. If you feel that you cannot
write a strong LoR, please tell the student right away. It is okay to say, “I can write you a letter, but it won’t be my strongest
letter. I encourage you to approach another letter writer.” If you agree to write a LoR, the student will send a Letter Request
Form to you directly from ERAS. If you are writing both a Standard Letter of Evaluation (SLOE) and a Letter of
Recommendation for the same student, both documents should be uploaded as a single PDF file. Otherwise, the SLOE
should be uploaded alone.
All letter writers are required to upload their letters directly to ERAS through the Letter of Recommendation Portal. There is
no longer an option to submit the LOR to the school. Ensuring high quality (proper spelling of the student’s name, correct
pronouns, etc.) of the letter is especially important. We respectfully request that you submit your letter of recommendation
BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1st. Your timely submission is extremely important for the student’s ability to submit a complete
application for residency.
We are grateful for your help in this process.
Below are some helpful tips for letter of recommendation authors:
DO: Example:
Use Letterhead
Hospital or University
Include the student’s name, AAMC ID number, and note whether the
student has waived their rights to see the letter.
Student A
AAMC ID Number: 45648748
NOTE: Student A has waived her rights to see this letter
Address your letter to the appropriate person.
“Dear Program Director:”
Use the correct name and pronoun. This is a really common error.
If you use a template, please pay extra attention to ensure
you are using the correct name and pronoun
Consider including an opening statement expressing your enthusiasm
for writing this letter
“I volunteered to write this letter because…”
Describe how you know the student and how long you have known
him/her.
“I worked with Student A for four weeks on inpatient
medicine as her attending physician.”
Use specific examples. Comment on medical knowledge, bedside
manner, teamwork, procedural skills, motivation and leadership, and
other important qualities for residents in their field.
“Student A is an excellent communicator. For example,
on rounds, patients directed their questions to Student A
instead of the senior resident.”
End with a clear summary statement.
“I would recruit this student for my program.”
“I give this student my highest recommendation.”
“In my last ten years, this was one of the top 5% of
students with whom I have worked.”
Include your contact information.
“Feel free to contact me at ….”
List your job title, academic rank, and hospital affiliation.
Martin Short, MD, PhD
Director of Medical Intensive Care Unit
Professor of Medicine
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Sign and scan the letter. Upload your letter as a PDF.
Before September 1st
Resources:
1. CWRU School of Medicine Office of the Registrar: som-registrar@case.edu or call 216-368-6137
2. CWRU Office of Student Affairs and Academic Societies: societydeans@case.edu or call 216-368-3164
3. ERAS Letter of Recommendation portal: https://www.aamc.org/services/eras/282520/lor_portal.html
4. ERAS HelpDesk is open from Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and available by phone at 202-862-
6249. You can also use their electronic support form by using the link below.
https://www.aamc.org/services/eras/397214/erascontactform.html
