1 - Looking Good on Paper: How to Write Support Letters and Personal Statements

Thursday, October 20, 2022

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM ET

Location: 345-346

Speaker(s)

Jessica L. Kavanaugh, MD (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor
University of Kentucky College of Medicine PM&R Program
Lexington, Kentucky

Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

PDF of Slides

Objective of this lecture is to provide attendees with tools to write a strong letter of recommendations free from implicit gender bias as well as writing a thorough yet concise personal statement whether for residency, fellowship, or a career in academic medicine.

Learning Objectives:

Understand key elements of personal statements in academic medicine from residency applications to faculty promotion
Learn three aspects that can make a letter of recommendation improve from mediocre assessment to glowing praise of a candidate
Identify examples of everyday language in letter writing that illustrates gender bias