When pre-meds, medical students, residents, nurses, and physician colleagues asked me to write them letters of recommendation (LORs) when I was Assistant Residency Director, the first thing I requested was that they send me background information to make my letter robust…and my job easier. Accordingly, whether you are applying to medical school, dental school, residency, or fellowship, I strongly recommend you create a “LOR packet,” which can include the following:
1. A brief, well-written cover letter defining all of your important accomplishments2. Your curriculum vitae (CV)
3. Your personal statement in its final form and/or
4. Your transcripts.
With regard to the cover letter, keep it streamlined: Thank the writer and highlight your pre-professional achievements on one page. The point of the cover letter is to supplement a writer’s knowledge of your candidacy and offer flattering content for inclusion. A college professor may know you made the only A in an organic chemistry class, but her LOR for medical school will be more complete, and she will demonstrate a more intimate familiarity with you if she knows enough to write that you volunteer regularly at a homeless shelter.
With regard to the CV and personal statement, these make useful supplements to the LOR packet only if they are in professional and final form. Don’t include rough drafts. Poorly organized background information leaves your writer with the impression that you are a disorganized person. Also, only include the transcript if it bolsters your candidacy, demonstrating academic achievement. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot if you have some bad grades you’d rather not showcase.
Bottom line: An applicant who offered me a list of her accomplishments in a tidy, accessible package was more likely to get a strong, comprehensive letter that was submitted promptly. She also distinguished herself from the majority of candidates who requested letters without demonstrating a comparably sophisticated understanding of the demands this process made on my time. If you can make a letter writer's job easier, your forethought is likely to pay dividends in the letter you receive. The savvy applicant can take subtle advantage of her ability to "lead the witness."
