New Checklist Dermatology Letter of Recommendation for Dermatology Residency Applicants

Some dermatology residency programs currently may have difficulty evaluating applicants for dermatology residency from the submitted recommendation letters. In response, the Association of Professors of Dermatology (APD) is creating a standardized checklist for recommendation letters. This type of letter will contain an applicant assessment tool that will rate applicants in 9 categories as well as provide a global assessment of the candidate. Raters will be able to indicate if the applicant is below average, average, above average, excellent (top 15%), outstanding (top 5%), “best this year,” or “best in 10 years.” Letter writers are not prohibited from submitting traditional letters of recommendations, but in view of these new APD standardized checklist definitions, traditional letter writers may have to choose their words very carefully! An added benefit is that faculty members from the same institution who typically provide letters of recommendation to multiple applicants each year will only be able to check the “best this year” and “best in 10 years” box only once each application cycle!