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Best Practices for Writing Letters of Recommendation for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship: An Empty Scoping Review.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dotters-Katz, SK; Kirsch, E; Cantrell, S; Shanks, A; Temming, L; Gray, B
Published in: Am J Perinatol
June 2024

OBJECTIVES: Though letters of recommendation (LOR) for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) fellowship are a critical part of application process, little is known regarding best practices for writing them. This scoping review sought to identify published data outlining best practices in writing MFM fellowship LOR. STUDY DESIGN: Scoping review conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) and JBI guidelines. MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and ERIC were searched, by professional medical librarian using database-specific controlled vocabulary and keywords representing MFM, fellowship, as well as personnel selection, academic performance, examinations, or clinical competence in 4/22. Prior to execution, the search was peer reviewed by another professional medical librarian using the Peer Review Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS) checklist. Citations imported to Covidence, dual screened by authors with disagreements resolved by discussion, and extraction performed by one author and checked by the second. RESULTS: A total of 1,154 studies were identified, with 162 removed as duplicates. Of the 992 screened, 10 imported for full-text review. None of these met inclusion criteria; four were not about fellows and six did not report on best practices for writing LOR for MFM. CONCLUSION: No articles were identified that outlined best practices for writing LOR for MFM fellowship. The lack of guidance and published data guiding those writing LOR for MFM fellowship applicants is concerning given the importance of these as a tool used by fellowship directors in selecting applicants for interviews and ranking. KEY POINTS: · No published articles were identified addressing best practices for writing LOR for MFM fellowship.. · Fellowship directors rely on LOR for offering interviews and rank list.. · Future research is urgently needed to identify best practices..

Duke Scholars

Published In

Am J Perinatol

DOI

EISSN

1098-8785

Publication Date

June 2024

Volume

41

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1103 / 1105

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Writing
  • Pregnancy
  • Perinatology
  • Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine
  • Obstetrics
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Fellowships and Scholarships
  • Correspondence as Topic
  • 4204 Midwifery
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Dotters-Katz, S. K., Kirsch, E., Cantrell, S., Shanks, A., Temming, L., & Gray, B. (2024). Best Practices for Writing Letters of Recommendation for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship: An Empty Scoping Review. Am J Perinatol, 41(8), 1103–1105. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1763484
Dotters-Katz, Sarah K., Elayna Kirsch, Sarah Cantrell, Anthony Shanks, Lorene Temming, and Beverly Gray. “Best Practices for Writing Letters of Recommendation for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship: An Empty Scoping Review.Am J Perinatol 41, no. 8 (June 2024): 1103–5. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1763484.
Dotters-Katz SK, Kirsch E, Cantrell S, Shanks A, Temming L, Gray B. Best Practices for Writing Letters of Recommendation for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship: An Empty Scoping Review. Am J Perinatol. 2024 Jun;41(8):1103–5.
Dotters-Katz, Sarah K., et al. “Best Practices for Writing Letters of Recommendation for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship: An Empty Scoping Review.Am J Perinatol, vol. 41, no. 8, June 2024, pp. 1103–05. Pubmed, doi:10.1055/s-0043-1763484.
Dotters-Katz SK, Kirsch E, Cantrell S, Shanks A, Temming L, Gray B. Best Practices for Writing Letters of Recommendation for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship: An Empty Scoping Review. Am J Perinatol. 2024 Jun;41(8):1103–1105.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Perinatol

DOI

EISSN

1098-8785

Publication Date

June 2024

Volume

41

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1103 / 1105

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Writing
  • Pregnancy
  • Perinatology
  • Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine
  • Obstetrics
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Fellowships and Scholarships
  • Correspondence as Topic
  • 4204 Midwifery