title: Standardized letter of recommendation for pediatric fellowship selection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship selection standardized letter of recommendation (SLOR).
  
  
  METHODS
  SLOR and narrative letter of recommendation (NLOR) comparison study.
  
  
  METHODS
  An SLOR was created to investigate qualities desired in fellows using five content-based categories: writer background, comparison of the applicant to contemporaries and predecessors, applicant's qualifications for pediatric otolaryngology, a global assessment of the applicant, and a summary statement about the applicant. In phase I, the SLORs were completed, including writing time, by the applicant's pediatric otolaryngology chief. In phase II, letters were ranked on Likert-type scales for the content-based categories, reviewer's overall ranking, and ease of review by six otolaryngologists. Reviewers recorded time needed to review each letter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen SLORs (73%) were collected. Mean writing time was 8.84 ± 3.87 minutes. Interrater reliability was higher on the SLORs in the content-based sections and the overall ranking. Ranking times were lower on the SLORs. Mean and median rankings were higher on the SLORs for writer background, comparison of the applicant to contemporaries and predecessors, applicant's qualifications for pediatric otolaryngology, and ease of review; mean global assessment of the applicant, summary statement about the applicant, and overall rankings were lower on the SLORs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first inquiry using an SLOR developed for otolaryngology. SLORs are an alternative to NLORs for fellowship selection that offers improved reliability and efficiency. Further investigation using SLORs in otolaryngology residency selection is merited.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA. jeremy.prager@childrenscolorado.org
authors.forename: Jeremy D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.forename: Jonathan N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McFann
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Myer
authors.forename: Myles L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pensak
authors.forename: Kenny H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D015709:Correspondence as Topic; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000193:education*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States