I. preamble: purpose of the letter, i.e. student is applying to their residency program

II. nature of relationship with student

a. the circumstance by which you know the student, e.g. clerkship teacher (perhaps include a one-sentence description of the clerkship, clinic setting)

b. how well do you know the student, i.e. how much time did you spend with the student? 3 half-days a week for 6 weeks, a total of 5 clinic half-days, ???

c. other ways you got to know student, e.g. occasional lunches, fishing trip, etc.

a. fund of medical knowledge and clinical judgment; sophistication in the application of clinical knowledge

b. evidence of competence or achievement in major disciplines other than family medicine, e.g. medicine, pediatrics, OB. This should be your personal observation of specific, demonstrated skills, not a list of accomplishments- these will be covered in the Dean's letter.

c. information about family medicine curriculum experiences and evaluations, emphasizing areas where the student showed understanding of the principles of family medicine.

d. for any area(s) where the student was deficient, if possible speak to the ways that the student sought to address or overcome the problem area(s), e.g. special work undertaken or additional experiences sought.

e. any areas in which the student shows a particular interest or ability, e.g. research, teaching, community activism, politics, policy making

a. what you know of the student's relationships with family, spouse, friends

b. personality, style, sense of humor

c. evidence of diverse interests and activities. Mention any experience(s) you feel demonstrate the character or uniqueness of this student, e.g. travel, previous work experience, volunteer activities, sports, music, etc.

d. evidence of student's ability to work in stressful situations; ability to handle a heavy workload; time management

e. communication skills

f. interest in and empathy with patients and families

g. how well was the student liked by/able to work effectively with: patients, staff, and peers

a. outstanding/unique qualities

b. potential for contributing to family medicine, their patients and community