Blog — how to write a recommendation letter

TL;DR: Crafting a medical school recommendation letter? It's a blend of personal storytelling with a dash of professional insight. It’s not just about ticking boxes; it’s about painting a picture of potential and passion. Dive deep, be genuine, and remember—your words could shape a future doctor. For more insights on the recommendation letter process, check out our guide on navigating the medical school recommendation letter process here.

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Why Your Recommendation Matters
• The Anatomy of a Recommendation Letter
• Personal Reflection
• Word of Mouth from Those Who’ve Been There

TL;DR

• AI-generated recommendation letters have a "voice" — vague praise, repeated sentence structures, zero specific memories — and readers pick up on it fast, even without a detector.
• Admissions committees and hiring managers read hundreds of these things a year. They know what a template sounds like.
• Detection tools aren't even the main problem. The bigger issue is that generic letters just don't do the job a recommendation letter is supposed to do.
• If you're going to use AI in the process, the fix isn't avoiding it entirely — it's making sure the final version doesn't read like a...