[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-281319-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-281319-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","writing-an-external-letter-of-review-for-promotion","Writing an External Letter of Review for Promotion","","Academic promotion marks a high level of accomplishment in a faculty member’s body of work, and it depends heavily on external letters of review. External letters written by higher-ranked faculty are essential to promotion portfolios, yet many faculty members receive little formal training to complete these reviews. The article outlines key considerations for writing effective external letters and explains how professional societies can support development and mentoring for this important responsibility.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/writing-an-external-letter-of-review-for-promotion/281319/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/writing-an-external-letter-of-review-for-promotion/281319.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Mason","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-22","2026-09-16",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",16,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the purpose of an external letter of review in academic promotion?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"External letters of review provide an outside referee’s assessment that supports a promotion application and helps committees evaluate the candidate’s achievements and impact.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How should a reviewer decide whether to accept or decline a request?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The reviewer should consider time, skill, relationship to the candidate, and possible conflicts or bias based on shared history, institutions, or close professional ties.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What materials should be reviewed before writing the letter?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Review the institutional promotion criteria and the candidate’s CV, teaching philosophy, portfolio with evaluation/supporting data, letters of support, and assignment letters that indicate effort; contact the department if materials are missing.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},281319,1789565472,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,108,113,117,122],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":55,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":109,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":114,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":115,"slug":116},18,30,"letters",{"id":118,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":119,"show_sort_weight":120,"slug":121},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":123,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":125},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":127},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":128,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":22,"category_id":114,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":120,"language":135,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":136,"faqs":137,"seo_title":138,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":26},5909887256941,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","Writing an External Letter of Review for Promotion Suzanne Minor, MD | Sarah E. Stumbar, MD, MPH | Joanna Drowos, DO, MBA | Jennifer Hartmark-Hill, MD | Victoria Hayes, MD | Jeanne Cawse-Lucas, MD | Parvathi Perumareddi, DO  \nPRiMER. 2023;7:34.  \nPublished: 10/10/2023 | DOI: 10.22454/PRiMER.2023.447836  \nAbstract  \nAcademic promotion, representing achievement of a level of distinction in one’s body of work, is an honorable accomplishment in a faculty member’s career. External letters of review written by faculty at higher ranks are a critical component of the promotion portfolio. We discuss key considerations for writing external letters. These considerations can be used to mentor this skill for less experienced letter writers. We also highlight how professional societies can aid faculty in developing and strengthening writing and mentoring capabilities for this vital task.  \nIntroduction  \nAcademic promotion represents a key achievement for medical educators, impacting their self-satisfaction,  \nreputation, salary, and opportunities. External letters of review (ELORs) play a crucial role in promotion applications. Though the important skill of performing external reviews bene]ts academia,1 faculty are rarely trained to complete ELORs.2 Some academic organizations have created letter writers’ bureaus that train and list willing reviewers.3-5 Understanding ELOR best practices improves the skill and quality of letters. In this article, we provide an approach to writing ELORs to facilitate attaining high quality. Table 1 and Figure 1 outline the letter writing and promotion processes, respectively  \nConsider the Request  \nBefore responding to an ELOR inquiry, you should reaect on your time, skill, and relationship to the person  \nrequesting the letter, as well as assess the individual’s portfolio. Inquiries should include the candidate’s curriculum vitae (CV), statements showing their quali]cations, and institutional promotions criteria. Faculty are encouraged to accept ELOR requests because this professional service is essential for the family medicine  \ncommunity to govern itself.  \nWe recommend that you and the applicant not have a close relationship (eg, mentoring, coauthoring, or  \ncollaborating)6; yet anecdotally, this does occur. If a potential bias exists, such as a history of working at the same institution or friendship, you should decline the request.6-7 When in doubt, clarify the requirements with the institution.  \nAccepting or rejecting an ELOR invitation based on a portfolio assessment may be controversial. Refereed  \nletters tend to be adrmatively written, which may lessen their value in the promotion process.8 Some faculty  \nprimer-7-34 1  \nchoose to write only adrmative ELORs because unfavorable letters may have possible legal risk, cause tension, or harm a colleague’s reputation, career, or personal life.7  \nA timely response (2–3 days) to a request is warranted because declining requires the department to seek another reviewer within the promotion timeline.6 When declining, you should include a clear explanation, such as time demands, insudcient materials provided, or conaict of interest.6 If accepting the request, you should  \nschedule time to write the letter well before the deadline; well-written letters take hours to complete.  \nReview the Materials  \nCarefully review the materials received to determine how the candidate meets the promotion criteria. Sample materials may include the institutional criteria; the applicant’s CV, teaching philosophy, and portfolio with evaluation and supporting data; letters of support; and assignment letters denoting effort. If any materials are missing, you should contact the department rather than the applicant.  \nThe letter of request should provide guidance on the level of evidence needed to meet each criterion and  \nspeci]c questions to address. When you are asked to assess national or international impact, ideally the  \nrequest provides examples, such as references to a","cbCaihcaQrGAdklG","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihcaQrGAdklG","pdf",307304,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n# Consider the Request\n## Accepting or Rejecting the Invitation\n# Review the Materials\n# Understand Promotion Criteria at the Requesting Institution\n# Understand Promotion Criteria at the External Reviewer’s Institution\n# Review the Promotion Packet for Evidence of Fulfillment of Promotion Criteria\n# Construct a Template","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of an external letter of review in academic promotion?\",\"answer\":\"External letters of review provide an outside referee’s assessment that supports a promotion application and helps committees evaluate the candidate’s achievements and impact.\"},{\"question\":\"How should a reviewer decide whether to accept or decline a request?\",\"answer\":\"The reviewer should consider time, skill, relationship to the candidate, and possible conflicts or bias based on shared history, institutions, or close professional ties.\"},{\"question\":\"What materials should be reviewed before writing the letter?\",\"answer\":\"Review the institutional promotion criteria and the candidate’s CV, teaching philosophy, portfolio with evaluation/supporting data, letters of support, and assignment letters that indicate effort; contact the department if materials are missing.\"}]","Writing an External Letter of Review for Promotion | PDF"]