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Letters of Recommendation

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LoRs must be uploaded through the ERAS Letter of Recommendation Portal by the LoR Author or their designee. It is your responsibility to follow up with LoR Authors about LoRs. 

In this Section:

Creating LoR Entries

Applicants must create a separate LoR entry for each LoR you intend to use during the application season. After creating an entry, click “Add” to add the entry. The following fields are included when creating an entry:

  • Author Name
  • Author Email
  • Select specialty to which this letter will be assigned.
    • Select specialty using the drop-down menu. 
    • Allows applicants to label LoR entries that they intend on assigning to programs of specific specialties. This field will only be viewable to applicants, their Designated Dean’s Office and the LoR Author — not programs.
    • Applicants assigning their letters of recommendation to multiple specialties may select "General." The options for "Narrative Letter" and "Standardized Letter" are not available when "General" is chosen. 
    • When the "Plastic Surgery-Integrated" specialty is selected, the Narrative Letter option will be unavailable.
  • Do you want to request a Standardized Letter (SLOE, SLOR eSLOE, SEL) or Narrative Letter? 
    • Select one of the following options:
      • Standardized Letter
      • Narrative Letter
  • Do you need this letter to fulfill a Department Chair requirement? 
    • Select one of the following options:
      • Yes
      • No
  • I waive my right to review my Letter of Recommendation.
    • Select one of the following options:
      • Yes
      • No
    • Applicants who waive their right to view a LoR are not permitted to view or obtain the LoR under any circumstances.

Only LoR entries that are Not Confirmed for Upload can be edited or deleted. Errors in any LoR entries that have been Confirmed for Upload can only be changed through creating a new LoR entry. Once the letter request has been saved, the following information can be viewed in the respective columns.

  • Lor Author
    • Author Name
      • Click the author’s name to view the letter request details.
    • Request ID
  • Specialty
    • The specialty selected when completing the letter request.
  • Request Status

    • Not Confirmed for Upload - applicant has completed the letter request form but has not confirmed the Letter of Recommendation (LoR) for upload. 

    • Confirmed for Upload – The letter request has been confirmed  

    • Uploaded – The author has successfully uploaded the LoR. 

    • Imported – The LoR has been imported from a previous season and is available for use.  

  • Actions

    • Download Letter Request 

      • Download the PDF version of the letter request form. 

    • Email Letter Request 

      • Email the letter request to your letter author.  

    • Assign  

      • Assign the LoR to programs. 

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Confirming LoR Entries

Applicants must confirm a LoR entry before an associated Letter Request ID can be generated. LoR entries can only be confirmed on the Letters of Recommendation page.

To Confirm LoRs: 

  1. Mark the checkbox for the LoR entry/entries that need to be confirmed.
    1. Note: Checkboxes can be marked individually or all at once by marking the ”select all” checkbox at the top of the column. 
  2. Click “Confirm” at the top of the page to the right of the LoR selection count. 
  3. Enter the MyERAS password and select “Confirm” to complete the process. 
  • LoR entries can only be confirmed on the Letters of Recommendation page by either: 
    • Selecting individual entries and selecting “Only checked” in the Confirm drop-down menu, then entering the MyERAS password to complete the process. 
    • Selecting multiple entries by selecting “All on this page” or “All Records” in the Confirm drop-down menu, then entering the MyERAS password to complete the process. 
    • Once a LoR entry has been Confirmed for Upload, a Letter Request ID will be generated and the option to Print Letter Request Form will become available under the Actions column. 
  • The Letter Request Form is a PDF that includes the following: 

    • ERAS Application Season. 

    • ERAS Letter ID.   

    • Personal Message (if applicable). 

    • LoR Author Details (as you entered them). 

      • LoR Author Name.  

      • Specialty to which this letter will be assigned.  

      • Department Chair Letter Requirement (if applicable). 

    • Applicant Details. 

      • Full Name.  

      • AAMC ID.  

      • Contact Information.    

      • Waive rights to view this letter. 

      • Standardized or Narrative? 

    • Letter of Recommendation Portal Instructions. 

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Downloading Letter Request

The Letter Request Form can be downloaded as a PDF. 

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Emailing Letter Request

The Letter Request Form can be delivered to LoR Authors via email directly from the MyERAS portal. When you choose to send the form as an email, you will have the ability to send the author a custom message. 

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Uploading LoRs

The Letter Request ID contained in the Letter Request Form must be used to upload the associated LoR through the AAMC Letter Writer Portal. 

  • An accurate and valid Letter ID must be used to upload each LoR through the LoRP for each associated LoR entry. 
    • If the author uses the URL provided on the letter request form, they do not need the letter request ID to upload the Letter of Recommendation (LoR). This URL allows authors to directly access and upload the LoR using either their AAMC account or a guest account.
  • Only LoR entries that have been Confirmed for Upload with the right to view (NOT waived) may be uploaded by the applicant. 
  • All LoRs uploaded into the ERAS system will be watermarked with the full name on the AAMC account of the uploader along with the date and time they were uploaded. 

  • Applicants will receive an email notification to the email address entered in the Personal Information section that alerts them to when a LoR has been uploaded. 

  • Once a LoR has been uploaded, the associated Status will update to Uploaded and the option to Assign will become available under the Actions column. 

Note: Letter Request Forms should not be duplicated and distributed to multiple LoR Authors. They are customized for each letter and contain a unique Letter ID that can be used only once. 

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Assigning LoRs

Applicants may designate the assignment of up to four LoRs to each program. 

  • Only LoRs that have been uploaded can be assigned to programs. 
  • LoRs assignments to programs that have been applied to cannot be changed. 
  • LoRs can be assigned to any saved or applied to programs from the Letters of Recommendation page by selecting “Assign” under the Actions column of the intended LoR. 
  • When assigning by LoR, programs listed with a disabled checkbox already have the maximum number of four LoRs currently assigned. 
  • When assigning by LoR, applicants should review any LoRs that are listed under the LoRs Assigned column before making selections or changes. 
  • When assigning by LoR, you will not be able to make selections for programs with a status of Withdrawn. 
  • LoRs can be assigned by program using the Assign option under the Actions column on both the Saved Programs and Programs Applied To pages. 
  • LoR assignments can be made throughout the application season to any programs that do not have the maximum number of four LoRs currently assigned, but programs are not guaranteed to view or review newly assigned LoRs received after initial application to their program. 
  • Once the maximum number of four LoRs have been assigned to any given applied to program, additional LoR assignments cannot be made during the application season. Letters cannot be replaced after being assigned to any given applied program. 
  • A LoR cannot be assigned to programs that are closed. 

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