EDITORIAL COMMENT

Abstract

Letters of recommendation have been a mainstay of applications for training since the inception of modern training programs in the late 19th century. Aside from the applicant's personal statement, they represent the only truly subjective portion of the application. Herein lies the great conundrum of letters of recommendation (LORs): They are a potent window into the applicants’ humanity, work ethic, and curiosity—all values we seek in training applicants—and yet they also present the greatest opportunity for bias in selection decisions in that they cannot truly be “blinded.”