Abstract
BackgroundThe standardized letter of evaluation (SLOE) is used by emergency medicine (EM) faculty during the interview and match process. Data has shown that female allopathic applicants score higher in communal characteristics and have a greater number of ability words in the narrative portion of the SLOE as compared to their male counterparts. ObjectiveTo determine if there is a difference in the language used to describe male and female osteopathic applicants within the SLOE. MethodsAll applicants to a three-year EM residency within a single application cycle were eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria included allopathic applicants, applicants without a SLOE, or applicants with a SLOE only from the interviewing program. Data collected included applicant demographics and SLOE narratives. The previously validated Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC; Pennebaker Conglomerates, Inc., Austin, TX) product was used to analyze word counts from the narrative portion of each SLOE. Descriptive statistics and t-tests for continuous data were used. ResultsOf the 577 applicants to the residency program, 318 met inclusion criteria and 33% were female. Females had a higher COMLEX-2 (590 vs 559; p=0.05) as compared to males but no difference was found for the remainder of the baseline demographics. No difference was found for the number of words in the narrative portion of the SLOE between males and females (males = 122 words; females = 127 words; p=0.53). Words within the social (p=0.006), achievement (p=0.007), and standout (p<0.001) categories were more frequent in osteopathic female applicants as compared to males. No statistical differences were detected for the other 13 categories analyzed. ConclusionIn this sample of osteopathic applicants, little linguistic difference was noted for the narrative portion of the SLOE. SLOE authors did, however, use more social, achievement, and standout words to describe females as compared to male applicants.
Highlights
No difference was found for the number of words in the narrative portion of the standardized letter of evaluation (SLOE) between males and females
Words within the social (p=0.006), achievement (p=0.007), and standout (p
The Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE) has become the gold standard for letters of evaluation used by emergency medicine program directors during the application process [1]
Summary
The Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE) has become the gold standard for letters of evaluation used by emergency medicine program directors during the application process [1]. First developed in 1995, the standardized letter of recommendation (SLOR) was developed as an evaluative tool to differentiate between a mass of applicants and assess clinical performance based upon direct and indirect observations in specific competencies that are important to the practice of emergency medicine [1,2,3]. A prior study from the narrative portion of letters of recommendation from those applying for chemistry and biochemistry positions has shown a difference in the words used to describe the different genders [4]. How to cite this article Truong J, Santarelli A, Dawson A, et al (July 25, 2021) Gender Differences in Language of Standardized Letter of Evaluation Narratives in Osteopathic Emergency Medicine Residency Applicants. Data has shown that female allopathic applicants score higher in communal characteristics and have a greater number of ability words in the narrative portion of the SLOE as compared to their male counterparts
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