Personal Letters of Recommendation

26 July 2022

Personal Letters of Recommendation (LOR)

*** Medical School Officials (MSOs) and non-military letter writers will not have access to upload

documents to MODS. Alternately, LORs may be submitted to the Air Force Physician Education’s

organizational email (AFPC.DP2NP.Phys[email protected]f.mil). ***

Up to three (3) letters of recommendation may be submitted with your application. Letters must be

original with original or digital signature written and dated within 6 months of the application. Letters

from previous applications will not be used. If the applicant uploads more than three letters into MODS,

the extra letter(s) will be automatically discarded. Do not request more than three individuals to write

letters and later request to “switch out” letters.

Letters of recommendation must be uploaded into MODS by the applicant or submitted via email by the

letter writer.

Some medical schools will collect and submit letters of recommendation for their students.

The author of the personal letter of recommendation must NOT be in any of these roles because they may

be scoring applications at the Board:

1. Current or previous Program Director or Associate Program Director from a program in which

you previously trained (exception is if applying to fellowship, if the residency APD is not

completing the PD form and is not going to be on the scoring panel for the fellowship being

applied to)

2. Sitting Program Director or Associate Program Director in the specialty in which you are

applying

3. Sitting Air Force Consultant in the specialty you are applying

4. Any member of the JGMESB Management Level Review or Board President’s panel

If a personal letter of recommendation is uploaded into MODS as a part of your application package by

any of the above individuals, it will not be accepted. There is no standard format for the personal letter of

recommendation. The author may address the letter to the JGMESB.

NOTE: Standardized Letter of Evaluations (SLOEs) may be submitted in lieu of LORs.

NOTE: For USUHS students a Departmental Chair letter may be submitted in lieu of a traditional LOR,

but is not required.

NOTE: Applicants may have fewer than three letters of recommendation. All eligible applicants will

be considered for GME. The Board process will take all unique circumstances, as well as the

significant issues caused by the pandemic, into consideration.