Enhancing Transparency in Urology Residency Match Process: The Importance of Standardized Letters of Recommendation.

Alejandro Afanador-Jimenez, John M Myrga, Behzad Abbasi, Marvin Carlisle, Behnam Nabavizadeh, Lindsay A Hampson, Richard K Lee, Benjamin N Breyer

Abstract readReview

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In one paragraph

Review in Current urology reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Alejandro Afanador-JimenezDepartment of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

John M MyrgaDepartment of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Behzad AbbasiDepartment of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Marvin CarlisleDepartment of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Behnam NabavizadehDepartment of Urology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Lindsay A HampsonDepartment of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Richard K LeeDepartment of Urology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Benjamin N BreyerDepartment of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Benjamin.Breyer@ucsf.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewTo review the use of standardized letters of recommendation (SLORs) in urology residency match and to evaluate their impact on the selection process. RECENT

findingsWe aimed to understand the current landscape of SLORs across medicine. We found 44 articles evaluating SLORs in various specialties, of which 5 focused on urology in the past 5 years. The use of SLORs have been shown to decrease gender and selection biases in urology. Currently, a new and improved peer-revised electronic SLOR format is being developed by the Society of Academic Urologists. The use of SLORs can help alleviate biases that may develop with narrative letters of recommendation. There is limited information on optimal standardized formats for SLORs. Improving the structure and expanding the use of SLORs is fundamental for creating an efficient and fair match process.

Indexed as

Correspondence as TopicInternship and ResidencyPersonnel SelectionUrologyHumansResidencySLORStandardized letters of recommendationTransparencyUrologyUrology match

Identifiers

PMID41680563

DOI10.1007/s11934-026-01321-8

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.