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These are the AAMC Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students, aka skills that medical schools consider to be important for entering medical students and evaluate in each applicant through a holistic review of the application. I used the “Examples” column to jot down which of my LORs could talk about that specific competency, an example/story/time that could remind them why I exemplified that competency, and compiled these into a custom info packet for each of my LORs.

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Professional Competencies

• setting and communicating goals for learning and development
• reflects on successes, challenges, and mistakes
• pursues opportunities to improve knowledge and understanding
• asks for and incorporates feedback to learn and grow. | | | Cultural Awareness | Appreciates how historical, sociocultural, political, and economic factors affect others’ interactions, behaviors, and well-being
• values diversity
• demonstrates a desire to learn about different cultures, beliefs, and values. | | | Cultural Humility | - Seeks out and engages diverse and divergent perspectives with a desire to understand and willingness to adjust one’s mindset
• understands a situation or idea from alternative viewpoints
• reflects on one’s values, beliefs, and identities and how they may affect others
• reflects on and addresses bias in oneself and others
• fosters a supportive environment that values inclusivity. | | | Empathy and Compassion | - Recognizes, understands, and acknowledges others’ experiences, feelings, perspectives, and reactions to situations
• is sensitive to others’ needs and feelings;
• demonstrates a desire to help others and alleviate others’ distress. | | | Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others | - Behaves with honesty and integrity
• considers multiple and/or conflicting principles and values to inform decisions
• adheres to ethical principles when carrying out professional obligations
• resists pressure to engage in unethical behavior
• encourages others to behave honestly and ethically. | | | Interpersonal Skills | - Demonstrates an awareness of how social and behavioral cues affect people’s interactions and behaviors
• adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues
• recognizes and manages one’s emotions and understands how emotions impact others or a situation
• treats others with dignity, courtesy, and respect. | | | Oral Communication | - Effectively conveys information to others using spoken words and sentences
• actively listens to understand the meaning and intent behind what others say
• recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies information as needed. | | | Reliability and Dependability | - Demonstrates accountability for performance and responsibilities to self and others
• prioritizes and fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner
• understands consequences of not fulfilling one’s responsibilities to self and others. | | | Resilience and Adaptability | - Perseveres in challenging, stressful, or ambiguous environments or situations by adjusting behavior or approach in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles
• recognizes seeks help and support when needed
• recovers from and reflects on setbacks
• balances personal well-being with responsibilities. | | | Service Orientation | - Shows a commitment to something larger than oneself
• demonstrates dedication to service and a commitment to making meaningful contributions that meet the needs of communities. | | | Teamwork and Collaboration | - Collaborates with others to achieve shared goals and prioritizes shared goals
• adjusts role between team member and leader based on one’s own and others’ expertise and experience
• shares information with team members and encourages this behavior in others
• gives and accepts feedback to improve team performance. | |

Thinking and Reasoning Competencies

• is facile in the language of the sciences and uses it to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated. | | | Written Communication: | Effectively conveys information to others by using written words and sentences. | |

Science Competencies