“Writing to Acceptance: How Students Learn to Write The Medical School Cover Letter”
by Chloe Stiggelbout | Xchanges 8.2
Discussion
Recently, genre has become a growing topic among composition scholars. My study involved quantitative and qualitative evidence about how students learn to write in the genre of the medical school cover letter, and confirmed the findings of many other genre scholars. There were four main findings:
- Students had a variety of mentors review their essays and give feedback on how they could be improved.
- Seeing examples is a major way students learn to write.
- The genre “medical school cover letter” has key elements and features that are recognizable.
- Genre is flexible.
As my research points out, having many different people peer review the letter is essential to writing in this genre. It was common to have a close family member or friend look over the writing to see if it really sounds like the applicant’s voice. Applicants also had a mentor in the medical field check the letter to see if it is directed at the right audience. Having a doctor or medical student read the letter before it is submitted places the writing in the hands of the intended audience. Genre is so closely linked to audience and this is a major way that a student could learn to write for a specific audience.
The next finding was that many students look at examples of the genre and analyze the piece to determine what makes it “good.” Three people used “How To” books and said they were helpful in the sense that they were able to see examples of cover letters before they needed to write their own.
Through the text analysis of four medical school cover letters, three key elements emerged: (1) inferences about how the applicant possesses key qualities of a doctor; (2) applicants’ motivation for medical school; (3) applicants’ experiences in the medical field. Showing that they portrayed the key qualities of a doctor was clearly the most prominent. This suggests that students wanted to fit the mold of what the schools were looking for.
As argued by Devitt (1993), genres are always evolving based on the situation of their use. The situation of a medical school cover letter remains constant, but the writers are different and can adapt the genre to convey their purpose to the intended audience. This poses a tricky question: how can someone fit the mold of “doctor” but still remain unique? The answer lies in the flexibility of the genre and the interpretation of the situation. The interviewee’s first letter was too vague — she probably did not fully understand the audience and situation she was writing for. Although “How To” books gave her a better sense of what the genre constituted, they may not have shown her the flexibility allowed within the genre. It was only after meeting with the acceptance board member that she understood she needed to narrow her focus to her true passion.