Differences in language used to describe racial groups in emergency medicine standardized letter of evaluation

Applicants who were URiM or Black were more likely to be described with communal words than their peers. URiM applicants had twice the amount of empathic words in their SLOEs when compared to their non-URiM peers; however, this finding did not meet statistical significance (<i>p</i> = 0.053). Our study demonstrates that students who are URiM or Black are more likely to be described with language that, in STEM literature, has been associated with decreased hireability. This pattern may reflect the use of coded language in evaluations, which could hinder advancement of URiM residents and impact diversity in our field. These findings highlight the need for residency program directors and educators to critically examine evaluation language and implement strategies to ensure equitable assessment practices.