Choosing referees is perhaps one of the most critical aspects (and least controllable) of the promotions process. External referees establish the candidate’s reputation nationally or internationally, help to frame the value-add of his/her work, and place the candidate in context of their peers and the expectations for promotion at other universities.
Applicants are asked to provide the department with the names of three external referees along with their current email address, the institution with which they are associated (including country) and their professorial rank. Failure to provide this information can significantly hinder one’s promotion application.
Please keep in mind, the University of Toronto's conflict of interest protocols are very strict and adhered to rigidly. In order to write on a candidate’s behalf, external referees:
Should be at arm's length - no collaboration (e.g. publications or research grants) in the past five years
Must never have been a supervisor or student of the candidate
Should not have a personal relationship with the candidate
Should be senior experts in the academic field or specialty
Must be at or above the aspired rank
If you need to ask if the relationship is too close, it likely is.
Need help finding eligible referees?
Conduct PubMed search
Ask international colleagues for names
Note: The Deptartment Chair and the Promotions Committee will also be compiling names of potential referees for each candidate.
Student Testimonials
Applicants are also asked to provide the names and current email address of at least 5-10 trainees who can be contacted for testimonial letters. These students should be:
current or former trainees, taught/trained/supervised and/or mentored by the candidate since the candidate's last promotion.
representative of multiple levels of training, e.g. undergraduate to postgraduate to graduate depending on the scope of the candidate’s teaching activities.
able to attest to the candidate’s attributes as an effective teacher, educational scholar and mentor.
Please do not solicit referee letters / student testimonials on your own behalf: The Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine is responsible for soliciting all letters of reference from external referees, trainees/students, cross-appointed chairs etc. Please make no effort to contact your chosen referees. Any letters that are solicited by the candidate can be added to the candidate’s file as 'colleague letters' but WILL NOT count towards the required letters of reference that need to be obtained.
