Thank you notes?

[Oftalmologo]

Does anyone have a feel for the current etiquette regarding thank you notes following an interview. I know that traditionally it has been the appropriate thing to do, but more recently I have been told not to bother they won't be read anyway. What do you think?

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by Oftalmologo
Does anyone have a feel for the current etiquette regarding thank you notes following an interview. I know that traditionally it has been the appropriate thing to do, but more recently I have been told not to bother they won't be read anyway. What do you think?

I was told not to write Thank you notes; however, I really wanted certain programs to know that I was grateful and interested in their program. So I wrote personalized letters to all the people who interviewed me at the programs I liked. I typed the letters on my laptop during the flight home.

Good luck!

[dr hibbard]

Did you write letters to each of them ( at some places I've interviewed with 7-10 faculty) and was each letter different? Also, would you tell the program you planned to rank them highly (assuming you did plan to do this)?

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by dr hibbard
Did you write letters to each of them ( at some places I've interviewed with 7-10 faculty) and was each letter different? Also, would you tell the program you planned to rank them highly (assuming you did plan to do this)?

Dr. Hibbard,

I was told not to write letters, but I felt that it was important to let the programs know that I'm interested and appreciated their time. Letters are not necessary, and I am not sure if they make a difference. However, I felt better letting people know I liked their program and enjoyed speaking with them.

I wrote letters to EACH interviewer. I sent out 7-9 letters at each place I interviewed that I liked. I only interviewed at 7, but I liked all of them! For the programs that I ranked highly, I stated that I am ranking them highly or that they are my first choice (you can tell them, but they can't really talk to you). Communication has to be uni-directional. For the programs lower on my rank list, I stated that I liked their program and that I hope they will offer my the opportunity to work with them as a resident.

Each letter was different. The first few sentences were the same. Then the second paragraph was personal. I kept notes on what was discussed during the interview, and then I wrote, for instance, that I enjoyed discussing.... A... B.... and C.... and that I appreciate their advice on ... D... and E....

As stated above, letters are COMPLETELY optional. Not everyone writes them. They may not even help. I just felt good writing to the programs I liked. I was even bold enough to e-mail the residency director and department chairman at Iowa; however, they did not give me any information.

Good luck!