Thank You Email Length

[tommotan]

I know the general advice is to make sure thank you emails are brief. Is 300 words ok (as an upper limit)? That's less than two-thirds of a page in Microsoft Word, but I still wonder if that's kind of long for an email.

To clarify, I'm referring to thank you emails that are sent to those who've interviewed me for residency positions.

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[gutonc]

I know the general advice is to make sure thank you emails are brief. Is 300 words ok (as an upper limit)? That's less than two-thirds of a page in Microsoft Word, but I still wonder if that's kind of long for an email.

To clarify, I'm referring to thank you emails that are sent to those who've interviewed me for residency positions.

3 sentences. Max.

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

Nice touch but not necessary. Definitely keep it short. We get enough emails during the day as it is.

 

[IMPD]

I know the general advice is to make sure thank you emails are brief. Is 300 words ok (as an upper limit)? That's less than two-thirds of a page in Microsoft Word, but I still wonder if that's kind of long for an email.

To clarify, I'm referring to thank you emails that are sent to those who've interviewed me for residency positions.

I understand people want to send these things, but the only possible reason I'm reading more than 1 sentence is to see if you're going to say that you're ranking my program #1. Not that I'm going to do anything because of that, but because I iike reading that. Otherwise, I can't imagine why I would want to read anything longer than "Thanks for inviting me, I enjoyed the day, Sincerely xxx".

 

[Reveler]

the only possible reason I'm reading more than 1 sentence is to see if you're going to say that you're ranking my program #1. Not that I'm going to do anything because of that, but because I iike reading that.

I love reading stuff like this, because it underscores the futility of everything we do during the residency selection process, despite our earnest belief in the opposite.

I have a friend that sits on a resident selection committee and has for the past ~5 years. She says they swoon over beautifully crafted & sincere thank you letters/letters of intent and that these factors into ROL decisions. Considering there are thousands of selection committees around the country wondering wtf to do with all of these letters, I imagine there's often a difference of opinion.

Personal opinion: few give af about my letter, but I'm gonna beautifully craft it none-the-less.