Thank you note etiquette

[bacillus1]

Question on thank you notes after residency interviews:

People have told me to always handwrite thank you notes, and not use email; however, what if it's a program where all application materials were electronic (of course, aside from transcript)? Are electronic thank you notes still not OK then?

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[spacecowgirl]

I don't see why it matters what the application format was. Maybe I'm old school, but I think handwritten is always better. I get 50 emails a day at work, I get very few pieces of mail. Just sayin'.

 

[cycloketocaine]

I don't see why it matters what the application format was. Maybe I'm old school, but I think handwritten is always better. I get 50 emails a day at work, I get very few pieces of mail. Just sayin'.

I agree. It adds a little extra something, the applicants that have sent me thank yous get a little extra mention to my program director.

 

[PharmJG]

I agree. It adds a little extra something, the applicants that have sent me thank yous get a little extra mention to my program director.

If you interview with multiple people throughout the day, do you just send the thank you to the director?

 

[cycloketocaine]

If you interview with multiple people throughout the day, do you just send the thank you to the director?

You can. It depends. If you interviewed formally with several different people, get business cards of each and write thank yous. It's a pain, but you never know how that could help your chances.

 

[clutzyshell]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but do you think the timeliness that the thank you note is received plays any part? Is it worth it to express ship these thank you notes... I've already spent a fortune on hotel, travel, attire, and I don't even want to mention how much I spent on shipping the applications....

 

[veritaserum]

i was planning on bringing the cards to the interview, writing them just before i leave, and hand them to the secretary on my way out.

 

[spacecowgirl]

First class mail is pretty fast, I wouldn't worry about paying extra.

 

[KARM12]

I wouldn't worry about sending them express. Timeliness does not have to be that timely. Send it within a day or two of the interview and you should be fine.

I also wouldn't give them to the secretary...at least make the effort to mail them.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I also wouldn't give them to the secretary...at least make the effort to mail them.

Totally agree. I didn't want to say anything because I feel like Debbie Downer, but yeah, it seems lazy.

 

[Its Z]

I couldnt careless about a thank you note, written, typed, or hand delivered. If youre a qualified candidate with the right attitude, I dont need a thank you note. If you suck, you can hand write on a gold framed letter head cotton paper delivered by Charleze Theron. You aint getting hired.

 

[KARM12]

I couldnt careless about a thank you note, written, typed, or hand delivered. If youre a qualified candidate with the right attitude, I dont need a thank you note. If you suck, you can hand write on a gold framed letter head cotton paper delivered by Charleze Theron. You aint getting hired.

I mostly agree with this...the job I have now and the residency I match with for PGY1, I did not send thank you's after the interview.

I am a preceptor who interviews candidates for residency...I don't really care if they send one. I wouldn't move a candidate up on my list based on a thank you note.

 

[Its Z]

I mostly agree with this...the job I have now and the residency I match with for PGY1, I did not send thank you's after the interview.

I am a preceptor who interviews candidates for residency...I don't really care if they send one. I wouldn't move a candidate up on my list based on a thank you note.

Why only "mostly" agree. you should fully agree.

 

[RX86]

I mostly agree with this...the job I have now and the residency I match with for PGY1, I did not send thank you's after the interview.

I am a preceptor who interviews candidates for residency...I don't really care if they send one. I wouldn't move a candidate up on my list based on a thank you note.

Perhaps some do subconsciously, especially with larger sites with multiple residents. And if there is a "re-ranking the candidates period" perhaps a candidate is remembered with slightly more fondness.

It's good etiquette either way.

 

[Its Z]

Perhaps some do subconsciously, especially with larger sites with multiple residents. And if there is a "re-ranking the candidates period" perhaps a candidate is remembered with slightly more fondness.

It's good etiquette either way.

Or a suck up.

 

[RX86]

Or a suck up.

Depends on how you read the person(s). You can tell the types and situations where a TY note is almost expected. One might interview with you and pick up that you could care less about something like that. Nonetheless, in our current ultra competitive residency hunt, anything that could possibly give you a leg up is a good idea. IMO.

 

[Its Z]

Depends on how you read the person(s). You can tell the types and situations where a TY note is almost expected. One might interview with you and pick up that you could care less about something like that. Nonetheless, in our current ultra competitive residency hunt, anything that could possibly give you a leg up is a good idea. IMO.

Its "couldnt careless" not could careless. and you would never pick up if i couldnt careless or not by just being interviewed by me. I get brtween 100 to 200 emails a day and 90% of my paper mails go into trash. I dont need another mail...paper or electronic. but thats just me.

 

[RX86]

Its "couldnt careless" not could careless. and you would never pick up if i couldnt careless or not by just being interviewed by me. I get brtween 100 to 200 emails a day and 90% of my paper mails go into trash. I dont need another mail...paper or electronic. but thats just me.

Actually if you want to nitpick like that, it is "couldn't care less"

 

[Its Z]

Actually if you want to nitpick like that, it is "couldn't care less"

Beats could care less. Just dont send me a suck up thank you note. its going straight to delete or trash.

 

[KARM12]

It's good etiquette either way.

What he said...

 

[RX86]

Stay classy.

 

[Its Z]

The truth is the applicants arent really appreciative of the interview. the thank you note isnt a gesture of appreciation or a good etiquette. its a motion to get that extra edge over the other applicants. its transparent.

 

[Its Z]

I just realized why I detest thank you notes and emails. drug reps always send those after a visit or a phone call. theyre not thankful. they just want to sell the drugs.....like students wanting a residency spot or applicants wanting a job.

 

[spacecowgirl]

What an old crank, Z. Some of us appreciate thank you notes.

 

[confettiflyer]

If a thank-you note is a 0 or a +1, and it costs me $1 (postage + card), I'm going to just send one.

Even if 99% throw it in the trash, still worth it to a lowly applicant hoping for a job.

If I didn't have a presentation to finish, I'd make a decision tree analysis out of it.

 

[rxlea]

What happened Z? Someone steal your animal fries?

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[gtpmle]

Don't forget to slip a $20 in there. Or maybe a $100. Depends how much you want the spot

 

[Its Z]

What happened Z? Someone steal your animal fries?

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This topic comes up every year. I can tell you no one ever got a residency spot because they sent a nicely written thank you note. Of course sending a note never caused someone to not get a residency spot. imo, dont sweat over a thank you note. send if you really appreciate the interview. but honestly, do you really appreciate it in your heart or are you just hoping to increase your chance?

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

At the job I'm at, I didn't send a thank you note. The DOP sent ME a thank you email! Har har har.

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

If I ruled a pharmacy, I wouldn't care if you sent me a thank you note. It wouldn't hurt or help you. Actually it might hurt you if you send a poorly written crappy one. I think it's a guy thing too. Guys don't care. Ladies might.

 

[Its Z]

At the job I'm at, I didn't send a thank you note. The DOP sent ME a thank you email! Har har har.

This is very much true and how it should be. i sincerely appreciate my staff who do good work. and i wholeheartdely let them know. tho i put in more hours than them and deal with more stressful situations, as long as i can empower them to provide the best quality patient care they can, i can sleep well at night. beats them fake thank you notes.

 

[rxlea]

This topic comes up every year. I can tell you no one ever got a residency spot because they sent a nicely written thank you note. Of course sending a note never caused someone to not get a residency spot. imo, dont sweat over a thank you note. send if you really appreciate the interview. but honestly, do you really appreciate it in your heart or are you just hoping to increase your chance?

I'll be honest. I never have sent a thank you note at any time during the path to pharm school. I knew all my LOR writers very well and I didn't think a thank you note was necessary for either of my interviews.

I agree with you to a certain extent...I don't think it's going to make or break a candidates chance; the site either wants you or doesn't. However, it does show your interest in the program and that you liked the experience enough to want to receive your training there. When it comes to applying for residencies, I will probably apply broadly but only to programs in which I have a genuine interest. I know a fourth year who applied to 15 residencies simply because they want a residency. The location or site didn't matter to the person and that person will most likely rank based on their perception of their performance at the interview and if they felt well liked. So yeah, maybe in that instance a thank you note could be meaningless.

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[rxlea]

If I ruled a pharmacy, I wouldn't care if you sent me a thank you note. It wouldn't hurt or help you. Actually it might hurt you if you send a poorly written crappy one. I think it's a guy thing too. Guys don't care. Ladies might.

I think like a guy...I personally wouldn't care if I got one or not but I do keep in mind that others might like a surprise in their mailbox

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[confettiflyer]

yeah, i personally DGAF, but on the off chance someone does, i'll send one.

 

[NicPharmacy]

I am writing out my thank you notes and was wondering if it would be appropriate to say something along the lines of "I continue to be interested in your residency program as my first choice" to the program that is my first choice to let them know I will be ranking them first in the match.

 

[bacillus1]

I am writing out my thank you notes and was wondering if it would be appropriate to say something along the lines of "I continue to be interested in your residency program as my first choice" to the program that is my first choice to let them know I will be ranking them first in the match.

I would think not, as that is a breach of match rules.

 

[cycloketocaine]

I am writing out my thank you notes and was wondering if it would be appropriate to say something along the lines of "I continue to be interested in your residency program as my first choice" to the program that is my first choice to let them know I will be ranking them first in the match.

You absolutely cannot do that, and if you got a stickler for rules you could actually get in trouble for it.

 

[joe melby]

Check out this example:

I was speaking with a resident at Midyear, who mentioned that after he started his residency, the director said "you know, you never sent me a thank you note after our interview."

I thought this was pretty funny. The director apparently wanted a thank you note, but the resident still got the job. So this perfectly illustrates a lot of what people have been saying in this thread. Thank you letters matter and don't matter at the same time. It's a wash. Send one if you like, as it won't hurt your chances, but it's probably not necessary if you are the candidate that they want.

 

[spacecowgirl]

We got notes from all of our interviewees.

 

[Pharmizzle]

I must be really old-fashioned. I write handwritten thank you notes for gifts, for interviews, for the people who wrote me my pharmacy school LORs, to professors who were especially helpful to me. It never occurred to me that someone would think I was sucking up; I just think it must feel nice to be recognized and thanked for doing something that somebody else appreciated. If I go to an interview, I know that they don't owe me anything; I think sending a note is just being gracious and respectful to thank them for the opportunity and their time.