after the interview: thank you letter vs thank you email

[plasticbuddy]

Hi guys,
after fellowship interviews are you sending thank you letters via email or snail mail? it seems so archaic to send snail mail....but it seems more authentic although I wonder if they'll even get/read their regular mail. email seems like they definitely would receive it but less "genuine"

what are your thoughts. thanks.

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[digitalsideburn]

Definitely email, not snail mail. Why?
1. it gets there immediately. they are unlikely to forgot you before it arrives
2. it doesn't get lost
3. it's easier and cheaper for you
4. it's what everyone does

I matched last year and ONLY sent emails. My rule was to send them within 1 week of the interview (sooner if possible)

 

[loljkttyl]

Definitely e-mail!

 

[alleyesonme]

Email for sure.

I advocate sending them within 24 hours of visiting the program.

 

[Visionary]

Of course, while a nice gesture, this will likely have no effect on where the program ranks you.

 

[sswang00]

Does the same apply for residency interviews?

 

[Visionary]

Does the same apply for residency interviews?

If you were referring to my post, yes.

 

[RestoreSight]

You don't have to send a thank you note or email at all. They rank you as soon as you leave the building most times.

 

[rocketbooster]

You don't have to send a thank you note or email at all. They rank you as soon as you leave the building most times.

How can they do that if there are still more interviews to do over the next few months? Just curious. You mean they just discuss you as soon as you leave and don't look at your app again? If there are more ppl interviewing that week, they will probably have one day they discuss that week's applicants so a thank you email a few days later may help them remember you more later in the week.

That's how med school admissions were...they had certain days to discuss every batch of recently interviewed applicants.

 

[VikingFavre]

Email for sure.

I advocate sending them within 24 hours of visiting the program.

Agree with this

 

[RestoreSight]

How can they do that if there are still more interviews to do over the next few months? Just curious. You mean they just discuss you as soon as you leave and don't look at your app again? If there are more ppl interviewing that week, they will probably have one day they discuss that week's applicants so a thank you email a few days later may help them remember you more later in the week.

That's how med school admissions were...they had certain days to discuss every batch of recently interviewed applicants.

You make a good point, but this was always one of my questions at interviews and they always told me they ranked us as soon as we left the building. In fact, I came back once to grab my jacket at a California program and walked into the board room and saw the entire interview team huddled around a table with all the applications on the table. Each seemed to be arguing for their favorite.

Go ahead and send an email, it doesn't hurt, but I doubt it helps much either.

 

[Visionary]

How can they do that if there are still more interviews to do over the next few months? Just curious. You mean they just discuss you as soon as you leave and don't look at your app again? If there are more ppl interviewing that week, they will probably have one day they discuss that week's applicants so a thank you email a few days later may help them remember you more later in the week.

That's how med school admissions were...they had certain days to discuss every batch of recently interviewed applicants.

The way my program did it was to create a ranking of the group that interviewed the first day, immediately after the interviews concluded. Subsequent interview groups were then ranked into the original. Brief discussions of the prior interviewees took place for comparison with the newer ones, but we never discussed any post-interview communications. Not saying all programs do this, but I'd be surprised if an e-mail or snail-mail letter would do anything. Who isn't going to send a complementary-sounding post-interview letter?