Consensus on Thank you letters?

[blackbird11384]

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I have been writing email thank you letters to each of my interviewers and I don't plan on writing out physical letters (can't say as much, crappy handwriting).

But what if you interviewed with say more than 5 people? Do you send an email to each of these people? Just to the PD and PC? Have you guys been personalizing each of your letters to each person you interviewed with and brought up a topic you discussed?

 

[drizzt3117]

I have been writing email thank you letters to each of my interviewers and I don't plan on writing out physical letters (can't say as much, crappy handwriting).

But what if you interviewed with say more than 5 people? Do you send an email to each of these people? Just to the PD and PC? Have you guys been personalizing each of your letters to each person you interviewed with and brought up a topic you discussed?

I have been sending everyone an email. Some of my classmates and other people I've met haven't. I think it's up to you and in the end I don't think it matters. My view is that if someone took time out of their busy schedules to speak with me they deserve a thank you. I've been personalizing all of mine with at least a sentence or two discussing our conversation.

 

[PokerDoc]

I started out writing to everyone, and by now I am only writing to PCs and PDs, and even at that, I only write to them if I actually liked the program, if theyre going below 10 on my rank list I don't write anything at all. I just am so tired at this point (although maybe Ill feel better in January, i literally just finished 9 interviews in 10 days).

 

[shark2000]

Do it because everybody is doing it and it is easy to do.
It may help in some places, though will not help in most. Definitely it won't harm.
At my program the paper ones go directly to the trash can.

 

[deleted103644]

My view is that if someone took time out of their busy schedules to speak with me they deserve a thank you.

I'm not sure I see the logic in that. They took time out of their busy schedule to talk to us, so we should waste more of their time by clogging their inbox?

 

[PokerDoc]

Personally I think we're already making this more of a deal than it actually is by 1) making a thread about it and 2) debating its merits.

I think it matters SO little in the grand scheme of things that we're over thinking it by even thinking about it at all. Do whatever you feel comfortable doing, but don't be silly enough to believe that they look at you any different if you suck up well. If I were an attending, I'd view the letters as suck up letters not thank you letters, tbh.

 

[SGuttenberg]

I don't think this makes much difference, but I do make sure to send a thank you email but not to every single interviewer. I prefer just the PD as they are the ones most invested in the process and the other interviewers probably don't care as much, (i know i wouldn't want 100s of spam thank yous just for talking to a guy for 15mins)

FYI, I talked to a guy last year who matched #3 on his list and sent no thank yous at all and no "love letters" to his #1-5. It's just that it seems like everybody is doing thank yous and I don't want to be the one guy who didn't do it.

 

[2012mdc]

I don't think this makes much difference, but I do make sure to send a thank you email but not to every single interviewer. I prefer just the PD as they are the ones most invested in the process and the other interviewers probably don't care as much, (i know i wouldn't want 100s of spam thank yous just for talking to a guy for 15mins)

FYI, I talked to a guy last year who matched #3 on his list and sent no thank yous at all and no "love letters" to his #1-5. It's just that it seems like everybody is doing thank yous and I don't want to be the one guy who didn't do it.

You just don't know if not sending one could hurt you at a specific program. If a program is high on your list it's just not worth the risk.