Done interviewing: need help with interest letter

[tacoman2493]

OK so I went on all my interviews, and now I'm sending out a thank-you letter to my #1 program.

Here's the content of the letter. Please tell me what is not appropriate and what needs to be changed:

Dear Dr. X,

I have just completed my interviews, and I wanted to write back to you specifically to let you know how much I enjoyed your program. The residents were all extremely friendly and I believe this program is the best fit for me.

I will be ranking this program #1, and although I know your program does not allow people to sign contracts outside of the match, that is something I would do in a heartbeat with your program.

Thank you very much for interviewing me, and I hope to see you next July.

Sincerely,
Me

What do you think? Yes, I am seirous about the #1 ranking and outside match contract, and I am only sending this letter to one program. I know its not going to necessarily change where they rank me, but I want to pull out all hte stops and give it my best shot.

Any suggestions?

P.S. Should I wait to send this letter just before they finalize their rank list in February so they're more likely to remember me? Any thoughts on the timing of this letter?

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[peds2134]

hey, i'm glad you found your number 1 choice! i think a letter of interest is a great idea, but i don't know how well they would respond to a letter discussing an outside contract, given that it is illegal... while they may appreciate it, they may question your integrity...

 

[jimmybee]

I agree. I would just cut the outside contract portion.

 

[CrazyPeds527]

Same thoughts as above; i have heard several residents say that if you are interested and you know they are your number one, you can send them that letter now, and then in early february, conveniently remind them that they are STILL your #1. But definitely, get rid of the outside contract part. If you let them know you like them, hopefully it will all work out!

 

[bks524]

As someone who used to get letters like this, I seemed to get the impression that they were anxious about matching. I am not saying they are a bad idea, I just want to remind you that life exists outside this match. Don't allow yourself to get over-stressed about where you will go or in what order will I rank them. Just a bit of encouragement- you will all get to do pediatrics and you will all get to pursue careers that you have wanted to do.

 

[drbon]

hey, i'm glad you found your number 1 choice! i think a letter of interest is a great idea, but i don't know how well they would respond to a letter discussing an outside contract, given that it is illegal... while they may appreciate it, they may question your integrity...

unless tacoman is an IMG, in which case it isn't at all illegal...

 

[reba2223]

This was taken directly from the NRMP website. Be careful when you write your letters...you don't want to be in violation with the NRMP guidelines.

Examples of Violations
NOTE: The examples of match violations noted below are not intended to be all- inclusive. Any additional questions or clarifications about Match violations should be directed to the NRMP.
Agreements Made by Match Participants Before the Match

• A program accepts and signs an agreement with a senior student in a U.S. allopathic medical school before Match Day.
• An applicant requests a contract before the announcement of Match results
• An applicant commits to a concurrent year training position outside the NRMP Match and does not withdraw from the NRMP Match. (This includes an applicant who matches to a concurrent year PGY-1 position in another match that precedes the NRMP Match.)
• A program director "guarantees" an applicant that he/she will rank the applicant within the program's quota, but only if the applicant will rank the program first on his/her rank order list.
• An applicant "guarantees" a program director that he/she will rank the program first on their rank order list, but only if the program director will rank the applicant within the program's quota.

 

[HCE]

This was taken directly from the NRMP website. Be careful when you write your letters...you don't want to be in violation with the NRMP guidelines.

Examples of Violations
NOTE: The examples of match violations noted below are not intended to be all- inclusive. Any additional questions or clarifications about Match violations should be directed to the NRMP.
Agreements Made by Match Participants Before the Match

• A program accepts and signs an agreement with a senior student in a U.S. allopathic medical school before Match Day.
• An applicant requests a contract before the announcement of Match results
• An applicant commits to a concurrent year training position outside the NRMP Match and does not withdraw from the NRMP Match. (This includes an applicant who matches to a concurrent year PGY-1 position in another match that precedes the NRMP Match.)
• A program director "guarantees" an applicant that he/she will rank the applicant within the program's quota, but only if the applicant will rank the program first on his/her rank order list.
• An applicant "guarantees" a program director that he/she will rank the program first on their rank order list, but only if the program director will rank the applicant within the program's quota.

yes, so DrBon is correct...

 

[Bienchen]

... also : As far as I read on the NRMP homepage, programs only have to commit to filling 75% of their positions through the match if they participate, which gives them the option of offering a pre-match to a few people they really like or and who really liked them, and still fill the rest through NRMP.
Plus : having signed up for ERAS and interviewed through ERAS does NOT mean you are participating in the match yet ! You can still withdraw from the match and sign a contract outside of the match at this point. That means you wouldn't be submitting a ranklist of course and you wouldn't register for the NRMP, or if you already have registered, you'ld have to officially withdraw. That is perfectly legal.
What is 'ILLEGAL' is to submit a ranklist and participate in the NRMP match and then accept an arrangement outside the match before match day.
And I don't acutally think that rules are different for IMGs and US seniors.

 

[165808]

And I don't acutally think that rules are different for IMGs and US seniors.

I'm pretty sure that US seniors cannot make an arrangement outside the match. DOs, IMGs, and other independant candidates can, but not US seniors. The first rule on match violations that Reba2223 looked up states that.

 

[Bienchen]

I'm pretty sure that US seniors cannot make an arrangement outside the match. DOs, IMGs, and other independant candidates can, but not US seniors. The first rule on match violations that Reba2223 looked up states that.

Actually, I think you are right. Above only applies to 'independent applicants', so DOs, IMGs, fifth pathway, etc.
But programs do not have to fill ALL positions though the match; they can withdraw positions before the 'quota deadline' (which is end of January). After that, all entered positions have to be filled through the match.

 

[tawanda]

I'm sending all the programs I interview at a thank you letter or email, at least to the program director, sometimes to my interviewers if I am more interested and/or have their card. I think that's the polite thing to do, even if you don't intend on ranking the program, although I don't know if programs really care if you send a letter or not. But I feel like they put in the effort to read your app and invite you out, buy you lunch etc., so it's good to acknowledge that.

Some programs said not to send a thank you, so I didn't. In a couple of the letters, I said "I plan to rank you highly" which I think says I'm interested but surely not "guaranteeing" anything. Also, I wrote a few short sentences on what specifically I liked about the program.

 

[14022]

In a couple of the letters, I said "I plan to rank you highly" which I think says I'm interested but surely not "guaranteeing" anything.

I think this is a very tacky way to write a letter to a program. If I received a letter that said that, I would read it as such..."I am NOT ranking you number one." I have talked to many PD's about this at my program and back in medical school, and they all agree. For the ones that told me the interest letter makes a difference, they all say that unless you say you are ranking them number one, then don't bother mentioning ranking at all. Just simply tell them why you liked the program and why you would enjoy training there.