Emailing interviewers after acceptance

[DiolASulfone]

Hi guys,

I was recently accepted to my very favorite school. I want to write emails to my interviewers to thank them and tell them how excited I am to attend. Is this something people do? Is it weird? (I already wrote them letters immediately after the interview.)

Thanks!!

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[wiloghby]

Hi guys,

I was recently accepted to my very favorite school. I want to write emails to my interviewers to thank them and tell them how excited I am to attend. Is this something people do? Is it weird? (I already wrote them letters immediately after the interview.)

Thanks!!

Yes, you can do this. Certainly no one will hold it against you. Just don't expect a detailed reply. (I did this at the schools at which I was I was accepted as well -- I typically got 1 or 2 sentence replies from interviewers who were both very happy for me and very busy.)

You have been accepted to medical school. I hereby give you permission to stop worrying about what other people do, express your enthusiasm and gratitude in any way you see fit, and get pumped for August.

 

[eefen]

I don't think it's terribly common, but it's not against the rules or anything.

 

[DiolASulfone]

Thank you!!!

 

[metopic]

I think it's an annoying thing to do. You aren't special. I can't think of anything more annoying than dealing with medical school admissions. Constantly fielding questions, phone calls, and emails from neurotic, stressed out people. And then having to deal with the suck ups after they actually get the acceptance letter. Ugh.

 

[Catalystik]

I was recently accepted to my very favorite school. I want to write emails to my interviewers to thank them and tell them how excited I am to attend. Is this something people do? Is it weird? (I already wrote them letters immediately after the interview.)

Thanking your interviewers after acceptance might imply that they did something special that impacted your success. Adcomms just do their job in evaluating you and accepting the applicants they feel most suited to their school. Instead, thank yourself and your coaches for having interviewed well, and your LOR writers for their efforts on your behalf, and limit the letter to your interviewers (if your joy still runneth over) to expressing happiness that you will matriculate at your #1 school.

 

[Goro]

I can understand your delight and enthusiasm, but to me, this crosses slightly over into ass-kissing.

Just thank them in person when you matriculate.

And do well as a student; that's the biggest thanks you can give them.

Hi guys,

I was recently accepted to my very favorite school. I want to write emails to my interviewers to thank them and tell them how excited I am to attend. Is this something people do? Is it weird? (I already wrote them letters immediately after the interview.)

Thanks!!

 

[Doodledog]

In general, sending such an email is unneeded but I'm not sure I agree there is any harm to it assuming you don't ask them how much payoff you still owe them. However, if during the interview you had something substantial in common with them you might wish to pursue during med school (research, global health, community service amongst others) and want to let them know you'll be matriculating there and will look forward to contacting them further, then that might be a useful email.

 

[Plecopotamus]

If it's an individual you'd like to interact with further, I'd wait until matriculation to contact him/her, because it will be more relevant once you actually know your workload and schedule.

Also, at the risk of being a terrible downer, you never know if you got admitted in spite of rather than because of what one of the interviewers recommended.
In my life prior to med school, I received several thank you emails from undergrad and job applicants whose admission/employment I did not support. Obviously, I was always professional and polite in response, but it felt awkward and rubbed me the wrong way as a reminder that the respective institution didn't take my feedback seriously.

 

[eefen]

Ok, so in general people don't do this. That's been established. That's fine. And if you do do it, make it tactful. But MOST of the time, I don't see a short note expressing your post-acceptance letter excitement as being a bad thing. You MIGHT suprise the one interviewer who didn't get his/her way...but that's ok. You're in, you're excited, and you're going to medical school. They're not going to rescind your acceptance over a short thank you/I'm excited note, and it would take a real jerk interviewer to make your life harder for it, unless you're clearly sucking up.

So do it. Or not. And regardless, congrats!

 

[wiloghby]

If it's an individual you'd like to interact with further, I'd wait until matriculation to contact him/her, because it will be more relevant once you actually know your workload and schedule.

Also, at the risk of being a terrible downer, you never know if you got admitted in spite of rather than because of what one of the interviewers recommended.
In my life prior to med school, I received several thank you emails from undergrad and job applicants whose admission/employment I did not support. Obviously, I was always professional and polite in response, but it felt awkward and rubbed me the wrong way as a reminder that the respective institution didn't take my feedback seriously.

I would agree that it *can* be a bad idea. My assumption is that the accepted applicant in question (OP) developed a rapport with his interviewers and felt the interview clearly went well. Otherwise, why would they care? Of the three interviewers I have had so far, I connected with two extremely well and I am confident they were big advocates when it came time for committee. The third interviewer and I got along well and I believe it went well, but not to the point where he was actively trying to convince me to come to the school and work with him during the interview itself, which is essentially what happened in the other two interviews.

As a result, I didn't send an email to that third interviewer when I was accepted. I think it goes without saying that you need to use your social skills and figure out who really wants to hear from you, but maybe I shouldn't assume that.

Here's a good guideline if it needs to be spelled out:
If you send your interviewer a thank you email, and didn't get a reply, don't email them again to tell them you were accepted. I mean, come on. Clearly they are very busy, weren't nearly as excited to meet you as you thought, or both.
If you send your interviewer a thank you email, and got several paragraphs in response, I think it's safe to say they don't mind you contacting them to share some good news.
If you didn't send a thank you, why send an email out now?
If you're in some other case, use your judgment based upon past interactions with other Homo sapiens.

 

[DiolASulfone]

Thanks so much for all the responses. I didn't realize this would be so controversial! I certainly didn't mean to assume I'm special or trying to "suck up" or anything - I was just really excited and figured my interviewers contributed positively.

My assumption is that the accepted applicant in question (OP) developed a rapport with his interviewers and felt the interview clearly went well. Otherwise, why would they care? Of the three interviewers I have had so far, I connected with two extremely well and I am confident they were big advocates Homo sapiens.

This is exactly why I asked, you're right.