I have been fortunate to have worked with a few amazing attendings this past year and have been told by multiple interviewers that they have written outstanding and extraordinary letters of recommendation for me. The relationship that I have with them is more than a simple attending-MS4. I feel like they truly care about me succeeding and chasing my goals. One is a cardiac surgeon and the other is a cardiac anesthesiologist. Assuming that I match, I would like to give them a small token of appreciation, just a small gift that would be a sign and reminder of my gratitude for their mentorship.
I was thinking of a "cardiac"-related book with a thank you note, something like this:
EDIT: For some reason the Amazon link keeps getting blocked. It's a book - "Heart: A history" by Sandeep Jauhar
Honestly, a nice hand written card saying thank you is more than enough. Especially for a cardiac surgeon and anesthesiologist! Now if this were for a Peds endocrine or ID attending, maybe a gift card to help buy food and cover some of their rent would be a nice touch.
Kidding aside, something personal and genuine means the most. No books or knickknacks needed.
Agree. Thank you card and MAYBE a gift card to starbucks or something.
It's the thought more than item. Just gesture your thanks. The book is a great idea, but if they wanted it, they'd get it. If you feel it's something they should see/read, just mention it to them instead of buying it for them maybe.
It might just be me, but I don't even like to get hand written thank you cards post interview. It's just awkward to read them. I do appreciate the gesture, but a simple email is better. I know that an interview interaction is way less than what you are talking about, but I think that simple is better applies here.
I agree with the others that a card, with at least a few thoughtful sentences written inside, is the most appropriate thank you. I would not any actual "gift" from someone for whom I wrote a letter.
Keep in mind that providing mentorship to med students/residents, including writing letters of recommendation, is part of our job. A thoughtful "thank you" will suffice.
