How many thank you cards do we need to send?

[caliga16]

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I've been reading conflicting things. Some people say we need to send separate cards to the PC, PDs, and all of the people who interviewed us. Others say send 1 for everyone. What is the consensus?

 

[mcl]

I've been reading conflicting things. Some people say we need to send separate cards to the PC, PDs, and all of the people who interviewed us. Others say send 1 for everyone. What is the consensus?

Never send one thank you note for everyone--it's not a birthday card that's going to be passed around a circle.

Apart from that, there's not a one-size-fits-all answer. Some programs give very specific instructions regarding thank you notes and will tell you whether they are expected or not. Pay attention to instructions if they are given. If there are no instructions and you want to send a thank you, the most important person would be the PD, then the Chair, then the people you interviewed with. Sending a note to the PC is a nice touch (useful for my annual eval). Sometimes one gets sent for the resident who hosted the dinner the night before the interview. Many coordinators will encourage applicants to save postage by putting any thank you notes being sent into one envelope directed to the coordinator. I can say that my program views an email to be equivalent to a hand-written note, maybe even preferable, but that's probably not true everywhere.

Bottom line, it's rare for thank you notes (or the lack thereof) to be a factor in ranking. Really rare. Unless otherwise instructed, send thank you notes (hand written or email) to whoever you want to thank for taking the time to speak with you and considering your application. Don't make it into a big deal, and don't let it become a source of stress during an already stressful time.

 

[MilkIsGood]

All the program directors at my school said to not send any

 

[gutonc]

Somewhere between 0 and the total # of people you met on the interview trail. No number will make a difference other than to make your mother feel like she raised you right.

 

[mcl]

All the program directors at my school said to not send any

Yes, we say that. And still they come.

It's hard to convince stressed-out people in a high-stakes venture that a trifle like a post-interview thank you note won't be the make-or-break factor that gives them the residency they most hope to see on Match Day. Of course, if a program states as policy that they don't want thank you notes, the applicant should listen and follow instructions. Otherwise I leave it entirely to the comfort-level of the individual applicant. Whatever helps them sleep at night during the weeks between mid February and mid March.

 

[IMPD]

seriously. If you want to make an impression, send cookies and beer.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

seriously. If you want to make an impression, send cookies and beer.

Great idea. And feel free to eat the cookies before sending.

 

[MJM09]

Send them if you want, but I think a generic "thank you for interviewing me, blah blah" card is pretty worthless other than a check box in the mind of the PD that you sent a card. Personally, I took notes after my interviews regarding what I spoke to the PD, Chiefs, Chair, etc. about and sent cards that made some reference to something I learned/we talked about during the interview. I also typically wrote them either on the plane after the interview or at my hotel the night after so that it was still fresh on my mind and I could write a better note. They probably went to the secretary's garbage bin at several places, but I was shocked months later to see that a program chair at one program and a PD at another had my thank you card to them in with their notes/evaluation of my interview. (Though for my top 3 programs I did buy fancier thank you cards to send, so maybe that just made them feel a little guiltier about just tossing them.) If a program flat out tells you they expect a thank you card I would find that a bit odd, but even if they tell you "not to send them" you have to keep in mind you're surrounded by a bunch of Type A, stressed out, possibly neurotic people who are going to do it anyway.

 

[Law2Doc]

The people stressing on this issue are the ones programs would love to weed out. It won't make any difference. If a program tells you not to send one feel free to not send one. If you were brought up in a way that it's just good manners/etiquette then send them. Nobody cares.

If you have nothing individual to say to each person, just send one to the PD/PC. If you have individual thoughts/ questions for an interviewer, by all means. Nobody puts any weight on these things. The person who sends a program a thank you card does so everywhere, so it doesn't even really tell a program the person is interested.

Some applicants send holiday cards-- just as good/pointless. Do whatever you feel is right. But truly don't put as much thought into this as some of you are doing, because it's regarded by all in the process as a meaningless, albeit polite, gesture. Not a step towards a higher rank.

 

[Goro]

Pay very careful attention, because I really want to put a stake in the heart if this annoying pre-med urban legend:

Thank you cards have ZERO effect upon your acceptance. By the time the interviewer recives the card, the Adcom has already met, and the decision has already been made. Even NY the time you email your interviewers, they've already made up their minds.

I throw away cards unopened. Perversely, I'll read an email and acknowledge it. But no Adcom member will ever say "gee, how polite this fellow is, I'll accept him".

Capeesh?

I've been reading conflicting things. Some people say we need to send separate cards to the PC, PDs, and all of the people who interviewed us. Others say send 1 for everyone. What is the consensus?

 

[Dral]

When I was on the med student side I literally sent stacks.

Now that I'm on the other side, I can say do not waste your money and time. A quick email to one or two people you really connected with is more than enough if you must do something.

 

[Mad Jack]

Pay very careful attention, because I really want to put a stake in the heart if this annoying pre-med urban legend:

Thank you cards have ZERO effect upon your acceptance. By the time the interviewer recives the card, the Adcom has already met, and the decision has already been made. Even NY the time you email your interviewers, they've already made up their minds.

I throw away cards unopened. Perversely, I'll read an email and acknowledge it. But no Adcom member will ever say "gee, how polite this fellow is, I'll accept him".

Capeesh?

This is for residency, not medical school, but I'd imagine thank you letters are as worthless 99.9% of the time to a PD as they are to an acdom.

 

[EMmotherhen]

Thank you notes give us warm fuzzies but do NOT affect your spot on the ranking list. If you want to send them then do it - we all love hearing how great we are. But if you don't want to send notes, then please make sure you shake everyone's hand before leaving and say thank you in person. Don't forget the PCs, they worked hard arranging the dinner and the interviews and deserve the attention.

 

[Frederica]

If you choose to send thank you notes, I do not encourage you send them to the coordinator to hand out. Speaking for myself, I manage 8 GME programs and 1 UME program. I barely have time to check my own mail never mind send someone else's mail.

 

[22031 Alum]

Unfortunately I've been at programs where a lack of correspondence post-interview has come up negatively at the rank meetings. I don't like it but it's the culture at some places. So on my specialty board I gave the advice to send a note to the PC at the very least. Unless the program specifically states they don't want to get any thank you notes.

As always I defer to @Goro for the med school side, but for residency, specialties and programs vary too much to make such a blanket statement.

 

[CaliAtenza]

If you choose to send thank you notes, I do not encourage you send them to the coordinator to hand out. Speaking for myself, I manage 8 GME programs and 1 UME program. I barely have time to check my own mail never mind send someone else's mail.

The coordinator at the program I interviewed with recently, specifically told us to send any notes to her to hand out. Mind you, this is a single program in a small town, so she is in charge of everything.

 

[Frederica]

The coordinator at the program I interviewed with recently, specifically told us to send any notes to her to hand out. Mind you, this is a single program in a small town, so she is in charge of everything.

Some days, I would probably want to change places with her. But, with my personality, I would get bored.

If the PC tells you to can send thank you notes to them to pass out, by all means do so. But, if you aren't given that direction, don't assume it's okay.

 

[mcl]

Some days, I would probably want to change places with her. But, with my personality, I would get bored.

If the PC tells you to can send thank you notes to them to pass out, by all means do so. But, if you aren't given that direction, don't assume it's okay.

Agreed. It all comes down to applicants needing to pay attention to the instructions provided and realizing that every program is different.

 

[surgicel]

I had some questions about thank you notes.

1. Typically you would give one to those who interviewed you does that include the residents as well if they have interviewed?
2. Should you write a thank you note to the Program coordinator?
3. When should you give them, I can write them out before but should it be right after the interview ends by leaving or should I mail it after. I'm worried if I mail it and it gets lost in the hospital mail they will never get it
4. Many people say to give hand written notes, is that done on a blank computer paper or lined paper? Can you write it on the back of a postcard or does that look unprofessional.
5. Are small gifts against the rules if you really want that program?

 

[gutonc]

Merging this with the other currently active thread about TYs. Maybe I'll sticky/FAQ this later.

 

[mcl]

I had some questions about thank you notes.

1. Typically you would give one to those who interviewed you does that include the residents as well if they have interviewed?
2. Should you write a thank you note to the Program coordinator?
3. When should you give them, I can write them out before but should it be right after the interview ends by leaving or should I mail it after. I'm worried if I mail it and it gets lost in the hospital mail they will never get it
4. Many people say to give hand written notes, is that done on a blank computer paper or lined paper? Can you write it on the back of a postcard or does that look unprofessional.
5. Are small gifts against the rules if you really want that program?

Send a thank you to whoever you'd like. Honestly, I don't think it's worth the writer's cramp of sending one to everyone who said more than two words to you, but do whatever is going to allow you to sleep at night. Send it because you think it's the right thing to do, not because you think it will ultimately affect your rank position (it won't). The type of paper doesn't matter, but I've never seen them sent as actual post cards or left on the day of the interview. My program is good with email, but that's not true everywhere. Gifts are definitely out of bounds and very awkward.

I do receive a smattering of thank you notes each year, and I include them with my annual performance evaluation to help justify my existence to our business manager. Again, only write a note to the coordinator if you have a burning desire to write a note to the coordinator, not because you feel like it's a requirement or will improve your position on the rank list.

 

[Law2Doc]

...When should you give them, I can write them out before but should it be right after the interview ends by leaving or should I mail it after. I'm worried if I mail it and it gets lost in the hospital mail they will never get it...

I would find it absolutely absurd if you handed someone a thank you note at the end of the interview day. I mean, how are you going to personalize it at all if you haven't even met someone yet? Or are you saying you are going to fill in blanks during the interview day like mad libs? If you do them thank you notes, mail them. Hospital mail works great.

 

[swoopyswoop]

Dude, buy thank you cards. Don't write out something on looseleaf.

 

[chrissyxf]

So I sent thank you cards to my top program and didn't get a response. My friend who sent an email got a response. Do we just assume that they only respond to emails? That they didn't get my card? Should I send a "rank high" email in January then? I don't want them to think I was rude- I sent them the morning after the interview. I should have tracked them haha.

 

[Frederica]

So I sent thank you cards to my top program and didn't get a response. My friend who sent an email got a response. Do we just assume that they only respond to emails? That they didn't get my card? Should I send a "rank high" email in January then? I don't want them to think I was rude- I sent them the morning after the interview. I should have tracked them haha.

It is much easier to respond to an email than a hand written card.

Whether or not your thank you notes are received, no one will think you are rude.

"Rank high" means the program isn't ranked #1 and if you do state you will rank a program #1 does not mean they will rank you #1. In fact your email has no bearing on where they will rank you.

Last year a couple of members of our leadership team received an email from a candidate who noted they were ranking us #2. They got a big laugh out of it. So I wouldn't even bother sending a "I'm going to rank you ____" email.

 

[letmeinwillya]

Is it allowed as per the NRMP rules to say to a program that I'm ranking them number 1? I know showing interest in a program in post interview communication is allowed.

 

[mvenus929]

Is it allowed as per the NRMP rules to say to a program that I'm ranking them number 1? I know showing interest in a program in post interview communication is allowed.

You can tell them they are #1, and they can tell you that you are #1, but they cannot say we are only ranking you #1 if you also rank us #1, nor can either party ask where on the rank list the other falls.