Please respond-thank you notes

[qqqqqq]

I have just interviewed and there were 4 interviewers on the panel. The secretary gave us their names and where to mail thank-you notes. I went and picked up regular thank-you notes at Hallmark. I was just going to handwrite write thanks and i like your school. But I checked this site and some people say to write thank-you letters of 'interest'. Does this mean that I should type a formal letter of thanks and go on why I liked their school. Is sending regular hallmark style thank-you notes not professional? I realize these notes go into my file, so would sending simple handwritten thank you notes look silly, or would a formal typed letter seem impersonal? And if a typed letter is proper, should every one be tailored to each interviewer? Feedback appreciated. One more question, one of my interviewers was a gross anat. PhD and asked me about my research (I do research at a cancer institute) and basically I began getting too technical and none of my interviewers knew what i was talking about. They kind of laughed it off, and I was a little disappointed that I didn't get chance to explain research I spent a year on. My question is, for that interviewer's letter, should I refer him to a journal article that explains our groups' research or perhaps included a copy of the article with the letter (although I'm not listed as an author-only a MS student-but it completely explains my masters research and thesis), or would this just look cocky and irrelevant-as research isn't this school's focus?

[This message has been edited by qqqqqq (edited 02-21-2000).]

[This message has been edited by qqqqqq (edited 02-21-2000).]

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[Smile]

do not send handwritten letters, or cards from hallmark. your interview was not a personal affair, and they were not really doing you a favor. though it was a big deal to you, it was a business-as-usual matter for them. don't mix up personal vs professional interactions. instead, type up a formal-style letter to each interviewer separately, and indicate (but not splurge) your interest in that school. i don't see it necessary to discuss your research, since after the interview is over, the topic is a dead issue. no offense to your research, but i seriously doubt the interviewer would be interested in what you are doing, considering you are only an applicant and not a student there. it is likely the interviewers have already submitted their evaluation of you to the admissions committee, so a letter of thanks will probably not change anything. but regardless, it is a token of professionalism and courtesy that is always nice to do.

 

[JB]

From what I have always heard, thank you notes should be personalized and handwritten. Just to be sure I asked my pre-med advisor before writing mine and he recommended a handwritten note. The interview is your opportunity to personalize your application and, like the interview, your thank you letter should appeal to your interviewers on a personal level. You should always try to bring up something you talked about or found interesting during the interview so that the interviewer(s) remember who you are. If you have a panel interview, I think it is best to send separate, different thank you's to each member of the panel. The reality is that it doesn't make that much of a difference whether you handwrite or type your note or don't even send one at all but I guess every extra effort helps.

Jeff
PCOM 2004

[This message has been edited by JB (edited 02-21-2000).]

 

[JB]

Smile, just realized that much of my posting is contradictory to yours. I didn't mean it - just a difference in perspectives. I guess the truth is that it doesn't matter much since I'll be joining you at PCOM next year. Looking forward to meeting you and the rest of the PCOM'ers!

Jeff
PCOM 2004

 

[Smile]

jeff,

don't sweat it. we all have our different ways of doing things. is one way better than the other? we'll never know. (i guess both are equally correct since you and i both got in!) and, as you said, it very likely doesn't matter the least bit how you send a thank-you note. the interviewers have likely already submitted their evaluation to the admissions committee by the time they receive a thank-you.

i too am looking forward to meeting you and the rest of the bunch going to PCOM.

 

[Researcher]

I had four interviews this year. Four acceptances. Wrote thank yous (typed business letters, slightly personalized) to only two schools/interviewers. Not a statistically valid sample size but it seems like thank you notes probably don't matter much. If they want you, they want you.

On the other hand, if you are on a wait list and you complete new coursework or other clinical experience or get another D.O. letter, then send that info to admissions. It will go into your file and be there for the evaluators to review when they go back over the alternates list.

Good luck to all.