Post-interview thank you emails or card???

[Cody1MD]

How long should one wait to send out a thank you note after the interview??? Also does the thank you note have to be an email or an actual thank you card mailed in???

Thanks!

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[peppy]

Contrary to common advice, I felt like the emailed thank yous were more productive than the handwritten mailed ones. People are more prone to respond to an email and I think that helps them remember you better.

 

[Broomdy]

Should you send a thank you letter to each of your interviewers or just a general thank you to the coordinator?

Also, when would it be appropriate to mention that they are your #1 choice? Is it too early in the interview season to start mentioning that or would it be okay to slip that in my thank you letter?

 

[atsai3]

Most people would agree that a thank you note to each interviewer would be acceptable. However, I think that is overkill. I think it should be sufficient to send a mailed thank you card to (a) the program coordinator thanking him for his time / setting up the interview day / making sure you got from site to site / etc; (b) program director; and (c) one interviewer with whom you had particularly meaningful contact (eg., talked about a research project, shared interest, offered to introduce you to another attending at another program, etc).

It all goes in the same file anyway.

Sending the note within the week after the interview is appropriate.

If you didn't have any meaningful contacts, then you should leave out (c).

If you actually want a reply from (c) and have substantive follow up questions, then an email would be appropriate. You are probably more likely to get a response to an email than to a thank you card.

Broomdy: Why would you think now is an appropriate or reasonable time to begin professing your love for a program that was probably one of your first interviews and to which you probably (ie., this early in the season) have few or no programs to compare? Go to the rest of your interviews. Check out the other programs. Make an informed decision. When you actually have a #1, then it is an appropriate time to tell a program that they are your #1. How is this not self evident, and why would you need someone on a semi-anonymous Internet forum to give you this advice?

-AT.

 

[Red Beard]

I agree with the short email. More likely to get something back, which is nice.

 

[Manicsleep]

When I did this (not that long ago), nothing went in any file other than noting that the person responded. However, everyone who interviewed was there on rank day and all were asked bring what they remembered about each person.

I agree with peppy. The email works best. Partially because cards get lost and emails can be searched (make sure you put something like 'interview' in the the subject). You may want to send an email after the interview and then a card a month before rank time to let them know you are still interested.

 

[sella turcica]

You may want to send an email after the interview and then a card a month before rank time to let them know you are still interested.

I like this idea - thanks.