post-interview thank you letters

[dr45sdn]

sorry if this question has an obvious answer, but i was unable to find an answer searching old threads. i just had a great interview last week, and wanted to know if it was common practice for applicants to write some type of letter to the interview. if so, what does this typically include? should it just be a short thank you, or should it go into details about topics discussed in the interview? Thanks!

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[wxl31]

i did. and yes, i went into detail about what we talked about...it's only courtesy. fun to write too esp. if you had a fun interview. i hand-wrote a card.

 

[drguy22]

i did. and yes, i went into detail about what we talked about...it's only courtesy. fun to write too esp. if you had a fun interview. i hand-wrote a card.

i emailed

 

[ucjffj]

are you guys doing it as genuine courtesy or to get an increased edge in this whole process?

if it's for an edge, does it really matter? i'd expect the interviewer to write their review/report soon after the interview, possibly before any thank you letter would arrive

 

[wxl31]

are you guys doing it as genuine courtesy or to get an increased edge in this whole process?

if it's for an edge, does it really matter? i'd expect the interviewer to write their review/report soon after the interview, possibly before any thank you letter would arrive

i called the school to get my interviewer's address and get a update on my LORs. anyway, they told me that my interviewer already had finished my report, so yes, i think they get it done soon after you leave. but like i said, it's a courtesy. i also wrote thank you note to my student host and gave him a small gift. i believe in doing nice things for ppl who help you out.

 

[derf]

are you guys doing it as genuine courtesy or to get an increased edge in this whole process?

if it's for an edge, does it really matter? i'd expect the interviewer to write their review/report soon after the interview, possibly before any thank you letter would arrive

yes, he/she may have already written the report before the thank you letter arrives, but it can still help cause some schools have the interviewers present during their periodic adcom meetings.

 

[Kazema]

I was told that it's beyond courtesy; it's pretty much expected for you to write a thank-you note to your interviewer, and to do it as soon as you get home.

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

is email ok?

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

Handwritten card, or at least a typed letter shows that you actually put time into it. While email has permeated the culture of correspondence, it will never carry the same formality and courtesy as that of a regular letter.

 

[Howard Roark]

i didnt send any. i guess it couldnt hurt.

good luck.









.

 

[ucjffj]

I was told that it's beyond courtesy; it's pretty much expected for you to write a thank-you note to your interviewer, and to do it as soon as you get home.

expected? a lot of people aren't aware even. what do they do: "well bob looks good for our school but he hasn't sent us a thank you letter yet. better luck next time bob"

 

[heeter]

what kind of card are you guys using? I went to the grocery and they all had filligrees and flowers on them, nothing very formal looking.

 

[ShyRem]

what kind of card are you guys using? I went to the grocery and they all had filligrees and flowers on them, nothing very formal looking.

Don't laugh... go to a stationary store (ala Hallmark STORE or something similar) and look for their wedding thank you card packs. Many are very plain with a simple Thank you on the front in silver or gold or black, they're on nice card stock and have envelopes. And they're not very big so you don't have to leave a lot of white space. Some grocery stores may also have the wedding-type thank you card packs. Best of all, you can get like 20 of them for 3 bucks or so. 🙂

 

[BigRedPingpong]

Didn't send a single one. Got 4 acceptances.

 

[leechy]

Hmmm... I was torn over whether to write any... unfortunately this thread hasn't resolved that dilemma. I suppose I will *grimaces*

 

[BigRedPingpong]

Probably shouldn't even bother with the thank you note to your interviewer. The more effective approach would be to write a letter of INTEREST right before the ad com of the respective school meets. Send 2 out. One to the DoA, and one to the office of addmissions to put in your file. In the LOI thank them. That should be sufficient.

 

[PreMedAdAG]

Probably shouldn't even bother with the thank you note to your interviewer. The more effective approach would be to write a letter of INTEREST right before the ad com of the respective school meets. Send 2 out. One to the DoA, and one to the office of addmissions to put in your file. In the LOI thank them. That should be sufficient.

I feel like some people have forgotten their manners. These people went to a lot of trouble to interview you, the least you can do is extend the courtesy of a thank you note. It's not meant to "give you and edge".. it's simply just NICE to send one to show that you are grateful for what they have done!

 

[BigRedPingpong]

Sorry mom. Of course, where are my manners. I forgot that SDN is on the PC side of things.

 

[PreMedAdAG]

Sorry mom. Of course, where are my manners. I forgot that SDN is on the PC side of things.

Not really.. it's just pulling your head out of your........... and realizing that this is NOT all about you.. it's about a system and something you're joining... a simple little word called respect comes to mind.. hmmm...

 

[BigRedPingpong]

Not really.. it's just pulling your head out of your........... and realizing that this is NOT all about you.. it's about a system and something you're joining... a simple little word called respect comes to mind.. hmmm...

So now I think that "this is all about me?" You got all that out of one post?

"It's a system and something you're joining"---> Eh? Do you mean the medical field?

"a simple little word called respect comes to mind.. hmmm"----> Are you asserting that not sending a thank you card is disrespectful?

There are many ways to thank people. I think that you need to be more open minded to these ways. The way that you propose (sending a 50 cent thank you card from RITE AID) is not the only way.
Besides, if you enter the "system" there are few words that they teach students here: not-to-be-judgmental...hmmm

 

[PreMedAdAG]

So now I think that "this is all about me?" You got all that out of one post?

"It's a system and something you're joining"---> Eh? Do you mean the medical field?

"a simple little word called respect comes to mind.. hmmm"----> Are you asserting that not sending a thank you card is disrespectful?

There are many ways to thank people. I think that you need to be more open minded to these ways. The way that you propose (sending a 50 cent thank you card from RITE AID) is not the only way.
Besides, if you enter the "system" there are few words that they teach students here: not-to-be-judgmental...hmmm

nice.. i like the way you think 😉 anyway... i went for the safeway box of thank yous! ha ha.. i'm coo... you coo?

 

[leechy]

I guess i have a more cynical view on all of this. I feel like my interviewers probably will chuck my cards in the garbage once they've skimmed them, so I've decided to write emails instead. At least I'll be saving them the effort of tossing something in the garbage.

 

[CaMD]

Writing a quick thank you note to my faculty interviewer won't be hard (he gave me his card), but I tried to find an address for my student interviewer on the website and can only find her email address. Should I just email? I guess the other option is sending it to her name care of the admissions office...

 

[sunsweet]

ok, I finally gave in and bought some cards 😛 I was emailing my interviewers but I found some realllly pretty cards and very elegant looking too 😀 (16 for 4 bucks, btw)

so are you guys just sending them to your interviewer or others too? like to the adcom, dean, etc.

 

[Aegis]

At the school I just interviewed at they told me they write the report directly after my interview and the committe meets a couple of days later. So a thank you card isnt going to do much good if your trying to get an edge because by the time it gets there they will already have decided on you. And if you send it overnight or something like that you will just look insecure. But if you wanna do it just to be nice, with no influence on your acceptance then go for it.

 

[DoctorMalki]

ok, I finally gave in and bought some cards 😛 I was emailing my interviewers but I found some realllly pretty cards and very elegant looking too 😀 (16 for 4 bucks, btw)

so are you guys just sending them to your interviewer or others too? like to the adcom, dean, etc.

I sent it to my interviewers and anyone that I thought was helpful while I was there.

 

[sunsweet]

At the school I just interviewed at they told me they write the report directly after my interview and the committe meets a couple of days later. So a thank you card isnt going to do much good if your trying to get an edge because by the time it gets there they will already have decided on you. And if you send it overnight or something like that you will just look insecure. But if you wanna do it just to be nice, with no influence on your acceptance then go for it.

I'm really just doing it out of courtesy. It probably won't help much if I do send one, but I'm just paranoid that it *might* hurt if they expect me to send it. better safe than sorry!

 

[sunsweet]

I sent it to my interviewers and anyone that I thought was helpful while I was there.

thanks!

 

[lorelei]

I'm writing thank-you notes to my interviewers. When they give an email address and I get the impression that they use it, I do that; otherwise I'll hand-write a card.

I don't expect this to give me an edge; for example I know for a fact that OSU made the decision immediately following my interview, before I even got to the airport. But it's a generally accepted courtesy.

It occurs to me that the divide on this issue might fall along trad/non-trad lines. Having done a fair amount of job interviewing, it's unthinkable to me that I wouldn't send a thank-you note after an interview. But if this is your first time through an interview process, it would probably not occur to you. (I wouldn't have realized it if the college career center hadn't stressed it.) For that reason, I bet the percentage of applicants who send thank-you notes is indeed fairly small.

 

[BigRedPingpong]

It occurs to me that the divide on this issue might fall along trad/non-trad lines. Having done a fair amount of job interviewing, it's unthinkable to me that I wouldn't send a thank-you note after an interview. But if this is your first time through an interview process, it would probably not occur to you.

I disagree.
With OVER half of my class taking a year or two off between college and med school, I would imagine that they have held jobs.

For that reason, I bet the percentage of applicants who send thank-you notes is indeed fairly small.

I disagree. Just do a search on this topic. Everyone and their mother's ex college roomate is sending one of these things. It's cliche. Do something original to show your appreciation. Like what? You wanna be a doctor, use some innovative thinking. 👍

 

[oniwindu]

Writing a quick thank you note to my faculty interviewer won't be hard (he gave me his card), but I tried to find an address for my student interviewer on the website and can only find her email address. Should I just email? I guess the other option is sending it to her name care of the admissions office...

I had that problem, too. Actually, I couldn't read the hand-writing of one of my interviewers when I asked for her address. I just wrote the thank-you letter, sealed it in an envelope and mailed it to the admissions office with a letter asking them to forward it to my interviewer. (Of course, I also included a thank you to the school and how I enjoyed the day there, etc etc.)

Hope this helps.

 

[Brickhouse]

Sorry - had to add my two cents - didn't read all replies - however...

I interviewed 4 places - sent thank you's to two of them. I got rejected from those two schools and accepted at one I didn't thank. I think thanking people is not something you do to be accepted, it's something you do to express your feelings of gratitude. If that's not your style to express things this way, it won't kill you to be silent after your interview.

I do wish now that I'd sent one to my school, but I think the 40K I'm giving them for the next 4 years makes up for it. 🙄

 

[beek]

you also have to remember that these could potentially be the same people you are going to deal with in four years while applying for residency programs. you certainly don't want to burn any bridges, and something like a thank you note might be remembered. not that this should be the only reason to write; these will someday be your peers and it is just a polite and respectful thing to do.

 

[jetskigirl]

While at some schools it will not affect the adcom's meeting, at some schools it will. Georgetown told us to send thank yous directly to the admissions office so they could make copies of them for our files and that everything in our files, including the letters, would be reviewed. Since the adcom meets 4 weeks after my interview, I expect it to be included.

However, while I'm an advocate of sending letters, I don't feel like it is necessary. At one school, my interviewer was late and very cold to me. Should I have thanked him for his time, possibly. But mostly, the letter would have included, thank you for helping me come to my opinion that this school is not right for me.

 

[pratik7]

if anyone cares... I plan on taking a thank you card with me and dropping it off in US mail after the interview. Less to worry about after getting home

 

[Termwean]

I wrote a thank-you letter, on nice paper, to each of the interviewers and one to both of the 2nd yr students that gave us the tour and some words of advice to relax us...they were great(the MS-2's).

 

[bridge01]

what do you do for a thank you card to a panel interview? just write a general one to the adcom?

 

[AsianDoc816]

Sorry - had to add my two cents - didn't read all replies - however...

I interviewed 4 places - sent thank you's to two of them. I got rejected from those two schools and accepted at one I didn't thank. I think thanking people is not something you do to be accepted, it's something you do to express your feelings of gratitude. If that's not your style to express things this way, it won't kill you to be silent after your interview.

I do wish now that I'd sent one to my school, but I think the 40K I'm giving them for the next 4 years makes up for it. 🙄

I'm planning to write thank-yous if I get accepted. It seems more genuine that way, instead of thanking them IN ORDER to get accepted. Just my two cents....

 

[calstudent]

I'm planning to write thank-yous if I get accepted. It seems more genuine that way, instead of thanking them IN ORDER to get accepted. Just my two cents....

it really should have nothing to do with hoping to get accepted. i say do it because it's the right thing to do, and i think "standard" protocol is to send one sooner, but it is good you at least have plans to send them.

my philosopohy is, it is an honor to get an interview anyway--nobody owes them to us, so we should be thanking them.

 

[Code Brown]

it really should have nothing to do with hoping to get accepted. i say do it because it's the right thing to do, and i think "standard" protocol is to send one sooner, but it is good you at least have plans to send them.

my philosopohy is, it is an honor to get an interview anyway--nobody owes them to us, so we should be thanking them.

Exactly, but only do so if you hit it off with your interviewer. A couple of them were jerks, so I won't be sending those guys any. You need to keep your dignity as well. I mean, what are you going to say? "Gee, Dr. So-and-so, thanks for ripping me a new one and making me feel unwelcome." I don't think so. The ones who were nice and friendly people will be getting a thank you note.

 

[cytotech27]

I mentioned in many of my interviews that photography was a hobby of mine, so I had cards made of a nice picture I took and sent those as thank you notes. They love asking what our hobbies are, find a way to show it! Especially you artists out there, you could draw something the interviewer might like that he/she puts it on their bulletin board to remember you forever!
Good Luck everyone waiting for the 15th!

 

[leiface]

I worked for my school's undergraduate admissions and they definitely make note of who sends thank you cards and who doesn't. I don't think it'll hurt if you don't send them given that most people don't, but it definitely helps to do so. 🙂

 

[Shaz]

You need to keep your dignity as well.

Well said.

 

[IndyZX]

it really should have nothing to do with hoping to get accepted. i say do it because it's the right thing to do, and i think "standard" protocol is to send one sooner, but it is good you at least have plans to send them.

my philosopohy is, it is an honor to get an interview anyway--nobody owes them to us, so we should be thanking them.

see, here is my problem with that: i am definitely thankful to be getting the interviews that i have been getting, and thats why i thank every one of my interviewers right after i speak to them. therefore, i really dont see a ostensibly honest reason to send a note later unless we are open that it is clearly to suck up.

ps. that doesnt mean that i wont write any more letters, but i see it for what it is.

 

[911Med]

A Thank You note? Really?

I sent a little box containing the left ear of the Dean's daughter.

I told him if he ever wanted to see the rest of her to accept everyone that the school interviewed on my interview date.

I am now a second year.

Just kidding.
You can stop calling the FBI.
Really.