MD & DO Proper email signature for medical students

[456432]

Just had a quick question about my email signature as a medical student, as I will be reaching out to physicians for shadowing/research opportunities relatively soon. Does the following look good?

Best,
Jane

Jane Doe
MD Student
ABC School of Medicine
[email protected]
(123) 456-7890

Also, I see most med students on LinkedIn refer to their position as “MD Candidate at ABC School of Medicine.“ Would that be correct?

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[Lawpy]

You guys are using email signatures? Oops

I don't think it matters, but listing an email address in signature looks redundant unless you're sending it from your personal email

 

[Apothecary Aquinas]

I'd say go for "Medical Student C/O 20XX" or something along those lines instead of 'Candidate'. Some people, albeit not many, might have a problem with you using 'Candidate' as that was originally used for PhD candidacy after they completed their course work and exams but were still doing research and hadn't completed their dissertation yet. Yes, techically you are a 'Candidate' for an MD degree, it's just been traditionally used to refer to PhD students and occasionally you will find someone with a stick up their butt about it. I say better to just to play it on the safe side since you will be hitting up PhD's for research I imagine. Not a big deal but just FYI.

 

[jambro]

Agree with @Apothecary Aquinas

 

[Chelsea FC]

No one cares and chances are they wont spend enough time to realize what you but. But @Apothecary Aquinas advice is solid

 

[Redpancreas]

Just had a quick question about my email signature as a medical student, as I will be reaching out to physicians for shadowing/research opportunities relatively soon. Does the following look good?

Best,
Jane

Jane Doe
MD Student
ABC School of Medicine
[email protected]
(123) 456-7890

Also, I see most med students on LinkedIn refer to their position as “MD Candidate at ABC School of Medicine.“ Would that be correct?

Jane Doe, MS-I
ABC School of Medicine
[email protected]
(123) 456-7890

1. I'd never heard/considered that PhDs may consider "candidate" presumptious but I'd roll with it.

2. Include your year. It'll give the mentor an idea of where you are.

3. Agreed with all the below that brevity reflects competency.

 

[Moko]

Jane Doe
MD Student
ABC School of Medicine
[email protected]
(123) 456-7890

Jane "Hammer" Doe
M.D. program, class of 2025
President, ABCCOM orthopedics interest group
MCAT 523, projected Step 2 CK 260
Bench: 110kg
(123)456-7890

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

My school has a specific format we have to use. Yours might too.

 

[altblue]

I'd say go for "Medical Student C/O 20XX" or something along those lines instead of 'Candidate'. Some people, albeit not many, might have a problem with you using 'Candidate' as that was originally used for PhD candidacy after they completed their course work and exams but were still doing research and hadn't completed their dissertation yet. Yes, techically you are a 'Candidate' for an MD degree, it's just been traditionally used to refer to PhD students and occasionally you will find someone with a stick up their butt about it. I say better to just to play it on the safe side since you will be hitting up PhD's for research I imagine. Not a big deal but just FYI.

I've also always thought it was douchey unless you're a rising M4, at a minimum

Like bruh, you haven't even had a clinical rotation yet - how are you a candidate

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Like bruh, you haven't even had a clinical rotation yet - how are you a candidate

Saying you’re an MD candidate at all is kind of dumb. It doesn’t really make sense because a PhD candidate is someone who has completed their quals and coursework and are working on their dissertations. So yeah, at the very earliest it would really only apply to someone who has completed all required rotations and step 1 and 2. But even then it is just silly.

 

[altblue]

Saying you’re an MD candidate at all is kind of dumb. It doesn’t really make sense because a PhD candidate is someone who has completed their quals and coursework and are working on their dissertations. So yeah, at the very earliest it would really only apply to someone who has completed all required rotations and step 1 and 2. But even then it is just silly.

Oh I'm aware of the PhD reason too lol. I dislike it for multiple reasons, including the intuitive "you don't know **** yet" reason

 

[JoaoMoutinho]

Jane "Hammer" Doe
M.D. program, class of 2025
President, ABCCOM orthopedics interest group
MCAT 523, projected Step 2 CK 260
Bench: 110kg
(123)456-7890

This isn't much of an exaggeration from what other students at my school seem to do, except they all add "candidate". I just type my name. I've been considering changing it to something like:

João Moutinho
MD/PhD student
F Collins lab, department of underwater basket weaving
[email protected]
(248) 434-5508

But even then that feels like too much.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

This isn't much of an exaggeration from what other students at my school seem to do, except they all add "candidate". I just type my name. I've been considering changing it to something like:

João Moutinho
MD/PhD student
F Collins lab, department of underwater basket weaving
[email protected]
(248) 434-5508

But even then that feels like too much.

Ours has to be like this:

Firstname Lastname
ENS, MC, USN
Navy Medical Student
Class of 2023
Then phone and email.

Replace army and Air Force if you’re one of those. They give us these fancy little signature jpgs to use with the school crest haha.

 

[JoaoMoutinho]

Ours has to be like this:

Firstname Lastname
ENS, MC, USN
Navy Medical Student
Class of 2023
Then phone and email.

Replace army and Air Force if you’re one of those. They give us these fancy little signature jpgs to use with the school crest haha.

That seems like a nice, logical format. Definitely better than listing being president of an interest group or "rural/underserved medicine scholar" etc.

 

[DarkHorizon]

Jane "Hammer" Doe
M.D. program, class of 2025
President, ABCCOM orthopedics interest group
MCAT 523, projected Step 2 CK 260
Bench: 110kg
(123)456-7890

Weak bench.

 

[frenchyn]

Thanks or best regards,
X

 

[Neopolymath]

The longer the signature the less I respect your authority or listen to you.

 

[calivianya]

The longer the signature the less I respect your authority or listen to you.

I feel the same. My school makes us use one in all communications with anyone else at the school. Some of my classmates have six or more lines - I refuse. I might replace my campus with my school, and add my graduation year in, if I was emailing outside of the university, but this is the most anyone’s getting from me otherwise.

First name last name
OMS-III, XYZ Campus

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I feel the same. My school makes us use one in all communications with anyone else at the school. Some of my classmates have six or more lines - I refuse. I might replace my campus with my school, and add my graduation year in, if I was emailing outside of the university, but this is the most anyone’s getting from me otherwise.

First name last name
OMS-III, XYZ Campus

Yeah once I email someone the first time with the signature we’re supposed to use, unless it’s someone from our student affairs office I drop the whole thing and just go with my rank and last name or just my first name if we’re at that point.

 

[Osteosaur]

Name
School
Class

Just start off "Hi I am a medical student at X" in the first line so they know who you are and why

 

[NickNaylor]

Include your name, institution, and class, as others have recommended. If there are any particularly relevant titles that you have received, you might include those too (e.g., 3 students from the senior class were selected to be school "chiefs," and this kind of thing would be appropriate to include in your signature, particularly given that much of your communication may be related to that position. Most medical students will not have such titles, though, so that will be pretty rare.

You might do something like:

NickNaylor
MD Candidate, Class of XXXX
Johnny's School of Medicine

I don't think I even used a formal signature in medical school - just didn't seem relevant at the time.

 

[Redpancreas]

Weak bench.

I know that's sarcasm, but just for the record that's >99th percentile for an average BMI females unless you're a powerlifter with an arched back, vest, and a hyperwide grip with a bench press depth of 4 inches.

 

[Dormouse]

This isn't much of an exaggeration from what other students at my school seem to do, except they all add "candidate". I just type my name. I've been considering changing it to something like:

João Moutinho
MD/PhD student
F Collins lab, department of underwater basket weaving
[email protected]
(248) 434-5508

But even then that feels like too much.

Since PhD students do not have true "classes" or anticipated graduation years because some people take 3 years to graduate while others take 7, people generally use "student" vs. "candidate" to designate their year in the program. In your case, it's also a good practice to add the physical shipping address of your lab, especially when you're communicating with researchers or vendors outside of your institution.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Since PhD students do not have true "classes" or anticipated graduation years because some people take 3 years to graduate while others take 7, people generally use "student" vs. "candidate" to designate their year in the program. In your case, it's also a good practice to add the physical shipping address of your lab, especially when you're communicating with researchers or vendors outside of your institution.

Not sure what kind of phd you’re talking about, but many STEM PhDs require a couple years of courses prior to quals, during which time you’re a doctoral or PhD student. After quals you are a candidate. At least that’s how it works in math and physics ime.

 

[Dormouse]

Not sure what kind of phd you’re talking about, but many STEM PhDs require a couple years of courses prior to quals, during which time you’re a doctoral or PhD student. After quals you are a candidate. At least that’s how it works in math and physics ime.

Yes exactly...

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Yes exactly...

You said there are no true classes. Do you mean class years or actual courses?

 

[Dormouse]

Classes as in graduation year.

MD candidate or MD student or medical student are all perfectly fine. Think of it as a digital name tag. It lets people know that you're a medical student, because there are also undergrads, residents, fellows, etc. working in research labs, as well as masters and PhD students and faculty and staff at many levels. It saves people the time in figuring out whether they should address you by your first name, or Dr. Last-name.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Classes as in graduation year.

Ah gotcha. Now your post makes sense. I read it fast and thought you meant courses.

 

[DameJulie]

I used to be one of those "Candidate" person too, and I thought it was the right way to do so since many people do it that way. So please don't make the same mistake I made.

 

[Gilakend]

I use "candidate" because the first email that was sent to me had it written that way. I have never put more thought into it than that.

For me my signature is much smaller and is gray font as opposed to black:

"Thanks,

-FirstName

Full Name
School
Year Candidate
email, phone "

Some people at my school will also include pager numbers since we use those a lot, but I almost never send clinical emails and I honestly don't know how to change my signature so I never added mine.

 

[JoaoMoutinho]

Since PhD students do not have true "classes" or anticipated graduation years because some people take 3 years to graduate while others take 7, people generally use "student" vs. "candidate" to designate their year in the program. In your case, it's also a good practice to add the physical shipping address of your lab, especially when you're communicating with researchers or vendors outside of your institution.

I'm aware of the distinction, which is why I would currently put "student" lol. Not every institution makes that distinction though. I would hope nobody is taking 7 years for their PhD as an MD/PhD student– that's obscene.

I see some people put the address but I've never felt the need. If it's relevant I include it in the email, and vendors already have it through the POs anyway.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I prefer... "Future Top Doctor Awardee" in the signature. Shows gusto.

 

[DrAWACS]

Weak bench.

Not listing a squat or clean seems kind of health clubby to me... Not a true disciple of the Iron Church.

Also missed "Space Shuttle Door Gunner".

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Also missed "Space Shuttle Door Gunner".

Pssh. That’s how you know it’s a poseur. Everyone in the biz knows it’s space shuttle gun captain.