Thank you emails

[IMhappy]

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I have sent out a bunch of thank you emails to various residents, interviewers, and program directors after interviewing at different hospitals. My first question is, should I have sent thank you CARDS via snail mail or are emails ok? Also, is it common to not get responses from interviewers and program directors? Most of the residents I emailed have emailed me back. Some interviewers and program directors have responded but others have not.

 

[Frugal Traveler]

Snail mail vs. e-mail is a moot point. I think e-mail is probably preferred over snail mail unless someone is a dinosaur.

As far as response, the notes are more a formality than anything else. Post-interview correspondence is inconsistent and ill-defined at best. Same scenario for me is that some responded, some did not. Overall, it did not affect the way I ranked.

 

[QofQuimica]

I have sent out a bunch of thank you emails to various residents, interviewers, and program directors after interviewing at different hospitals. My first question is, should I have sent thank you CARDS via snail mail or are emails ok? Also, is it common to not get responses from interviewers and program directors? Most of the residents I emailed have emailed me back. Some interviewers and program directors have responded but others have not.

I don't think you should read anything into it one way or the other. Sending thank you's is something you do to be polite, not to set up a long-distance correspondence with someone. Other people are busy, just like you are. If you just wrote a thank you note and didn't ask any questions, some of them may have simply felt there was no need to email you back to thank you for your thank you email.

 

[ResidentMD]

I don't think you should read anything into it one way or the other. Sending thank you's is something you do to be polite, not to set up a long-distance correspondence with someone. Other people are busy, just like you are. If you just wrote a thank you note and didn't ask any questions, some of them may have simply felt there was no need to email you back to thank you for your thank you email.

I agree with this. Also many faculty get 100's of emails daily - so unless there is a question. Having said that, I do know if some faculty really like you, they will respond. But its all a personal thing - and I wouldnt look too much into it. If you are really paranoid, send them a followup email with a question. But yeah, I wouldnt worry too much if you think you did well and had a good interview session.

 

[tarlovcyst]

I have sent out a bunch of thank you emails to various residents, interviewers, and program directors after interviewing at different hospitals. My first question is, should I have sent thank you CARDS via snail mail or are emails ok? Also, is it common to not get responses from interviewers and program directors? Most of the residents I emailed have emailed me back. Some interviewers and program directors have responded but others have not.

It is my experience that most medical students misunderstand the purpose of a thank you card. Thank you cards / emails are symbols of professional courtesy, especially at this level. Think of these intervews as job interviews, because that is what they are.

Generally, the older docs prefer snail mail, while the younger hipsters prefer email. PDs get an enormous amount of email and mail each day. You'll be surprised to know that about 70-80% of those that interview for internal medicine will send a thank you card. Believe it. PDs just don't have the time to get back to you, especially if they didn't even shake your hand during the day.

 

[r4nd0m]

I think people over-estimate the importance of thank you mail. I remember back when I applied to med school, the schools that I sent letters to almost all rejected me, and I'm currently an MS4 at the one school that I sent nothing to... my top choice.

I only sent email to my top 3 programs and kept it generic. Chances are, you'll do just fine without sending any.

 

[Scaredshizzles]

I think people over-estimate the importance of thank you mail. I remember back when I applied to med school, the schools that I sent letters to almost all rejected me, and I'm currently an MS4 at the one school that I sent nothing to... my top choice.

I only sent email to my top 3 programs and kept it generic. Chances are, you'll do just fine without sending any.

Any particular reason that when you applied to med schools you sent thank you letters to the schools that weren't your top choice, but then sent nothing to the one that was your top choice? That doesn't seem very logical to me...

 

[KK18]

It is my experience that most medical students misunderstand the purpose of a thank you card. Thank you cards / emails are symbols of professional courtesy, especially at this level. Think of these intervews as job interviews, because that is what they are.

Generally, the older docs prefer snail mail, while the younger hipsters prefer email. PDs get an enormous amount of email and mail each day. You'll be surprised to know that about 70-80% of those that interview for internal medicine will send a thank you card. Believe it. PDs just don't have the time to get back to you, especially if they didn't even shake your hand during the day.

My question is - what is your take on sending a supposedly reminding email expressing the applicants interest before the ROL submission?

coz, i read on many forums that we need to remind the programs that we are still in the race (meaning did not take a prematch etc) and will rank the program highly?

thank you,

 

[ResidentMD]

My question is - what is your take on sending a supposedly reminding email expressing the applicants interest before the ROL submission?

coz, i read on many forums that we need to remind the programs that we are still in the race (meaning did not take a prematch etc) and will rank the program highly?

thank you,

There are currently many threads on this on both the IM and the ERAS forum.

I think a general consensus is -

1. A lot of people do it.
2. Whether you want to or not is up to you - you do not know what the program is thinking (and the program doesnt know what you are thinking - but especially if the program has 500 applicants to rank, they could care less - at least lesser than you, if its a reasonably respected program).
3. Doing it generally does not hurt you (unless you come across as too pushy) - whether it helps or not - no one knows.
4. You should ideally and ethically only tell your true rank 1 that you will be ranking them 1 - not everyone else on your ROL.

Reading through those multiple threads on both the forums mentioned above will (hopefully) help put it into perspective.

Good luck.

 

[r4nd0m]

Any particular reason that when you applied to med schools you sent thank you letters to the schools that weren't your top choice, but then sent nothing to the one that was your top choice? That doesn't seem very logical to me...

It was near the end of the interview season and I had stopped caring about sending those things. It didn't matter in the end.