Thank you letter

[NeuroChaos]

I saw quite a few threads on thank you notes in the past, but, ...lets say the search function is no google.

To my question:
How long would you say is too long for a Thank you note? Mine is about a page? I touch up on a few questions the interviewer asked me etc.

What is the preferred method to send it? Email or Snail mail? I am very tempted to just shoot an email. I am just afraid that he is not going to sit down and read 1 page long letter received in the mail.


Thoughts??

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[NeuroChaos]

Any takers?

 

[austinap]

...lets say the search function is no google.

Well, you can always just use google:

thank you letters site:studentdoctor.net

 

[Laryngophed]

Just my $0.02.

One page is way too long. You should be thanking them for their time and consideration and that's it. They are busy people who (often) volunteer their time to be on the AdCom. Needless to say they are busy and their time is important. Also, I wouldn't try to address much from the actual interview. It seems a bit like you are trying to get more than your allotted time with them. I liken it to not dropping your pencil at the end of an exam when the prof. calls time.

Just say thanks and tell them you appreciate their time. If you related to them in some way, I might mention it as being comforting and move on. I sent mine via email in the evening on the day of my interview. Both interviewers emailed me back within a day and said thanks.

Good luck to you.

 

[organdonor]

Just my $0.02.

One page is way too long. You should be thanking them for their time and consideration and that's it.

If you related to them in some way, I might mention it as being comforting and move on.
Good luck to you.

What he said. I think my thank you emails were about 3-4 sentences, first thanking them and then touching on a connection that I made with each interviewer. I sent it 2 days post interview (I was REALLY busy) and got a reply from each of them within hours. Their emails were even shorter than mine. One said simply, "your welcome, good luck"

I wasn't quite sure whether to email or snail mail. I had a doctor and a med student interview me, the doc gave me his card but he med student didn't have a card, he just wrote his email on the one from the doctor. To be consistent, and since it was the only way I could contact the MS, I emailed both.

 

[mrmilad]

What he said. I think my thank you emails were about 3-4 sentences, first thanking them and then touching on a connection that I made with each interviewer. I sent it 2 days post interview (I was REALLY busy) and got a reply from each of them within hours. Their emails were even shorter than mine. One said simply, "your welcome, good luck"

I wasn't quite sure whether to email or snail mail. I had a doctor and a med student interview me, the doc gave me his card but he med student didn't have a card, he just wrote his email on the one from the doctor. To be consistent, and since it was the only way I could contact the MS, I emailed both.

Jesus!!!!!!!!! One page?! Are you a nut? Are you trying to annoy the guy? No one wants to read a page of irrelevant bs, please write 3-4 sentences max. A simple thank you will suffice.

 

[Mattabet]

Personally, I didn't do thank you notes for interviewers (congratulations for doing your job - I had to pay hundreds of dollars for the experience). But I'd agree that a page is on the long side. Certainly you don't want to do more than one page. If you really feel like you made a connection and you want to tell an interviewer a whole page worth of stuff, I don't see how it will hurt; it's probably just going to get slapped in your folder anyway, four sentences or four paragraphs.

 

[NeuroChaos]

Thanks guys! That was very helpful. I will cut it down. I think I will go with email.

 

[Neuronix]

Jesus!!!!!!!!! One page?! Are you a nut? Are you trying to annoy the guy? No one wants to read a page of irrelevant bs, please write 3-4 sentences max. A simple thank you will suffice.

This is the most common thank you note I've received as an interviewer. It will be one page typed and fairly generic so it's probably sent to everyone at every school. It basically is more about why we should accept them as opposed to actually thanking the interviewer (one or two sentences on this). There's some really generic reasons why they liked our school. The applicants who know my SDN identity or the ones I give my e-mail to consistently send it by e-mail or SDN, and the rest send it by snail mail.

I want to give negative points for these lazy, half-assed letters. I have actually kept the handwritten personalized thank you notes I have gotten. But it's only been on the order of less than 5%. I find it pathetic. Write one because you really care to, not because you feel you feel you have to.