Thank you letters FROM programs

[drgirl]

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Hey. I've gotten thank you's from programs--most of them seem pretty standard: the usual "we liked meeting you, we're ranking you competitively, etc." Do they really send them to everyone they interview or are they more selective? Is it just the same courtesy which we offer by sending them thank you's (basically meaningless)?

 

[doc05]

they are most likely sent to everyone. don't let these letters change your rank list.

 

[scm]

yeah it's odd, i didnt expect any letters. I got a few very generic, obvious form letters. But I also got a few that were very lenghty (in comparison), made reference to specifics in the interview conversation, said things like "we consider your application Very Competitive" and so on, and like all of them, to get in touch with questions etc in Jan as the match approaches. Heh, those made me feel good, oh well, they probably do send them to everyone. I liked the UW one the best, it was one line or so, but said something to feel free to call if you have questions about "match logistics". What could they possibly mean or be trying to say? heh , well whatever.

I sent out all my thank you notes..but I plan to e-mail the PD at my #1, I hope at least to get a semi-ok reply..

anyone done this yet? I'm waiting to mull things over/till after new yrs..

scm

 

[syrinx]

A few programs said during the interview that we should expect a "thank you" letter early JAN as standard procedure. I have gotten a few with the standard typed letter and handwritten notes from the Chair and PD (ex. Yale).
Others seemed personally addressed while others very non-specific. Not sure what to make of these letters. We could start a list of thank you letters received from programs and whether they contained any key phrases.

I have a feeling speaking with others on the interview trail that some programs generate a tentative rank-list prior to our interviews. Anyone else have this feeling? For example, at several programs, I've noticed either a numerical or letter grade assignment written on my application as the interviewer was sifting through my app.

 

[scm]

heh yeah ditto on the Yale letter. I've also seen numbers on apps people were sorting through, usually on a 1-4 or 1-3 scale...who knows though, perhaps this is something they use to evaluate the apps initially to figure out who/what group they are going to interview and where the cutoff is somehow. i know for sure that a good number of the programs had people spending 5-10 min after each interview filling out sheets of paper/evals, (i.e. Michigan), i think those probably ultimately determine rank list more..

if you have the time/are interested in comparing letters, go ahead post away, i think we have a few that overlap, hopefully gopher is still roaming around, i think you guys and drgirl were at many of the same places, should be able to determine the form ones...

i dont see how any such letter/confirming it's unique would make me change my rank list though..i guess im ultimately going to be really at any of my top 5 so I'm not really worried..

 

[drgirl]

I sent out all my thank you notes..but I plan to e-mail the PD at my #1, I hope at least to get a semi-ok reply..

anyone done this yet? I'm waiting to mull things over/till after new yrs..

scm

yeah, i'm planning on letting my #1 know how i'm ranking them--probably by email to the PD. i do know of people who have called the pd and gotten favorable responses.

as for letters form programs, yeah it definitely shouldn't influence your rank list. i have also noticed things on my application like letter grades or numerical ratings....i'm thinking that's more how they decide to interview people. i don't know, it really seems like they already have tentative rank lists before they interview and whether or not that changes depends on an applicant being extraordinary in person (very rare) or a complete psycho (more common, i'm sure). I've definitely met some wierdos on the trail. haha maybe we should start a list for everything, including the weird and nice people we've met. hey we're neuro people, we're supposed to be anal nerds who like lists!

 

[syrinx]

Here's my list so far....

Cornell: very nice email from PD
UVA: PD, personalized TY letter about specifics we discussed during the interview
Yale: Typed TY letter and written notes from various people I interviewed with
WashU: PD, "would be delighted if you decide that WashU is the right program from your career"

 

[crackerjack]

Vanderbilt-- letter, typed, not too personal.
Maryland-- letter, typed, nice, some personal elements. Also an email from Medicine.

Hey, how do you go about calling a PD? Do you just say, "Hi, I'm so and so, I liked your program and just wanted to let you know I will be ranking you highly"?

At GW, they actually filled the evaluations out in front of me. AND, then they put them in a file, and you carry it around with you and hand it to your next interviewer. SO, I know I probably wasn't supposed to... but I took a peek in it (Bad!!). It had a number scoring system from 0-5, and places for comments. They made no secret of hiding it. Same with at BU-- the guy filled it out in front of me. I definitely think we are ranked by interview group before you walk in the door, and they pay special attention to ones theyre particularly interested in. At the end of each interview day they meet again and reorganize the list. I was at Mayo and they were waiting until everyone left so they could do that.

 

[jacksonianmarch]

Vanderbilt-- letter, typed, not too personal.
Maryland-- letter, typed, nice, some personal elements. Also an email from Medicine.

Hey, how do you go about calling a PD? Do you just say, "Hi, I'm so and so, I liked your program and just wanted to let you know I will be ranking you highly"?

At GW, they actually filled the evaluations out in front of me. AND, then they put them in a file, and you carry it around with you and hand it to your next interviewer. SO, I know I probably wasn't supposed to... but I took a peek in it (Bad!!). It had a number scoring system from 0-5, and places for comments. They made no secret of hiding it. Same with at BU-- the guy filled it out in front of me. I definitely think we are ranked by interview group before you walk in the door, and they pay special attention to ones theyre particularly interested in. At the end of each interview day they meet again and reorganize the list. I was at Mayo and they were waiting until everyone left so they could do that.

When you say some personal elements in Maryland's letter, what are you referring to?

 

[jacksonianmarch]

UVA (from PD)-- Highly personalized in terms of elements from our conversation... 5 paragraphs long.... first para was about our conversation, second was "I think UVA would be a very good fit for you... third para is reference to stuff from my resume and extolling my accolades... fourth para is about Charlottesville the town.... fifth para was closing remarks -- anybody else get this template? did everyone who interviewed there get a letter -- I have spoken with some friends who did not receive thank yous, even weeks after the fact -- I myself received mine 2 days after my interview -- thoughts??

Rochester (from PD)-- "very strong candidate" --- does this mean anything? did other people get similar letters with different wording?

Maryland (from PD) -- generic thank you -- anyone get anything different?

Cincinnati (from PD) -- "oustanding candidate" --- does this mean anything? did other people get similar letters with different wording?

UCSF (from PD) -- most curious of all; my interview went REALLY well here... letter states, "I look forward to working with you in residency" -- WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

 

[syrinx]

UVA (from PD)-- Highly personalized in terms of elements from our conversation... 5 paragraphs long.... first para was about our conversation, second was "I think UVA would be a very good fit for you... third para is reference to stuff from my resume and extolling my accolades... fourth para is about Charlottesville the town.... fifth para was closing remarks -- anybody else get this template? did everyone who interviewed there get a letter -- I have spoken with some friends who did not receive thank yous, even weeks after the fact -- I myself received mine 2 days after my interview -- thoughts??

Got exactly the same format. Sounds very personal and thoughtful.

My second paragraph reads "I want you to know that I think that UVA would be an excellent fit for you"

 

[jacksonianmarch]

Got exactly the same format. Sounds very personal and thoughtful.

My second paragraph reads "I want you to know that I think that UVA would be an excellent fit for you"

Do you know if everyone who interviewed received this letter?

Only 2 people from our interview group received a letter.

 

[syrinx]

Do you know if everyone who interviewed received this letter?

Don't know.

 

[drgirl]

My list so far....

Wash U--similar to syrinx's letter
UNC--nice letter from PD, you will be ranked competitively
Cinn--very nice email from PD, 'outstanding candidate', personal elements
UIC-letters from PD and chair, seem pretty standard

 

[crackerjack]

sorry guys, i was wrong. it was my maryland medicine email that was personal (discussed subjects from interview conversations), NOT my maryland neuro letter. my maryland neuro letter was basic, nice, and generic. i got the two mixed up, sorry about that.

i remember that vanderbilt made this big point about, "some programs contact you after the interview to let you know they are interested, but that is against the rules, and we don't do that-- but don't take our silence as disinterest." i dont know, i sort of feel like if i were a program, id want to make sure i got who i wanted. even if it is against the rules.
which worries me, since i havent heard all that much back from places anyway.

 

[scm]

i have a huge pile of interview papers i dont want to wade through, but from memory:

UWashington- typed out letter, maybe one line or so, nothing specific, urges to get in touch and so on

UNC-kinda personal/longer letter typed, i think from PD, said something like i was ranked as "Very Competitive" by them and so on, though im not sure if it made references to specifics about me/interview, but seemed to indiacte they would be happy to have me..

Brown-very nice typed letter from PD, specifics about interview, my thank you note, and so on, "pleased to have you" or such..

Yale-same form typed letter as everyone else i think

i think thats it. again though, who knows what these mean. i've also had people during interviews say things that _seemed_ to indicate that i could come there if i want/was more competitive than a lot of other applicants(some said the latter verbatim)...i felt/was made to feel that way at Brown and UNC in particular. but so were tons of people im sure..

 

[crackerjack]

Brown-very nice typed letter from PD, specifics about interview, my thank you note, and so on, "pleased to have you" or such..

i think thats it. again though, who knows what these mean. i've also had people during interviews say things that _seemed_ to indicate that i could come there if i want/was more competitive than a lot of other applicants(some said the latter verbatim)...i felt/was made to feel that way at Brown and UNC in particular. but so were tons of people im sure..

well, considering that brown did send you a letter, from the pd with specifics, says a lot-- i interviewed there and did not get any sort of feedback from them or letter. ahh well, no hard feelings. congratulations then. its sort of weird though, because i thought i had done well there, but maybe not..? i guess i shouldnt rank them too highly.
and, on that note, does it mean that if we do NOT receive a letter from a place we particularly wanted to go, that is posted on this string of the forum, should we assume that they are not interested in us? hmmm... somewhat worrying... no one has to feel bad for me or anything. i was just wondering.
😕

 

[drgirl]

Hey--I sincerely advise ranking programs according to how much you like them, not if you think they liked you. You have nothing to lose by putting your top choices first. I don't think we can assume anything from a thank you letter, good or bad. ...just my honest opinion and how I plan to make my rank list.

 

[scm]

yeah, dude, please dont worry or assume anything. 1st off, the Brown letter seemed a direct reponse to my own thank you note(she mentions it). I sent a little bit more personal/nicer notes to the programs I liked best, I do photography so these had photos on the front etc.. maybe she just liked the card, who knows if she wouldve written otherwise. not to mention that it's unlikely that Brown will be in my top 2..there could be a whole bunch of folks like me getting these letters and ranking them 3 or 4 or further down...if you loved it there and rank them #1, i would guess you'd get it.. so dont change your list!

scm (stuck at home with the flu...)

 

[crackerjack]

thanks for the vote of support. i have to admit this whole process is starting to stress me out big time, and i think i just need to chill out a little. also im sending my thank you cards way late, like 3 weeks after my interview-- i should probably stop doing that. oh wups! too late. anyway, i had this weird dream where i woke up in a panic and i didnt match... it was ugly. so. i definitely am planning on ranking my list as suggested by who i liked best, not who liked me best (and considering i cant read minds very well, that makes sense!). i just gotta figure out who i liked best.

one question-- thank you cards vs. thank you emails?

hope you get well soon.
ps. this site is addictive and im going to cut myself off soon.

 

[scm]

i dunno, i think hand written cards are better/more personal. granted there are arguments in other forums about this, people suggest programs dont read them/just check them off/typing is more professional. but on the otherhand, people in IM, for instance are often interviewing for 40 spots with 50 other people that day etc. at most of my interviews there were 3-8 applicants max. most places ive been to interview in a 10:1 ratio (heh except ucsf so i hear), i.e. 3 spots, interview 30 people. my point, its a more personal enviroment etc, the'll remember you/a personal card is nice.

that being said, rank lists are due in a few weeks, you might want to e-mail a thank you to your top 2-5 to make sure they get it, also it's legit to say they are "one of my top choices" and so on, i think, in the letter/e-mail.. just be sure to let your #1 know they are #1 when you figure it out...

scm

 

[GopherBrain]

most places ive been to interview in a 10:1 ratio (heh except ucsf so i hear), i.e. 3 spots, interview 30 people.

What is the ratio at UCSF?

 

[scm]

oh, sorry shouldve mentioned, i heard from 2 people at ucsf that they interviewed around 30 people for 5(?) spots this yr... so congrats!

 

[drgirl]

Hey crackerjack, don't stress, I'm sure it'll be fine. I did start writing thank you cards but it just took too long to write neatly and was tiring...so I switched to typing them on nice paper and signing them....I'm not worrying too much about it.
By the way, I'm sure a lot of us are having those "we didn't match nightmares'.. 🙂

 

[GopherBrain]

I've written notes to a few, typed letter to most.

I ran into a guy at at an interview who said that his med school advised against writing to the programs at all. So there is definitely divided thought on this issue.

 

[crackerjack]

thank you all for being so nice about my freaking out. yeah. its an interesting time and it was an interesting nightmare. in the dream i ended up scrambling somewhere remote and depressing, i dont know where.
i think that the idea of writing cards and sending the emails now is a good idea, considering with the holiday postal service delays they might not even get them until right around match.

what ive heard re #applicants/#interviewed is the 10:1 ratio, although at brown they interviewed 50-60 for 4 spots. then, the programs differ in how many they actually end up ranking. for example, i think that bu only ranks up to.. 20 or 30, but they interview a hefty 60 or so. according to bu's pd, last year they matched most of the people in their ranked top 10, so they were very happy about that. a place like columbia, for example, ranks only 20. (i dont remember where i heard that, but i did hear it.) other programs might rank all 50 that they interview. of course no one wants to not fill their programs so the less they rank, the more confident they are that they will be in the top choices of the applicants they want. (how do they know that??? i wonder... must be the thank you cards/emails/"i intend to rank you very highly" sort of thing.)

okay. again, thanks for the support. it's nice. 😛

 

[scm]

hey has anyone gotten a letter from OHSU? just curious, its going to be one of my top choices..I just got a typed letter from the PD, its very nice, though i'm not sure if its a form letter, doesnt mention specifics from the interview, does say "your application credentials are outstanding, and we think you would enjoy training in our program. we hope you will consider joining us for your neurology residency"..then a bunch of info about PGY1 again/reminders to use NRMP for their pgy1 etc. anyone else apply there get anything or, uh, not get anything? much thanks
scm

 

[scm]

the PD from Duke called me while i was on line at the post office this morning, asked if i had any questions etc, i was shocked/had nothing to say. i feel bad, it was an under 1min conversation....

 

[drgirl]

the PD from Duke called me while i was on line at the post office this morning, asked if i had any questions etc, i was shocked/had nothing to say. i feel bad, it was an under 1min conversation....

heh, he called me this morning too, asked if i had questions. i didn't have much to say except that i enjoyed my visit. don't feel bad scm, my phone call was less than a minute too. i was very surprised, didn't expect phone calls.

 

[scm]

ah cool. much thanks. i felt bad i couldnt even say i was going to "rank duke highly" since it wasnt true.

 

[pazu]

bump

This thread is from 4 years ago. But I wonder if programs are still writing personalized thank you notes to applicants? Can anyone from last year's cycle answer this?

 

[Neurologee]

Wow - I'm impressed you actually read back four years into the archives ...

I am currently a PGY3, and even when I interviewed ... most communication was via email, and I do not recall receiving anything as detailed or encouraging as the letters mentioned in this old post ... perhaps programs have gotten more cautious/conservative?

 

[neurochica]

In addition to receiving emails from PD's last year, I received 3 personalized letters from programs experessing their interest. I guess it just depends where you interview...however, dont expect any letters as you can imagine, PD's are hella busy with their schedule. Good luck