Thank you letters

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Jani

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Hey guys

When is the best time for a thank you note, does anyone know ???

I interviewed only at 3 places, and am thinking of 2 out of these 3 places, but these 2 places mentioned they would be very happy to rank me high. So I am being optimistic. Do I sound a bit " too optimistic" .

Any comments are welcome.

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It would be easier to give you an answer if we knew which specialty and your stats. But, only applying to 3 places is risky unless you know for sure one of those places wants you.

Send your thank you note mid to late Jan, after interviews are about over and before they fill out the match list. Also, consider calling and talking to the residency director again prior to that. Maybe even go on a second look.

Good luck.
 
I applied to many, got invitations from few, interviewed at only 3.

OK, its IM I applied for. I flew to US for the interviews.

The PD said " If you are happy with our program , you don't need to worry. I am doing this job for the last 7 yrs, so I know instantly who is good, and thats how it works"


any comments...
 
Personally, I feel that it is most appropriate to send your Thank You notes immediately after the interviews. Generally, I write & post them with 2 or 3 days. Just like you should do after Christmas -- it is rude to wait too long. And, by waiting, it is blatantly obvious that you are not thanking them in earnest, but using the notes as a scheme to refresh their memory of you...these folks are not stupid and can see right through a BS scheme like that.

You should send them to all program that interview you & not just the ones you are considering.
 
I agree with OMD. Send them out within the first 2 weeks after you interview. They will probably not remember you when they get it if it is too far after the interview (remember how many people they see each interview day, and how many interview days there are).
I believe that one should keep in close contact with the program director at the program one wishes to be at; PD's are in a tough spot since the strict rules of the match went into play. They no longer can be sure they are going to get who they want, and we are no longer sure we are going to go where we want. So, the only thing that exists right now to try to best assure your spot at a program is to keep in contact with the PD at your top choice, and don't be affraid to express how strongly you wish to go there. This is the only way to get a "feel" for whether you'll be highly ranked by them, and you can rank them #1 and maximize the chances of a match there.
Finally, I would be careful about PD's who tell you such things at an interview ("you'll be highly ranked"). These such practices are exactly why the match was developed; many an applicant, AND program director have been burned by such unwritten promises. I would be appreciative of the comment, and keep it in my mind while I keep close phone contact with the PD, however I would not consider it a guarantee by any means.
 
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL MID-JANUARY TO SEND THANK YOUS...

Whether interviewing for residency or a job, the rule of thumb is to send thank you letters within 48 hours of the interview. It is the polite and professional thing to do. You can always contact the programs you are interested in around rank time again. But waiting to send any type of a responce to their courtesy until then is considered by many very unprofessional. I worked in business and industry before going to medical school...and that is how it works.

Hope that helps....
 
One other thing to remember is that most mail systems are large universities are not super efficient, especially if you didn't manage to get the COMPLETE address of the office (i.e. whatever internal addressing system they use, like Box number, or building number). Thus from a practical standpoint, it may take greater than a week for mail to reach its destination.

This means: try to get a business card from each interviewer (or at least sneak one from the secretary!) to get the addresses right and send them as soon as you are done writing them. If you wait until late-Jan, your letter may show up after all the ranking is done for that cycle, so not only will you be insincere, you'll also not have done yourself any good!
 
Yep, after reading some of the responses and thinking more about it I agree with them. Send thank you letter right after the interview.

Not to scare you, but if you applied to many schools and only received 3 interviews you had better talk to both program directors. I am worried that they are not really ranking you highly.

Did you consider going on a second look?

Did the two programs you liked fill last year in the match?
 
I did get a few more invitations, but I didn't make it because I was restricted by the location.

So, you reckon I should pick the phone and go for it...Do you think I should ask this PD to give a clear word about where I stand. He might understand because they know I am from overseas( Australia) and there are quite a few things to do before hoping on the 22 hour flight to come over.
 
Jani,
I would definitely call the PD's later in January. 2 out of 3 programs is very little by US standards. Granted, IM is not as competitive as some other specialties, but I would not feel comfortable ranking only two programs. If a second look is possible I would do it. If you have to fly again for 22 hours than I would first call and maybe get in touch with one of the residents to get a feel how much weight the program places on a second look.
Dani
 
is it possible to ask the program director for a prematch contract in your case...it sounds like you're an IMG, so it's within the limits of the rules this year, i think...it also depends on the program's policies, but i don't think it would hurt to ask considering you've interviewed at so few places...think about directly askinf for a contract...it may save you a lot od speculation and anxiety!
 
Well, I did indicate to this " No1 " place that they are No 1.

He didn't offer a pre-match, instead said " some places offer pre-match because they know they are not good at finding fellowships ( 'because they are not good enough') etc, he went on " I advice you not to take this offers if you are happy with our program" So I left it like that.

I agree with you, still dunno how I could put it .
 
Personally, I find it somewhat disturbing that after paying $$$ for ERAS, $$$$ on airfare and hotel, and $ on food, I still have to thank someone for interviewing me for their job. If I weren't thankful then I certainly would not have accepted their interview, let alone spent money I don't have (I mean really-most of us don't even have jobs) to travel for an interview. Maybe programs should be a little more compansionate towards their applicants and waive this entire option for thank you notes/letters anyway, or at least not let it count against one for not sending them. Anyway, that's just my take on it.

Have a happy new year,

sweetfynesse (yes, i know you spell it with an "i")
_________________________________________________
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi.
 
I would counter with after expending all of those resources than you truly do not have that it would be foolhardy to jeopoardize your application by being chincy over a $1 card/envelope and a $0.37 stamp. No, writing them is not the highlight of my day, but neither would be having to scramble. Besides, I have learned that writing is not so bad if you venture down to a local or hotel watering hole and enjoy a cold, adult beverage whilst writing them. It sometimes even helps your creative writing skills!
 
Got a question for you guys... Do you type the notes out, or write it? As well, do you send it as a letter, or would thank you cards be ok too?
 
Either cards or letters are OK...

Personally, I prefer a type-written letter. It's cleaner and neater. Then, at the bottom of the letter, I usually hand-write a short note. But anything is OK. Just try not to make you letter sound too generic. Mention particular things you liked about the program to personalize it a bit.
 
I didn't actually say not to write thank you letters/notes. I just think it is disturbing that PDs ROL could come down to something as prescribed as a non-sincere thank you letter/note.

I definitely, however, feel that it is important to have some post-interview communication with the programs of your top choice. An important thing to remember is to do what is comfortable for you. If you're the type that gets lost without a leader, then read all the books and send your thank you letters within 48 hrs. If you're the type, however, that shys away from the premade cake mixes and opts to make yours from scratch and to taste, then add a little spice to the your post-interview comminucation, ie do a second look, third look, dinner with the PD, who knows. No, but, seriously, do a second look, or phone the PD and tell him your interest in their program and follow-up with an email soon after, or perhaps just send a letter in the next couple of weeks prior to ROL completion reminding the PD of why you would rank them highly (contrary to md- student) .

To say that thank you letters are mainly to say thank you is ludicrus. Of course most people use them to say "hey, look at me, remember me?" Otherwise, do you really think as many people would send them if they were just being polite. How many times do these "polite" people just walk past other classmates and collegues in the hall and opt not to speak? Better yet, not to even look in their direction? OK, I am getting off task. The point is anyone can be "polite" under circumstances where they get something in return, and I think most PDs understand this when it comes to thank you letters and probably don't give too much credit to them anyway. Also, remember, this is your application process and you can do with it what you choose. Just be true to yourself. If you think one should write a letter-a thank you letter or a hey-you-look-at-me letter, then do it.

The most important thing in the end is to have the programs you think highly of know you think highly of them, and that means being assertive. So, go get'em...umm, but hold off on the dinner thing.

Best of wishes,

Sweetfynesse,
___________________________________________________

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi.
 
Thanks to all, for your valuable input. I am sure it would guide a lot of people like me, who are in " what next " phase.


One thing I was curious about, has anybody sent a thank you note/ follow up letter by email only ..

In my case otherwise it is going to take about 2 wks to reach them . It is so annoying..
 
I have been sending handwritten notes, which I feel are more personal (they know I didn't just cut and past a form letter), but take forever because I'm certainly not used to writing slowly and printing neatly. I don't usally send them till 1-2 weeks later, just because I dread the task of writing them.

Looking back, I WISH I would have immediately written an email thank you (at least to those programs that give out emails), and then followed with the paper mail note. Even if you send the paper note immediately, it takes at least a week to get through the mail and the hospital mail, so email is a good way to send an immediate note.

I would not make email my only note though. There are still some people out there who don't beleive in email yet - meaning they may not read it or they may think it's lazy to write only email.
 
Yikes..after reading this post, now I'm scared.

I interviewed during the last two weeks before Christmas. At one of my first interviews, the PD mentioned to let him know what I thought after I'd finished all my interviews. So I waited until now after my last interview to send the emails to the PD's thanking them and letting them know what I thought after I'd seen everywhere I was interviewing at.

Looking back, I really should have sent an email or letter right after interviewing. I hope I didn't screw up too badly. How can I correct this? I had planned on just sending an Email to each program director. But now I'm thinking maybe I should write a letter to everyone I interviewed with...but it's been a month since the interview. What should I do? I've already sent the emails this week to the PD's. Should I follow with a note by mail to the Program directors and each person I interviewed with? Please let me know what you think.
 
Don't worry so much. I doubt whether you sent anything at all will really change your place on the rank list a whole lot. I do believe that the more contact with more people at a programs can only help you. So I would probably send out something to everyone - maybe an email and a note to the PD, chairman, and just also the interviewers. It's up to you, but if you are really serious about wanting a program, you might as well let them be reminded of you as someone interested. I wouldn't worry that you waitied till a month later - I doubt if most of them really keep track of who did and didn't make quick contact (although there are always a few anal people out there who might, who knows?).
At this point, I'd take your top 3 or so and write everyone you met there and let them know you are ranking them highly. I am sure the PD or chairman is the main decision maker at most programs, but if you have one interviewer who thinks highly of you, you never know, they may put one more good word in for you to the people in charge and push you up on the list a bit. It's worth a shot.
 
When I am a program director I will inform all candidates that I will not initiate contact with them after today and that they should not send me thank you notes. So far, no one has done this to me, but if someone does, I may just rank them number one for it.
 
Desperado,
The PD at Stony Brook said not to send thank you notes. (He didn't promise there wouldn't be communication afterward but I'll be surprised if there is.)

The program at Wash Univ (St. Louis) said there would be no communication after the interview. (Didn't say to not send thank you notes though)
 
LOL Desperado; you think like me- you wouldn't happen to be a general surgery applicant as well?!? If anyone actually told me NOT to send thank-you notes, I'd really respect their no b.s. attitude and highly consider ranking them #1.

I am so not into schmoozing- I beleive in being genuinely respectful towards the program while you visit, but how sincere do most programs perceive short generic notes that probably most of their candidates send?

Sincerely

;)

Foxxy Cleopatra
 
I think we're in an age where sending out emails is totally acceptable. That's what I've been doing to the PD's whose email addresses are written on their business cards. It seems to be pretty okay because the majority of PD's I've written to have actually written back (and wrote back nice things).

I'm still sending out some by snail mail, but if you can get some of the done by email, cut down on your workload, and cut down on the program's clutter, then why not?

Good luck to all.
 
As a faculty member who has been a member of residency selection committees in the past as well as the author of the upcoming "The Residency Match: 101 Biggest Mistakes Medical Students Make and How to Avoid Them", I feel that I can offer many of you some insight into what program directors are looking for in terms of thank-you notes. This is information that I have gathered by talking with many program directors and members of residency selection committees in various specialties.

Thank-you notes or letters should be sent within 48 hours of the interview. They should be sent to the program director as well as the faculty members you interviewed with. While sending a thank-you note probably won't strengthen your application, not sending one or sending one too late can damage your candidacy. This is particularly true in competitive residencies as well as highly reputed programs in less competitive residencies.

Sending thank-you notes or letters is considered common courtesy. Many programs offer applicants food, lodging, or other benefits - you certainly want to thank them for whatever assistance they have provided you. Program directors also use your thank-you notes/letters to ascertain your level of interest in their program. I'd like to share with you an example of how a delay in sending a thank-you note can hurt you.

One program director of a field that is traditionally difficult to get into was quite impressed by an applicant. Weeks went by during which there was no sign of a thank-you note from the applicant. The program director took that to mean that the student was not interested in a position at their residency program. When the residency selection committee met to rank students, they didn't rank her as high as they would have because she didn't send them a thank-you note. They didn't feel she was very interested in their program. One week after they created their rank list, her thank-you note was received but by then, it was too late.

The bottom line is you never know what importance a thank-you note will have at different residency programs. But why take a chance on jeapordizing all your efforts. After all, you have worked hard for four years to put yourself in the position that you are at now. By inviting you to an interview, residency programs have already told you have that they are interested in you. But your work is not done yet - you need to impress them during your interview as well with your post-interview interactions (including thank-you notes).

Having said this, for those of you who haven't yet sent your thank-you notes, it's not too late. Turn these in as soon as you can so you can be ready for match success in March. Good luck to all of you and if you have any other questions, feel free to send me a PM.

Samir Desai
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
 
What if you made a goof in the interview? I was starting a cold while interviewing, and felt a little spaced out. The PD asked if I saw any trouble starting a residency after being out of clinical work for awhile. I asked him, "As in what way? Like moving?" Not what he was looking for!

Is it alright to address an issue in a followup letter that you didn't do well during the interview?
 
Originally posted by Samir Desai
Having said this, for those of you who haven't yet sent your thank-you notes, it's not too late. Turn these in as soon as you can so you can be ready for match success in March. Good luck to all of you and if you have any other questions, feel free to send me a PM.

Samir Desai
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine

So Dr. Desai, assuming that Thank You Notes have all been sent out <48h post-interview, when would you say is the appropriate time to send out Letters of Interest just prior to PDs beginning to assemble their ROLs? Last week in January? First week in February? What's your opinion on strategic phone calls and 1 minute bullet, vocal expressions of interest? Thanks for your help :)!
 
Dr. Cuts,

If you have already sent out a thank-you note or letter, it may not be necessary to send out another letter of interest, especially if you included the following in your thank-you note:

* Appreciation for the opportunity to interview and for any assistance they provided (lodging, meals, etc.)
* What you liked about the program
* Your intent to rank the program highly (if that is the case)

If you meet the criteria listed above, another letter of interest may not do you much good. One exception to this rule is if you received an honor or an award after submitting your application in which case its in your best interests to send the program a letter documenting your achievement.

Will it hurt you if you send another letter of interest(in addition to the thank-you note)? In general, a note from an applicant expressing interest in a program is seldom considered out of place, unless you are sending one every other day (in which case you may come across as annoying and pesky).

If you do decide to send one, when should you send it? It's difficult to predict when a residency program will sit down to make their rank-order list. If you have some knowledge about their last interview dates, then you might have a general idea about the earliest their residency selection committee could meet. Certainly, you want the program director to receive it before then - keep in mind that once mail reaches an institution, it can take days for it to reach the right individual. I would factor that in as well. If you were to send letters of interest right now, I think you could be confident that they would reach them in time (sending them the first week of Feb may be too late).

As for strategic phone calls, I am not 100% sure what you mean by this but program directors and interviewers are fairly receptive to phone calls from applicants, especially if you have a question for them. If you don't have a good reason to call, it may not be to your advantage to give them a call. You may come across as pesky or pushy.

I hope this helps, Dr. Cuts. Good luck with everything.

Samir Desai
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
 
Thanks for the posts Dr. Desai. It's nice to hear the perspective of someone on the other side of the interview table.

As far as thank you letters go, I just finished a whirlwind tour of the midwest programs (read eight interviews in eleven days). I haven't had a chance to relax, let alone write letters to all my interviewers. I just realized that nearly two weeks have passed since I've visited some of these programs. Oops!

I intend on mailing all my letters tomorrow, but how much will this really affect my ranking? One thing I've noticed is that most programs had meetings IMMEDIATELY after the interviews were finished to decide approximately where to rank us applicants. I never suspected that a "thank you letter" or "letter of intent to matriculate" would make much of a difference after the committee has already decided to rank me #1 or #201. If anything, I just thought it was a nice courtesy, especially since most programs have provided hotel rooms and meals.

Hmm... maybe I should start sending apology letters instead of thank you letters.

One more question... should I use e-mail or snail mail? How about snail mail for the thank you card and e-mail for the "I wanna come to your program" letter? After all, Hallmark cards and 37 cent stamps start to add up after a while.

Thanks for the advice everyone!
 
Originally posted by Samir Desai

As for strategic phone calls, I am not 100% sure what you mean by this but program directors and interviewers are fairly receptive to phone calls from applicants, especially if you have a question for them.

I hope this helps, Dr. Cuts. Good luck with everything.

Samir Desai
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine

A question huh? How about "Can you rank me #1 please?" ;)

Great info Dr. Desai. I on it. Thanks :)!
 
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