Thank You Notes - Cards or Stationary

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
D

DrGiraffe

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2011
Messages
184
Reaction score
1
Quick questions about thank you cards:

1) White out. Is it bad to use it?
2) How do people type them? Are they not using a card?
3) How long are they typically?

I really, really want to thank some people but I'm struggling with random things lol.
Members don't see this ad.
 
DrGiraffe said:
Quick questions about thank you cards:

1) White out. Is it bad to use it?
2) How do people type them? Are they not using a card?
3) How long are they typically?

I really, really want to thank some people but I'm struggling with random things lol.
Click to expand...


1) It's not bad to use white-out, but I wouldn't imagine it to be the best thing either. Thank You cards are a great gesture, but just restart if you make a mistake. There's no need to buy an expensive Hallmark card for each person, so restarting should not be a hassle.

2) Some people can format a word document to type on certain margins and parameters that allow them to print straight on the card when they print. I'm sure you can find something on Google. Some people email cards, obviously typing them.

3) If this is for an interviewer, no more than one or two paragraphs. I imagine that you shouldn't have too much to say besides a greeting, a thank you, and that's about it.

A thank you card is optional! Don't stress yourself over the small stuff.
 
I don't plan on thanking any of my interviewers.... just sayin
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Writing a brief, sincere Thank You note is always a great idea for anyone who has written you a letter of recommendation, interviewed you, or been otherwise helpful in the application process. Kudos for handwriting your letter! But, I would avoid white out. Even a nice email "thank you" is better than nothing.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Seeing as how I was partially raised by my grandmother, I have always felt that a handwriten thank you is more thoughtful. Also, besides the Hello, Thank you and Good-Bye, Think of something you and the interviewer agreed on, or found interesting. For example:

"I love that your school offers research on jelly fish injuries. I have long since found jelly fish interesting after my brother was stung a 78 times at the beach. X School remains one of my top choices for this reason."


OK bad example but you get the idea :laugh:
 
White-out.... :nono:

Hand written (~99%) Almost always a fold-over card or a flat card (a little more up-scale)

Usually about 3 lines: 1) thank you for.... 2) Something positive about the experience or a recollection of something discussed 3) Some hope for seeing the person again (if you get accepted and matriculate) or a closing expression of gratitude.
 
LizzyM said:
White-out.... :nono:

Hand written (~99%) Almost always a fold-over card or a flat card (a little more up-scale)

Usually about 3 lines: 1) thank you for.... 2) Something positive about the experience or a recollection of something discussed 3) Some hope for seeing the person again (if you get accepted and matriculate) or a closing expression of gratitude.
Click to expand...

I always thought these had to be like a paragraph long...good to know I can just keep it simple. 🙂
 
LizzyM said:
White-out.... :nono:

Hand written (~99%) Almost always a fold-over card or a flat card (a little more up-scale)

Usually about 3 lines: 1) thank you for.... 2) Something positive about the experience or a recollection of something discussed 3) Some hope for seeing the person again (if you get accepted and matriculate) or a closing expression of gratitude.
Click to expand...

👍

I agree with the flat card being more up-scale. I've actually gotten really expensive fold-over stationary cards and cut them in half before, but I have a paper cutter. Scissors might not work as well.
 
LizzyM said:
White-out.... :nono:

Hand written (~99%) Almost always a fold-over card or a flat card (a little more up-scale)

Usually about 3 lines: 1) thank you for.... 2) Something positive about the experience or a recollection of something discussed 3) Some hope for seeing the person again (if you get accepted and matriculate) or a closing expression of gratitude.
Click to expand...

Right on the dot. Hand written shows more of the "time and effort" side of the picture, anyone can type a quick card or letter but handwriting it is more personal. Also, white out looks very tacky, it can be scratched away (i tend to do it out of curiosity to see where someone messed up lol.). Hand written, no white out, short-sweet and to the point. Just my .02 😎
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Confession: I like using pens with erasable ink. No white out needed.
 
Are these thank you cards really needed? I am not planning to thank any interviewers.
 
FattySlug said:
Are these thank you cards really needed? I am not planning to thank any interviewers.
Click to expand...

This question comes up every year. Often the decision is made before the day is out but not always. It can't hurt (well, not usually although I didn't think much of the guy who printed his letter on company letterhead and mailed it in a company envelope).

It ran about 40% for me last season with about 20% of those I interviewed sending a snail mail "thank you" and about 20% sending an email message of thanks. Some of the more "old school" interviewers (and that usually means just "old") put a lot of stock in thank yous.
 
What would you do in these situations

Interviewer one: Gives you email. But tells you that the physical address can be found through the secretary by phoning

Interviewer two: Gives nothing.
 
BMEN said:
What would you do in these situations

Interviewer one: Gives you email. But tells you that the physical address can be found through the secretary by phoning

Interviewer two: Gives nothing.
Click to expand...
One: Get the physical address from secretary, send physical thank you letter.

Two: Ask same secretary for contact info for your interviewer, because you wrote down his/her name, and decide which form is appropriate based on how the interview went.
 
gettheleadout said:
One: Get the physical address from secretary, send physical thank you letter.

Two: Ask same secretary for contact info for your interviewer, because you wrote down his/her name, and decide which form is appropriate based on how the interview went.
Click to expand...

Two has no secretary. just an email up on the school website.
 
BMEN said:
Two has no secretary. just an email up on the school website.
Click to expand...

Hey if you're talking about UTMB, just use UTMB's address and the directions they gave you on the package to meet up with the interviewer.

I'm pretty sure that sooner or later that thank you card will show up in his/her office.
 
GS Mikami said:
Hey if you're talking about UTMB, just use UTMB's address and the directions they gave you on the package to meet up with the interviewer.

I'm pretty sure that sooner or later that thank you card will show up in his/her office.
Click to expand...

yea. The second interviewer just kinda looked the other way when i asked him about his contact info:laugh:
 
gettheleadout said:
One: Get the physical address from secretary, send physical thank you letter.

Two: Ask same secretary for contact info for your interviewer, because you wrote down his/her name, and decide which form is appropriate based on how the interview went.
Click to expand...

Would this be more acceptable than just sending it to them c/o the admissions office? That route just seems simpler than gathering all these addresses along the way, but I'm not sure how likely it is to make it to the interviewer.
 
I post this in every thank you note thread, but understand that thank you notes aren't a requirement or even an expectation. It might be a nice thing to do, but it's not going to get you accepted/rejected. If you don't want to send thank you notes, don't feel compelled to. I didn't send any (mostly because I didn't keep track of my interviewer names) and nothing bad happened.
 
But what if it is a card with a cute cat that says "i love you". What interviewer wouldn't be caught off guard by such awesomeness?
 
NickNaylor said:
I post this in every thank you note thread, but understand that thank you notes aren't a requirement or even an expectation. It might be a nice thing to do, but it's not going to get you accepted/rejected. If you don't want to send thank you notes, don't feel compelled to. I didn't send any (mostly because I didn't keep track of my interviewer names) and nothing bad happened.
Click to expand...

Bad advice. Just because it did not affect you, does not mean that should be the norm outlook.

Always try and display your gratitude for an interview, in any instance. Med school or otherwise.

And sometimes a thank you letter and the content you may write in that letter can get you accepted.
 
Is it appropriate to bring the cards with you and then write them before you leave for the day and then leave them with the office? Things will be freshest in your mind then. You would of course include stuff from the day/tour/interview so they don't appear to be pre-written.
 
Nymphicus said:
Is it appropriate to bring the cards with you and then write them before you leave for the day and then leave them with the office? Things will be freshest in your mind then. You would of course include stuff from the day/tour/interview so they don't appear to be pre-written.
Click to expand...

I think that would be strange. If you want to do that, I would write them and drop them in the mail before you leave the city.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

E
MMI Thank you notes?
Replies
7
Views
2K
Goro
Goro
TheDeadrok
Totally spaced sending thank you note... Should I send one now?
Replies
7
Views
1K
sarcasmrules
S
Dakota
Guidance on Thank You Letter
Replies
8
Views
2K
Stellar Mudd
S
2
Thank you notes
Replies
6
Views
903
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
L
Mistake in Thank You Note
Replies
9
Views
2K
gyngyn
gyngyn
Top