I'm just wondering what sort of thing you use for a thank you note. Can I just write something up on a sheet of paper? Type it up? Or should I buy some of those blank cards and write a thank you in there? What have people done in the past?
-
Scholarship Access: Becoming a Student Doctor course
Free access to comprehensive medical school prep. Eligible students include AAMC FAP recipients and HS graduates from underserved areas. Apply today.
Thank you notes
- Thread starter musiclink213
- Start date
I was wondering the same thing. I bought a few thank you cards, that are blank on the inside.
I guess what I'm afraid of is not so much of sending them (I know what I'll write), but of them hurting my application...There seem to be contradicting opinions on the matter.
Also, there are no addresses on the directory for interviewers, so I was thinking of just sending them to the Admissions Office. How does one address this? Can I just write "To the Care of: --------, M.D. ". Is that grammatically correct?
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2004
- Messages
- 4,516
- Reaction score
- 2,844
- Points
- 5,246
- Attending Physician
so you should definitely not just write it on a piece of paper. buy some simple but tasteful thank-you cards. try to mention something from the interview in the note, like "thank you for informing me about so-and-so; i didn't know that". interviewers see hundreds or even thousands of applicants, and that can help set you apart. sending it to the admissions office is fine. write the name of the interviewer and then put C/O the admissions office.
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
- Messages
- 126
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Medical Student
Your thank you note will rarely ever set you apart, unless you mention that your parents are billionaires and will fund a new building for them. Your interviewer will send his or her comments to the admissions committee immediately after the interview. Thank you notes are just for courtesy, not to add another miniscule bump to your application.
If you don't get your interviewer's contact information, just put his name on the envelope, send it to the admissions office, and they'll forward it.
If you don't get your interviewer's contact information, just put his name on the envelope, send it to the admissions office, and they'll forward it.
I'm not doing it because it will set me apart. It's common courtesy.
My interview was last week and my interviewers have probably already turned in their evaluations of me.
It's just the right thing to do.
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2005
- Messages
- 1,814
- Reaction score
- 7
- Points
- 4,571
- Age
- 44
- Location
- Chicago
- Medical Student
how could following a social courtesy hurt your application? i can see that there have been conflicting opinions of people who say it does/doesn't help or is/isn't necessary...but there's no way a polite and timely thank-you not would hurt an application.
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2006
- Messages
- 5,375
- Reaction score
- 38
- Points
- 4,621
- Location
- Orange, CA
- Resident [Any Field]
Exactly.
HAAAHAAAAA LIARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...
If they reject you was the the "right thing to do." In your mind NO, of course not...
Like the other poster said, whether you got in is in the hands of "duh duuuu duuuu duuhhhhhhh." someone? lol, sending them a thank you card isn't going to do squat. I know you think that your life depends on what the interviewer thought of you but the reality is, everything you have done to this point is what is going to get you accepted or not... NOT a CARD...
Point is... that could give a flying FU{K about your card👎
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
- Messages
- 126
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Medical Student
Dude, chill out. There are still some people in this world who feel obligated to honor social courtesies, regardless of whether it has a real effect.
I've read other posts by you, and I've noticed you are quite the hostile SDNer.
Forgive me if I don't take anything seriously when it comes from you.
Also, is it okay to say "Dear Dr. ------" or how should we address the recipient?
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
- Messages
- 126
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Medical Student
"Dear Dr. ____," is fine.
I wanted to send a little thank you because it is polite. Besides, I actually got along well with my interviewers, so as common curtesy, I want to say thank you.
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 196
- Reaction score
- 6
- Points
- 4,571
- Age
- 63
- Website
- www.mdapplicants.com
- Pre-Medical
Send thank you notes because it's the right thing to do. Sometimes us premeds can do things even when it does'nt help our chances of getting in med school. Just a simple note that thanks the person for their time and consideration along with something that you liked about the school is fine. And it won't help your chances, but it's the polite thing to do.
To christian15213: What's with the hostility, why do you feel so threatened by people that follow proper social etiquette?
To christian15213: What's with the hostility, why do you feel so threatened by people that follow proper social etiquette?
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2004
- Messages
- 4,105
- Reaction score
- 10
- Points
- 4,691
- Location
- Detroit, MI
- Attending Physician
I bought a thank you card and hand wrote messages.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2006
- Messages
- 1,181
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Medical Student
have you seen some of his other posts? he really has nothing nice to say at all.
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2005
- Messages
- 2,107
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 4,551
good point, do make sure they are hand-written!
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2005
- Messages
- 122
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4,551
I was actually told by one school to NOT send thank you notes to interviewers. I believe I'll send an email, anyway. My handwriting sucks, I may just stick to emails seeing as how unreliable the pathway between USPS and intraoffice mail can be these days. If I'm breaking any taboos, please let me know.
4
49912
...
I am still debating on whether I think the card is too pushy... But, what I was trying to say to this guy is that people aren't doing it for COMMON curtesy... or ETTIQUETTE... they are doing it to try and brown nose their way in... Is it wrong? HELLLno if it works... LOL, but come on lets be real about it.
This is how I feel... Honestly,
If I had a real connection and felt the interviewer was very professional and went out of their way to do their job and show me the school and so forth... I would consider a business style card. I could actually see it being something nice. and the fact that it is based off of a connection and not some lame cheesiness, I think it could actually be appreciated as well.
One more thouhgt. is there anyway you could know who the interviewer is ahead of time... Perhaps you could get the card out before you head for the interview and have it timed just right so when you leave he'll receive it the next day... Or better yet. Just give it to the front office before you leave. I think that is really getting it in there.
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2006
- Messages
- 5,375
- Reaction score
- 38
- Points
- 4,621
- Location
- Orange, CA
- Resident [Any Field]
LOL... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 👍
hmmmmmmm
I don't know about that...
come on we all know why someone would actually think to buy cards and for the 1-3 interviews they get and send them in afterwards. Look, don't get me wrong it is nice, but if you don't go into that interview with your head screwed on straight you might find yourself giving a lot of cards away over the years...
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2006
- Messages
- 5,375
- Reaction score
- 38
- Points
- 4,621
- Location
- Orange, CA
- Resident [Any Field]
This statement makes no sense at all. How someone does on their interview has nothing to do with whether or not you send thank you cards. You keep backtracking - first its not nice its sucking up; now its nice again.
🙄
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2005
- Messages
- 452
- Reaction score
- 7
- Points
- 4,551
- Attending Physician
I sent typed notes on nice paper to my interviewers, because it's common courtesy to do so. They took the time to interview me, and you bet I appreciated it. I don't think it matters whether you type them or handwrite them (unless your handwriting is utterly illegible), whether they're on paper or cards, or whether you pick the stamp with the flag or the flower. Just make it sincere, and send it promptly.
I also sent thank-you cards to my student hosts, who opened their homes to me, showed me around, and who were just completely awesome. Again, it's just the nice thing to do.
I also sent thank-you cards to my student hosts, who opened their homes to me, showed me around, and who were just completely awesome. Again, it's just the nice thing to do.
I agree, it's the polite thing to do, regardless of how it impacts your chances. I just had my first interview yesterday (this the search for a thank you note thread), and I had a great conversation with each of my interviewers. They're certainly people that I would like to be in contact with if I chose to go to this school, so aside from common courtesy sending a note could be a step toward making a professional connection down the road.
Certain posters in this thread should stop thinking like petty little premeds and start thinking like the adult professionals we are becoming.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2006
- Messages
- 469
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Medical Student
people that write thank-you cards are prob. the ones who have their **** together and thus reconfirming the interviewer. People that dont send a card probably dressed with a black suit and brown shoes(those kinds of folks). Who knows how much or little a card can help. Maybe the interviewer was having a bad day and got the nice card thus conditioning a positive response with you. Maybe.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2006
- Messages
- 68
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Medical Student
Without reading the rest of the thread I fully agree with the above quote; everyone was thinking it he(she?) just said it. A thank you note for an interview - be it for a job or a school - is a joke. Some jerk did it to get ahead way back when and now it's nearly standard. What a waste of time and effort.
