What's the consensus about Thank you letters?

[driverabu]

Are most of you e-mailing your interviewers or handwriting/typing the letters and then sending them snail mail? Your suggestions are appreciated!

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[bullard]

My school tells us to snail-mail a short, handwritten note. Pain in the ass but probably a good idea.

 

[adleyinga]

My school tells us to snail-mail a short, handwritten note. Pain in the ass but probably a good idea.

Doesn't hurt but doesn't really help-especially if everyone does it.

 

[bullard]

Doesn't hurt but doesn't really help-especially if everyone does it.

Well, if everyone does it but the original poster decides not to...how does that make him look?

 

[driverabu]

Well, if everyone does it but the original poster decides not to...how does that make him look?

True that...I agree that it probably will not move you from say #30 to #10, but it might move you up a spot or two in the rank list....above someone who didn't follow up. I just wanted to know which form was better....I'll probably go ahead and just hand write them. Thanks!

 

[fishtolive]

my 2 cents...

it's only proper to write one anyway- so why not? true, it probably has little bearing on you getting in but it doesn't take that long.

as for the form, i've been growing weary already so my new strategy is:

1) thank you card (hand written, short) to each interviewer if only a few interviewers and

2) typed (business letter deal) if i met with say 5 people and 3 of them were like assistant director of this and that and one was a chief resident, etc. (i've just been saying "please express my gratitude to Drs. XYZ, etc").

 

[Monitor]

If it is a good interview I'm hand writing thank you notes to every last person, if it is a crappy interview and I'm not ranking the program, then I'm writing the PD a note thanking his wife for one hell of a night

 

[ThinkFast007]

If it is a good interview I'm hand writing thank you notes to every last person, if it is a crappy interview and I'm not ranking the program, then I'm writing the PD a note thanking his wife for one hell of a night

LOLOLOL



to OP....man, i reallly dont think those thank u notes get you anywhere. in fact at my SLU interview, the PD joked about how ppl thought it was the 'golden token' and really didnt amount to anything...

 

[driverabu]

LOLOLOL



to OP....man, i reallly dont think those thank u notes get you anywhere. in fact at my SLU interview, the PD joked about how ppl thought it was the 'golden token' and really didnt amount to anything...

Well, it's definitely not the golden ticket, but if me and another person are equal in all aspects and I sent a thank you note, guess who is getting ranked above the other? Like I said, it won't make a huge difference as far as rank is concerned....could make a small difference though

 

[Trisomy13]

i think the best answer so far was simply "it's only proper to write one anyway".

the issue should not be whether you will get ahead in the rank list if you send a thank you note. it's common courtesy when people take time out of their schedules to show you around and give you an opportunity to make an impression.








unless, of course, they don't validate parking.

 

[driverabu]

i think the best answer so far was simply "it's only proper to write one anyway".

the issue should not be whether you will get ahead in the rank list if you send a thank you note. it's common courtesy when people take time out of their schedules to show you around and give you an opportunity to make an impression.


Well, the common courtesy aspect of it is a given and that's why I didn't ask for a consensus of IF I should write one or not.....just asked what form is the most courteous.

 

[Trisomy13]

Well, the common courtesy aspect of it is a given and that's why I didn't ask for a consensus of IF I should write one or not.....just asked what form is the most courteous.

good point. i noticed that i was responding to a perceived tangent and not the initial question after i had already submitted. the voices made me do it.

sleep deprivation is overrated. if it's rated at all.

 

[driverabu]

good point. i noticed that i was responding to a perceived tangent and not the initial question after i had already submitted. the voices made me do it.

sleep deprivation is overrated. if it's rated at all.

Sleep deprivation is overrated....you hear voices too?

 

[fishtolive]

Sorry, I should have been more clear with my first statement because I was trying not to answer the IF and now realize it looks like that's what I did before offering my 2 "format" sugestions...

I meant that physically WRITING the note is technically more "professional" than emailing.

 

[driverabu]

Sorry, I should have been more clear with my first statement because I was trying not to answer the IF and now realize it looks like that's what I did before offering my 2 "format" sugestions...

I meant that physically WRITING the note is technically more "professional" than emailing.

I agree. Thank you all for your suggestions and good luck!

 

[Etomidate]

As stated earlier by others, my chair and PD said that thank-you letters are rarely read and end up getting trashed, so don't feel inclined at all to write them. I don't plan on writing any- maybe an email to the PD at the most.