Thank You notes to programs

[ophthoapplicant16]

if you want to send a thank you note to the PD, but do not have their email, what have you guys been doing? Is sending to the program coordinator but addressed, "Dear PD," ok?

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[DrZeke]

Ask the program director how to go about it... they will provide you with the appropriate channel. If they say they don't want to give out email of PD, I would write the thank you note beneath a short email to coordinator...

"Dear coordinator,

It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for all your hard work on interview day. Would you mind forwarding the message below to PD"

Alternatively you could write a thank you in word and attach.

Good luck.


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[gregoryhouse]

Ask the program director how to go about it... they will provide you with the appropriate channel. If they say they don't want to give out email of PD, I would write the thank you note beneath a short email to coordinator...

"Dear coordinator,

It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for all your hard work on interview day. Would you mind forwarding the message below to PD"

Alternatively you could write a thank you in word and attach.

Good luck.


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Hey DrZeke, I hate how neurotic this interview season has made me but I'm just wondering if keeping thank you notes short and sweet are okay. I've had a couple people tell me they use their thank you notes to express interest and sell themselves a little more. I've mainly just been saying thank you and that I enjoyed the interview and the program. I'm sure I am overthinking this but I was just wondering to hear it from someone who went through it.

Below is an example of a thank you email I've sent:

Dear PD,

I want to send you a warm thank you for inviting me to interview with your program. I was really impressed with everything about this program including the surgical volume, clinical experience, and satisfaction of the current residents. I am glad I am being considered to be part of this residency program. I hope that I was able to leave as memorable an impression on you and the rest of the faculty and that you will keep me in mind favorably throughout the interview season.

Sincerely,

 

[kiwi-doc]

Hey DrZeke, I hate how neurotic this interview season has made me but I'm just wondering if keeping thank you notes short and sweet are okay. I've had a couple people tell me they use their thank you notes to express interest and sell themselves a little more. I've mainly just been saying thank you and that I enjoyed the interview and the program. I'm sure I am overthinking this but I was just wondering to hear it from someone who went through it.

Below is an example of a thank you email I've sent:

Dear PD,

I want to send you a warm thank you for inviting me to interview with your program. I was really impressed with everything about this program including the surgical volume, clinical experience, and satisfaction of the current residents. I am glad I am being considered to be part of this residency program. I hope that I was able to leave as memorable an impression on you and the rest of the faculty and that you will keep me in mind favorably throughout the interview season.

Sincerely,

As a fellow neurotic person, I don't really think it matters. I think thank you notes are at the bottom of the list (if on the list at all) of things considered. Your note looks fine; I wouldn't worry. I do try to add something specific from my conversation to whomever I am writing.

 

[Trichromatic]

I sent e-mails to all PCs, and some to interviewers/PDs. All were short and to the point. I reflected on what I would want as a PD, and that was definitely not 50 long-winded thank you notes. I don't think they'd ever make or break you, it's just a polite gesture. I wouldn't want to match somewhere that ranks people based on how effusive their thank you notes are, and I doubt this happens.

 

[gregoryhouse]

Thanks guys. Yea I figure its probably a non issue either way but I'll probably be nervous about everything until Jan 13th!

 

[SoMinty]

Anyone else out there NOT sending thank yous? I'm not planning on it but seeing these types of threads always makes me wonder.

 

[gregoryhouse]

Anyone else out there NOT sending thank yous? I'm not planning on it but seeing these types of threads always makes me wonder.

Honestly probably does not matter. I didn't send thank you notes to the first three places but my friend going into EM told me that he thinks its super important. I'm kind of neurotic to begin with so I figured spending 10 to 15 minutes writing a thank you email to the PD is better than worrying about it until Match day.

FWIW half the programs I've been too have told us at the beginning of the day that while thank you notes are nice they are not expected and do not matter.

 

[DrZeke]

Hey DrZeke, I hate how neurotic this interview season has made me but I'm just wondering if keeping thank you notes short and sweet are okay. I've had a couple people tell me they use their thank you notes to express interest and sell themselves a little more. I've mainly just been saying thank you and that I enjoyed the interview and the program. I'm sure I am overthinking this but I was just wondering to hear it from someone who went through it.

Below is an example of a thank you email I've sent:

Dear PD,

I want to send you a warm thank you for inviting me to interview with your program. I was really impressed with everything about this program including the surgical volume, clinical experience, and satisfaction of the current residents. I am glad I am being considered to be part of this residency program. I hope that I was able to leave as memorable an impression on you and the rest of the faculty and that you will keep me in mind favorably throughout the interview season.

Sincerely,

Hey I agree with everyone else. Thank you notes don't really make a difference for residency. Of course, you want a nicely composed email. This looks fine.


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[100D]

They don't really matter for residency. I feel like it may count a little bit for fellowship. If you do want to send a note, emails are probably better these days, since they're easier for our staff to file/share. Listen to what they tell you on interview day though, because some programs prefer not getting thank you notes since it adds more work. But in general short emails are nice, but I wouldn't copy and paste the same exact email to multiple interviewers from a program, because these letters can often be passed onto the PD.

 

[Slide]

After being on both sides of this for residency and fellowship, it really doesn't matter. If you make a good impression a thank you card won't change their impression. Conversely, if you're a d-bag, a thank you card does nothing. But maybe that's because I'm too busy to really process things like this.

 

[Equality]

If you're neck-and-neck with another applicant, but you send a Thank you note and the other person doesn't, you might get ranked higher than that other person. Doesn't hurt. Ranking is so subjective anyway.

 

[DrZeke]

If you're neck-and-neck with another applicant, but you send a Thank you note and the other person doesn't, you might get ranked higher than that other person. Doesn't hurt. Ranking is so subjective anyway.

I don't put much stock in this.


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