After your medical school interview, it is appropriate to send thank-you notes to all the people who helped you throughout the day. These days, it is rare to receive a thank-you card, so you could easily set yourself apart from other candidates by sending handwritten notes. If, like most people, however, you only have time to send a thank you via email, here are some helpful guidelines.
A thank-you email begins and ends with gratitude. It contains many of the same formalities as any other electronic correspondence: a greeting, an explanation of why you are writing, body content, and a salutation. Thank-you notes differ in important ways from other emails – if written well, they can inspire an emotional response, create connections, and foster the development of professional relationships. Be specific about what you’re thankful for and how the recipient has made a positive impact on you.
It is best to send thank-you emails as soon as you can – ideally, within a week of the interview – to ensure that the person has not (completely) forgotten you or your meeting. Have fun with these emails! Be yourself, be appropriate, and keep in mind the purpose of the email.
If you’re sending thank-you notes to interviewers, you’ve probably reached the end of the application process. So what’s next? Send update letters, if you attain new achievements. Perhaps you will need decision counseling to help you choose among multiple acceptances or feedback on a rejected application.
We have one last bit of advice: if the interview results in an acceptance to medical school, do not let the connection with your interviewer fade away. When you matriculate, take a moment to say hello to them. Strike up a conversation, and remind them how you met. Interviewers often enjoy seeing students grow and succeed. Let yours know that you’re open to help with a project, contribute to a community service event, or be a contact for future applicants to their school.
This article was originally posted on blog.accepted.com.
A thank-you email begins and ends with gratitude. It contains many of the same formalities as any other electronic correspondence: a greeting, an explanation of why you are writing, body content, and a salutation. Thank-you notes differ in important ways from other emails – if written well, they can inspire an emotional response, create connections, and foster the development of professional relationships. Be specific about what you’re thankful for and how the recipient has made a positive impact on you.
A step-by-step guide to crafting a sincere thank-you email
Here are some tips to help you write better thank-you emails:1. Use a subject line that clearly conveys your gratitude.
2. Begin with a respectful greeting.
Regardless of whether you are accustomed to using traditional greetings, always err on the side of caution in addressing the person formally, using their appropriate professional title, such as “Dear Dr. Jones.” Even if the person asked you to call them by their first name, it’s better to be more formal as a demonstration of respect.3. State the reason you are writing.
Immediately after the greeting, state why you are writing. If possible, tailor your thank-you message to highlight a specific example or two of their guidance, words of wisdom, or meaningful actions. For example, you might write, “Thank you for your generous and insightful conversation about public health concerns related to the recent fires in California” or “Thank you for showing me around the lab.”4. Explain what the recipient’s assistance (or kindness) meant to you.
Describe the positive interaction you had with the person. If your note is written well, the reader will appreciate your honesty and take your compliments to heart. Did you learn something new about the school? Did you discover an opportunity that you didn’t know existed?5. Include any information you offered to share or any new questions that you have.
It’s appropriate here to ask any pressing questions that remain for you, but don’t make up a question just to have something to ask. It’s easy to spot fluff.6. Provide any relevant or necessary updates.
These updates could include information such as acceptances you have received to other schools and any new publications, awards, or grades. If you have to wait a day or two to send your thank you to be able to include an update, hold off until then.7. Restate your gratitude.
Don’t hesitate to reinforce your expression of gratitude through repetition. Find another way to say thank you by the end of the email.Use your thank you to leave a memorable, favorable impression
Your writing needs to be clean, clear, grammatically correct, concise, positive, professional, and calm, while still conveying “you” and your sincerity. Before pressing send, save the email as a draft and step away from it for a little while. Then review your email again. Fix any complicated ideas, unclear sentences, chattiness, expressions of anxiety, negative comments, and long-windedness.It is best to send thank-you emails as soon as you can – ideally, within a week of the interview – to ensure that the person has not (completely) forgotten you or your meeting. Have fun with these emails! Be yourself, be appropriate, and keep in mind the purpose of the email.
If you’re sending thank-you notes to interviewers, you’ve probably reached the end of the application process. So what’s next? Send update letters, if you attain new achievements. Perhaps you will need decision counseling to help you choose among multiple acceptances or feedback on a rejected application.
We have one last bit of advice: if the interview results in an acceptance to medical school, do not let the connection with your interviewer fade away. When you matriculate, take a moment to say hello to them. Strike up a conversation, and remind them how you met. Interviewers often enjoy seeing students grow and succeed. Let yours know that you’re open to help with a project, contribute to a community service event, or be a contact for future applicants to their school.
This article was originally posted on blog.accepted.com.
