Yet another thank you note question

[GoofyDoc]

Pardon me if this question has already been asked before. Is it still a good idea to write thank you notes to the interviewers at a program you don't intend to rank? I had a very distasteful interview that I walked away from lamenting the day I applied to it. Also, if I don't intend to rank a program, should I call to let them know? TIA.

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[BKN]

Pardon me if this question has already been asked before. Is it still a good idea to write thank you notes to the interviewers at a program you don't intend to rank? I had a very distasteful interview that I walked away from lamenting the day I applied to it. Also, if I don't intend to rank a program, should I call to let them know? TIA.

If you don't think you have anything to thank them for, you needn't do it. You also do not need to tell them if you do not intend to rank them.

If you feel a residual need to help them, you might write a note to the PD frankly telling him/her why you were unhappy with your experience. If not, forget them and go on with the show.

 

[daisygirl]

I am not sending a note of thanks to two programs that I will not be ranking.

 

[PatrickBateman]

Pardon me if this question has already been asked before. Is it still a good idea to write thank you notes to the interviewers at a program you don't intend to rank? I had a very distasteful interview that I walked away from lamenting the day I applied to it. Also, if I don't intend to rank a program, should I call to let them know? TIA.

Call?? What the hell are you talking about?

You can thank them for the interview and tell them you're not interested, if that would make you feel better, or you could thank them and not tell them how you feel, out of spite. Either way would be fine. Or you could just not write them - you're not going to be blacklisted or anything like that. The choice is yours.

Tell us more about the distasteful interview.

 

[14022]

Do NOT tell them you dont plan on ranking them. It helps no one by telling them. If you look at the match algorithm, no other applicants will be hurt by getting ranked below you. Someone ranked immediately below you with you not ranking a program will be no less likely to match there as they would have if they were ranked immediately above you. And after you interview at other programs, you may decide the program wasnt really as bad as you thought or you may decide that matching there would still be better than scrambling. Although the chances of this may be remote, why take the chance that you may change your mind when it doesnt hurt anybody in the process to just keep your mouth shut about your current feelings for the program.

And about the thank you notes, I wouldnt worry about it if you dont feel the need to thank them. I have only sent thank you notes to programs I truely enjoyed, although I am still planning on ranking the few programs to which I felt indifferent and to which I opted to not send letters.

 

[PatrickBateman]

Do NOT tell them you dont plan on ranking them. It helps no one by telling them.

Sometimes it just feels good to actually send a rejection letter for a change.

 

[14022]

Sometimes it just feels good to actually send a rejection letter for a change.

Agreed. If you do this, I encourage you to send them an informal form letter, with their name spelled wrong, giving them a false sense of hope prior to rejecting them.

Like begin the letter with "Congratulations, I have made a decision regarding the residency program. Although I consider you a strong program, with the increase in the incredibly attractive residency programs this year I am not able to place you on my rank list. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors."

Fun as it may be, I dont think it is a great idea. But if you want, you can still tell your friends that you did it anyway.

 

[Roadrunner]

I still sent letters to the two programs I don't intend to rank. It's a common courtesy more than anything. I don't think that PDs exchange info about who was courteous or not, but it ends up making you look like the jerk in the big picture if you don't play the game and at least say a very simple thank you. Just keep it to that, "thanks for the interview." But on the other hand, so long as you don't impulsively lash out as others have urged you to do and write a letter telling them what dirty bastards they are, then I'm sure no one is really going to care. If your a shrewd type, don't send a letter. If you don't like to burn bridges then at least send a brief one.

 

[GoofyDoc]

It was actually a nice program, but I just had a very unpleasant interview experience. There is -100% chance that I will ever go to this program, but I had just wanted to know what common courtesy called for. Thanks for the input.

 

[Poety]

Agreed. If you do this, I encourage you to send them an informal form letter, with their name spelled wrong, giving them a false sense of hope prior to rejecting them.

Like begin the letter with "Congratulations, I have made a decision regarding the residency program. Although I consider you a strong program, with the increase in the incredibly attractive residency programs this year I am not able to place you on my rank list. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors."

Fun as it may be, I dont think it is a great idea. But if you want, you can still tell your friends that you did it anyway.

 

[orientedtoself]

I feel like such a ***** telling every program that I'm going to rank that I'm going to rank them highly. Granted, the word "highly" is open to interpretation. But it just feels so ...dirty.

 

[BKN]

I feel like such a ***** telling every program that I'm going to rank that I'm going to rank them highly. Granted, the word "highly" is open to interpretation. But it just feels so ...dirty.

So don't do it. Most PDs don't pay too much attention to such statements anyway. I rank them as I want them, and I hope the applicants do as well. Happiness is maximized.

An alternative that may be easier for you, (if it happens to be true). "I was impressed with your program and would be very happy to train with you." If it's not true, say nothing, you don't care whether they rank you or not.

 

[BKN]

I feel like such a ***** telling every program that I'm going to rank that I'm going to rank them highly. Granted, the word "highly" is open to interpretation. But it just feels so ...dirty.

p.s. I like your ethics. interested in EM?

 

[Orange Julius]

p.s. I like your ethics. interested in EM?

What ethics? He does it anyway. It just makes him feel like a *****. Which he's obviously fine with.

 

[Poety]

I feel like such a ***** telling every program that I'm going to rank that I'm going to rank them highly. Granted, the word "highly" is open to interpretation. But it just feels so ...dirty.

Unfortunately, all this stuff is exactly why places don't believe anything we say anymore. I'm all about not telling a place I'm ranking high unless they are one or two - thats it.


oriented (great name btw) don't feel dirty, they all do it

 

[Orange Julius]

Unfortunately, all this stuff is exactly why places don't believe anything we say anymore. I'm all about not telling a place I'm ranking high unless they are one or two - thats it.


oriented (great name btw) don't feel dirty, they all do it

They?? I bet you do it too....you *****.

 

[tridoc13]

I'm all about not telling a place I'm ranking high unless they are one or two - thats it.

That's exactly what I've done. I also had an interview at a place that I will never, ever rank, but I will send thank you letters anyway. Not only is it simply common courtesy to thank a program for hosting you for the day, it is also true (BKN, can you back me up?) that program directors and program coordinators talk to each other. It is a very, very small world no matter what your specialty is going to be. There is absolutely no reason to be rude or burn bridges if you can at all help it. At least that's my $.02

tridoc13

 

[2006MD]

That's exactly what I've done. I also had an interview at a place that I will never, ever rank, but I will send thank you letters anyway. Not only is it simply common courtesy to thank a program for hosting you for the day, it is also true (BKN, can you back me up?) that program directors and program coordinators talk to each other. It is a very, very small world no matter what your specialty is going to be. There is absolutely no reason to be rude or burn bridges if you can at all help it. At least that's my $.02

tridoc13

Although I believe you should never burn bridges (the older you get the more you too will believe this), I definitely think you DON'T have to thank a program. Especially if you did not like the interviewer, program, and don't plan to rank them. After all the money and time you are taking they should thank YOU! However if you are rude...then you may realize just how small the world of medicine is.

BTW, the thank you note is just another way to remind the person at the program you are interested in to remember you and hopefully fight for you when they make their cuts.

 

[Poety]

They?? I bet you do it too....you *****.

Holy crap, that was funny And I don't do it, but I'm thinking about jumpign on the ***** bandwagon

 

[Poety]

That's exactly what I've done. I also had an interview at a place that I will never, ever rank, but I will send thank you letters anyway. Not only is it simply common courtesy to thank a program for hosting you for the day, it is also true (BKN, can you back me up?) that program directors and program coordinators talk to each other. It is a very, very small world no matter what your specialty is going to be. There is absolutely no reason to be rude or burn bridges if you can at all help it. At least that's my $.02

tridoc13

You put an "r" in my name thats cute!

Anyway, I've gone crazy adn told my number one that they are my number one- and that I'm all about meeting with a realtor I couldn't hold back anymore - wish me luck guys!

 

[tridoc13]

You put an "r" in my name thats cute!

Anyway, I've gone crazy adn told my number one that they are my number one- and that I'm all about meeting with a realtor I couldn't hold back anymore - wish me luck guys!

I'm thinking about doing the same thing but will wait until I've had my last two interviews just in case. Good luck POETY!

tridoc13

 

[Butch]

To answer the original message, a thank you letter is a common courtesy to your interviewer. It is not a coded message. Believe it or not, the interviewer took time out of a busy schedule to spend time with you. A simple thank you note is all that is required.

Yes, applicants spend time and effort (and LOTS of money) traveling around to interview. It is unfortunately if you were treated rudely. However, I maintain that thank you notes should be sent to all interviewers unless the behavior was completely unprofessional (e.g. sexual harassment or racist jokes).

For the record, I did not rank three programs. I sent thank you notes to all of them.

 

[BKN]

That's exactly what I've done. I also had an interview at a place that I will never, ever rank, but I will send thank you letters anyway. Not only is it simply common courtesy to thank a program for hosting you for the day, it is also true (BKN, can you back me up?) that program directors and program coordinators talk to each other. It is a very, very small world no matter what your specialty is going to be. There is absolutely no reason to be rude or burn bridges if you can at all help it. At least that's my $.02

tridoc13

Absolutely, in EM we meet in Vegas the week before rank list. We catch a couple of shows, shoot some craps and make up a big powerpoint with all of your misstatements and flames. We send it around so noone will rank you. The we laugh like this BU-WA-HA-HA-HA.

Seriously, I think it very unlikely that when PDs get together that they would talk about who had been mean to them. We have lots of other things to talk about.

 

[tridoc13]

Seriously, I think it very unlikely that when PDs get together that they would talk about who had been mean to them. We have lots of other things to talk about.

I was just remembering a bit of advice from a group of PDs at my school who talked to us about interviews. They said that word does get around about particularly bad applicants or rude individuals (anasthesiologist was talking about this in particular). I know that all of the programs in FP in CO are very close and collaborate on a lot of state health issues, etc. and the coordinators get together once/year in Denver for an all-day conference. The PDs told us to be very polite to their coordinators, since they tend to get a better sense of your personality during scheduling interviews, etc. and that the PDs listen to their coordinators. They even went so far as to say that one coordinator told them that they would not work with an applicant in the future, and the program did not rank them because of her experience with this particular individual. Just reminded me to watch my p's and q's while I was out on the trail (not that I'm generally rude to begin with!).

tridoc13

 

[hzma]

Is it okay to send thank you emails? I didn't send anyone real notes?

 

[Butch]

Is it okay to send thank you emails? I didn't send anyone real notes?

Please see my previous posts on the subject (you can search). Basically, hand-written is the best. Type if you can not write legibly.

A handwritten thank you note is always appreciated.