thank you notes

I would think a Thank you note should be sent to every program. You should at least be thankful that they interviewed you. The programs that you really like you can send a letter of interest later or include it in the thank you.

i usually send thank you notes to the program director/chair. since some programs have like 6+ interviewers, it becomes too much to send individual letters to all of them.

i will likely send letters of interest to my top 3, and a letter to the number 1 telling them just that.

-man with big stick

Unfortunately, many programs review the residents almost immediately after the interview and have match lists more or less set the day you interview. One option is to leave a note as you leave the interview or maybe email the PD a thank you. The thank you ends up being a nice tribute to your upbringing but usually gets added to your file two weeks after the selection has already taken place. At least that is how it is a my program.

"Unfortunately"?

I thought this is how the process was supposed to work. They give us an interview, we interview, they rank us, and then, hopefully, we match.

I have great respect for the programs, like yours busticate, that are confident enough to make their rank lists right away and not change them based on phone calls, thank-you notes, etc... I think when programs do do that it shows that they are insecure, that they value "bragging rights," and also perhaps that they are pandering to administrators who want to hear that the ortho program got their "top picks."

In fact, I wish certain programs would tell interviewees beforehand if we not only have to interview at their program but also have to kiss-ass and tell them they are our #1 in order to ultimately end up there... if I knew beforehand that this was the case, and that the prgram was not going to be my #1 in the end, I would not have wasted my money.

Am I wrong here? Discuss...

Leaving notes at the end of your interview is possibly the most ridiculous thing I have heard on the trail so far.

SROM, I agree.

I think that there are probably only a few places where that is an issue. As an upper level resident, I could care less who sends a thank you note, dresses properly, etc... All I care about is whether you are going to be a hard working person who I can get along with. While most programs may change their list a little bit, it is difficult to get residency interview committees together to go over a residency list every time a candidate calls and says he/she is interested in the program. This is certainly a very important part of any residency, but if you have been in practice for 5 to 25 years like many attendings have been, this process is treated like any other requirement. They show up, interview, carefully and systematically review prospective candidates and rank them, and then move on to their clinical work. Unlike most students who have all the time in the world (including me a few years ago), attendings are busy and don't sit around reshuffling the list all day. I am not saying that you have to shoot an email to the PD or drop a card at the end of an interview, I am instead trying to tell you that your letter is a nice gesture that holds absolutely no bearing on your future. Other than a few places that like to have their asses kissed, focus more on the interview and less on the stuff afterwards. If you leave a good impression at the interview, the rest of the stuff will take care of itself.

"Other than a few places that like to have their asses kissed..."

Do we need to start a thread listing these places?

A thank you note is a very nice touch, but may come too late and may not add much compared to your whole record.

I have been an interviewer in 4 programs, and in each of these 4 the ranking is done right at the end of the interviews (it's tough to get a large group of Attendings to come in repeatedly).

The Chairman does have the right to manipulate the rankings. I would send him/her a letter if you feel that you did or said something that really doesn't reflect the real you or if you absolutely wish to put in writing that such and such hospital is your first choice.

Otherwise, no one is going to think that you're rude if you don't send a note.

Much more important that the thank you note DON'T PUT ANYTHING IN YOUR APPLICATION THAT YOU'RE NOT FULLY PREPARED TO DISCUSS IN DETAIL.

Don't list as a project something that never got past the "I was thinking of doing this".

Don't say that you play the guitar if in fact you just learned how to move from a G to a D chord.

etc...

Hope this helps!

Ron Grelsamer, MD
Mount Sinai
New York