Some students recommend writing a thank you note to the interviewer. Notice that each of the following letters has a different intention. You should exercise your judgment concerning your motivation for writing a thank you note and the ideas you want to convey.
Some residency directors will write to you and indicate that they are interested in you. A few will go as far as to suggest that, if they do not hear from you, they will not rank you, or at least not as high as others. The policy of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), which institutions, hospital programs, and student indicate they will adhere to by signing the registration forms, provides us with the following guideline:
Program directors may indicate to you how they plan to rank you, and you may indicate to the program director how you intend to rank the residency. However, the program director may not pressure you to reveal how you are going to rank the residency, nor may you expect the program director to tell you how you will be ranked. In any case, if there is undue pressure and intentions are forced, no agreement, verbal or written, for positions matched through the NRMP will supersede the match results.
If you choose to write a letter indicating your interest in the program, be certain you are honest about your intentions. There are ways of conveying interest without having to compromise your integrity. If you feel a program director is pressuring you to make a premature decision, please speak to Dr. MacLaren about this. The situation can be discussed in a confidential manner, and there are ways to handle these kinds of situations, with your permission, that will not jeopardize your standing in the program. If we do not learn about which residency directors are violating the policies or spirit of the match, then we cannot educate these individuals to improve behavior for the next class.
Thank you letter: Very interested in program and conveys thoughtful overall comments from observations and interactions when visiting the program.
1234 55th Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
December 6, 2006
Peter Townsend, M.D.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, NY 10003
Dear Dr. Townsend:
I would like to thank you for taking the time to interview with me on November 21. I found my visit to your hospital and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery to be both enjoyable and informative. The program in the School of Medicine's Orthopaedic Surgery Department came highly recommended, and I was enthusiastically impressed with the uniform excellence of the program for several reasons. First, the volume of patients seen in the department is extensive, providing first-hand experience for the residents in the program. Second, the commitment of the program to teaching, both by the attending staff residents both on the in-service examinations and on the National Board examinations. I found the large attending staff to be another asset of the program, providing the residents with a wide variety of approaches to the injuries or diseases encountered.
Perhaps the most impressive compliment to the residency training was provided by the residents themselves. In speaking with a cross section of residents, including those from Orthopaedic Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Pediatrics, the overwhelming message was that they were very happy with their training programs, and, if given a second opportunity, would undoubtedly choose them again.
As I near the conclusion of the interviewing phase of the residency selection process, I believe that your program is among those that I plan to rank among my top choices. I would welcome the opportunity to pursue my residency training at your institution. If you have any further questions about my credentials, please contact me.
Sincerely yours,
Joe Medical Student
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Thank you letter: General, brief letter; informs program director that difficult situation was managed well, and student is considering the program.
6789 10th Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
December 15, 2006
John Williams, M.D.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of California, San Francisco
Third and Parnassus Street
San Francisco, CA 94130
Dear Dr. Williams:
I would like to thank you for taking time to conduct my interview on December 1. You transformed a potentially stressful situation into an enjoyable insightful discussion, and the written materials you provided about your hospital made my visit very worthwhile. I was truly impressed by the residency training in obstetrics and gynecology.
Thank you again for your help, and, if you have any additional questions, please contact me.
Sincerely yours,
Sally Medical Student
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Follow-up letter: Because of previous thank you letter, the student is able to follow-up with more definitive information on her assessment of the program having interviewed at other choices. These kinds of letters may be more useful for those specialties which are very competitive and thus for which it is important to keep all options open.
6789 10th Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
January 5, 2007
John Williams, M.D.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of California, San Francisco
Third and Parnassus Street
San Francisco, CA 94130
Dear Dr. Williams:
As I indicated in my earlier correspondence, I was impressed by the residency program in Obstetrics and Gynecology at your institution. Now that I have had the opportunity to evaluate all the programs, I would welcome the opportunity to pursue training at your institution, and therefore I plan to rank it highly. If you need any further information about my credentials, please contact me.
Sincerely yours,
Sally Medical Student