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- How to answer commonly asked med school interview questions
Make sure to read all these tips and medical school thank you letter examples!
Medical School Interview Thank You Letter FAQs
We frequently receive many questions about the medical school interview thank you letter, sometimes just as many questions as for the interview itself! While it is less important than the interview day, medical school interview thank you letters are still important elements of your interview. Think about them as the best way to “stick the landing” after a successful conversation.
Before we jump into how to write a thank you letter for medical school interviews, let’s cover some basic medical school interview thank you letter frequently asked questions:
#1. Should I send thank you notes after my medical school interview?
You should absolutely send a thank you letter to any students or faculty who spent a significant amount of time with you, whether one-on-one or in a group setting. Remember that many of these individuals have taken time out of their day to get to know you or help you get to know their school and acknowledging this is essential!
#2. When should I send my thank you emails after my medical school interview?
You should aim to send the thank you letter within 24 hours of your interview, before your interviewer has completed their evaluation or met in committee to discuss your application. Get in the habit of sending a thank you email to your interviewers the night after your medical school interview. We know you are exhausted, but we view thank you notes as an important part of interviewing, so don’t forget to send them!
#3. How do I get the interviewer’s contact information?
The best way to get your interviewer’s contact information is to ask them directly at the end of the interview as you say goodbye. While some interviewers will proactively offer this information, feel free to ask directly – they are usually eager to stay in touch to answer further questions. If you forget, you can often get this information from the admissions office after the interview as well. Finally, you can also look up interviewers’ contact information online – sometimes University websites will post faculty email addresses and contact information.
#4. How does a thank you letter differ from an update letter?
A thank you letter is usually a brief note sent to an interviewer thanking them for their time shortly after the interview. An update letter is instead addressed to the admissions committee and is focused on re-iterating your arguments for why you would be an excellent fit for the school and why you would be excited about attending their medical school. This is usually sent later on in the application cycle, either to your top choice school or after an initial decision has been rendered.
#5. How long should my thank you letter be?
Your letter should remain short and to the point. Medical school thank you notes are typically 1-2 short paragraphs, consisting of a few sentences each paragraph. We strongly recommend NOT sending long paragraphs or long thank you notes. Remember that you have already had a significant amount of time to speak to the interviewers and your note should focus on briefly recapping your conversation, thanking them for their time, and expressing your continued enthusiasm in their school.
#6. What happens if my med school interviewers do not respond?
Do not worry! Don’t interpret this as, “My medical school interviewer was not impressed by meeting me during my medical school interview.” Medical school interviewers are busy. So, they may have read your note as . As one faculty interview told Dr. Rizal, “I don’t usually have time to respond to all the applicants’ thank you emails. But, I remember what they wrote. And, I remember who did not write me a thank you email.”
Additionally, many schools have policies that prevent interviewers from corresponding with applicants until applicants have been officially notified of their decision. This is to avoid unfair information exchange or demonstrate any kind of favorability to particular candidates.
#7. What medical school interview thank you email subject lines should I use?
Don’t over think this. You can write “Thank you for interviewing me today” as a subject line. Other subject lines could read “Thank you and nice meeting you” or “Thank you and follow-up to today’s interview”
#8. Do I need to send medical school interview thank you notes to my Multiple Mini Interview raters?
No. Most medical schools want the MMI raters / interviewers to be anonymous. So, if you have multiple mini interviews, no need to send thank you notes to those interviewers! You may still want to send a thank you email to the medical school admissions office.
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Rachel Rizal, M.D.
Undergraduate
Princeton
Medical School
Stanford
Residency
Harvard, Emergency Medicine
Rishi Mediratta, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.
Undergraduate
Johns Hopkins
Medical School
Stanford
Residency
Stanford, Pediatrics
Medical School Interview Thank You Letter Tips
As part of your med school interview thank you letter, there are four key areas that you should make sure to highlight to leave a memorable and favorable impression. These include 1) expressing gratitude, 2) referencing specific conversation points, 3) connecting your past experiences to opportunities, and 4) re-iterating your strong interest.
Expressing gratitude
Make sure to thank your interviewer for his or her time! Many of these faculty members and students are volunteers who are taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with you – make sure to express your gratitude for them doing so.
Reference specific conversation points during your med school interview
Referring back to your interview conversation will not only jog your interviewer’s mind to your interaction with them, but also demonstrate how you were listening closely and actively engaged in the conversation. Also, it demonstrates that you have taken time to reflect on your discussion beyond just the interview, a quality that is highly valued by many interviewers. We think it is important to establish a personal connection in your med school interview thank you letter.
Connect your past experiences to opportunities
With the many amazing candidates that medical schools interview, it is often difficult to differentiate between those students who would best contribute to a particular medical school. Re-iterating areas where you have already produced impact at previous schools and institutions and how you can see yourself carrying this over to medical school will allow an interviewer to see your dedication and ability to positively influence their community.
Re-iterate your strong interest in the medical school
Many medical schools want to make sure that the students who they accept will choose to attend their school. As a result, hearing strong interest from candidates allows them to gauge this likelihood and helps to produce a positive impression that may help your application when it is being considered. Expressing your interest does not bind you to a school, but merely suggests that you enjoyed your visit and can see yourself attending that school in the future.
