Have you ever wondered how you should go about contacting an interviewer after a medical, dental, veterinary, or podiatry school interview? Although it may seem trivial, this is an important yet often overlooked aspect of the interview process. A strong thank-you letter can set you apart from your competitors, as it gives you an opportunity to provide reflection, express your appreciation, and engage in a final connection with admissions.
So, what does a great follow-up thank-you letter to a health-professions program interviewer look like?
Below are five steps to successfully navigating admissions, post-interview.
Similarly, the body of the email should be kept short and simple.
Finally, include your application ID number as part of your signature if you have been given one by an application service.
Dear Dr. Maria Hernandez,
I have attached a post-interview thank-you note.
Begin your letter by thanking the interviewer for his/her time. Faculty members have busy
schedules and acknowledging this creates a tone of respect and appreciation. Speaking of busy schedules, be mindful of the length of your letter; try not to exceed half a page in length.
If over the course of the interview you learned something new about the program, mention that.
Be as specific as possible and address the value/significance of what you learned.
You should also reiterate your excitement for the school and the opportunities you plan to take
advantage of if accepted.
After writing the letter, take a moment to step away before proofreading. This will allow you to
look at your letter with a fresh set of eyes. When proofreading, be sure to read your letter out
loud, as this will help you catch typos or errors with your syntax that you may otherwise
overlook.
An example thank-you letter can be found below:
Date (right align)
Dear Name (include his/her proper title)
I want to thank you for taking the time to interview me for possible admission into your dental
program. Through the course of the interview, I learned even more about this prestigious
program.
One thing that really interests me is the Summer Research Fellowship Program. Such a program
would allow me to refine my research skills and continue conducting the research that I love
while expanding my knowledge about the disease. It would further provide me with an amazing
opportunity to continue improving my presentation skills as I would be presenting my research at Student Research Day.
If I am fortunate enough to receive an offer of admission, I will accept without hesitation. The
integrated medical school curriculum will provide me with the knowledge necessary to
effectively communicate with medical doctors and dentists in my research area, and I would love to be part of such a tight-knit collegial community.
Warmest regards,
Michael Smith
Application ID
I reached out to a physician research mentor of mine who previously conducted medical school
admissions interviews and asked him what he would expect in a thank you letter:
Once you get a template created, it will be easy to build additional letters for future interviews. Make sure you stand out – in a good way – by sending effective thank you notes.
