Write a Memorable Medical School Interview Thank You Letter

Keep the following in mind for your medical school interview thank you letter:

• Format your letter appropriately and double-check your grammar.
• Gather information you need on the day of the interview.
• Include a memorable detail about the interviewer’s medical background.
• Thank the interviewer for their time.

Writing a good thank you email after a med school interview could mean the difference between acceptance and a waitlist. Whether you choose to handwrite a letter or send an email, there are a few keys to include. 

A good medical school interview thank you letter will remind the interviewer who you are, establish your interest in the school, and reinforce your candidacy.

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Writing a Thank You Email after Medical School Interview

What to Include

• Relevant, informative subject line
• Appropriate, formal greeting
• Thanks for their time
• Detail about the interviewer or your conversation
• Impression of the school
• Reiterated pitch for your candidacy
• Formal, polite closing
• Signature

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Collect a business card from your interviewer during the interview.

Whether you write an email or a traditional note, it’s vital that you get a business card from your interviewer. You should be able to put this in your interview folder without a problem.

The business card will remind you of your interviewer’s name, title, and position. It will also give you their contact information including an email, phone number, and mailing address.

Some interviewers might automatically give you their card at the end of the interview. If they don’t offer it, you can ask.

2. Draft your email subject line.

The medical school interview thank you letter subject line can seem daunting. How much information should you include? What tone should you have?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to be both concise and detailed. Your subject line should include a “thank you,” and you might add “for interviewing me” for clarity. 

Chances are, your interviewer interacts with people from all over campus every day. They’ll want to know what they’re being thanked for.

Some appropriate subject lines would be:

• Thank you for the interview.
• Thanks for the Admissions Interview
• Thank you for interviewing me. – Your Name

Keep it straightforward, simple, and to-the-point.

3. Open with an appropriate, respectful greeting.

This is pretty standard. You can’t go wrong with “Dear X,” as a greeting. It’s the most commonly used greeting even in formal letters – don’t worry about coming off too informal.

Related: Shop These Gifts for Med School Students and Graduates

4. Thank the interviewer for their time.

The purpose of the thank you letter is to let the interviewer know that you appreciate them. They took time out of their day to talk to you about the school, your application, and your goals. It’s respectful to acknowledge that.

You don’t have to go overboard with the thank you’s. Just one line thanking them for taking the time is enough.

5. Talk about specific parts of the interview that you remember.

This might be the most important part of the email. If you send a generic thank you letter, it might be seen as a rote formality. But if you include specific details, you’ll set your letter apart.

Doing this serves a few purposes:

• It helps the interviewer to remember your conversation, which makes you stick out to them.
• It shows the interviewer that you wrote this letter specifically for them, rather than using a generic template.
• It illustrates that you were paying attention during the interview and that you’re an invested candidate.

6. Make your final pitch as a candidate.

This is the next most important part of the thank you letter. You should have already established the majority of your qualifications in the interview, so this doesn’t have to be a long essay. Don’t oversell yourself. Short and sweet is best — keep in mind that you want to respect your interviewer’s time.

One of the best ways to formulate a final pitch is by tying something about your candidacy back to the school itself. What does this school have that you can’t find with a different program?

For example, some medical schools have clinics and research centers where students can participate in active studies. Some have outreach programs to serve underprivileged people in their communities. Some have special student organizations or unique classes that aren’t replicated on other campuses.

Whatever it is about the school that speaks most to you, mention it. Then tie it back to your overall goals in medicine. What do you want to do with your career? How would this school help to further that goal? What will you bring to the school that can add value to the campus?

Consider what you’ve talked about during the interview. This is a chance to paraphrase your key highlights so that they’re fresh in your interviewer’s mind.

7. Close the letter politely.

Like the greeting, this is simple enough. Choose a polite and formal closing. Some examples would be “Sincerely” and “Best wishes.”

8. Sign with your name.

Related: What to Bring to a Medical School Interview

Handwritten Letter and Phone Call after Medical School Interview

What to Include

• Appropriate, formal greeting
• Thanks for their time
• Memorable detail about the interview conversation
• Business card from the interviewer

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Before your interview day ends, call the interviewer to leave a voicemail or have a short thank you conversation.

You should obtain a business card from your interviewer either during or after the interview. If you intend to write a letter by hand, you also need to make a phone call. 

It can take several days for handwritten letters to arrive in the mail. You want to get your interviewer’s attention while the interview is still fresh in both of your minds. This also lets them know that you’re completing the thank-you formality, instead of them forgetting about you.

Because snail mail is, well, snail-paced, we recommend sending a thank you email as well. But some old-school interviewers might prefer non-electronic communication instead.

2. Add anything you might have forgotten regarding why you’d fit in well at this school.

If there’s anything pressing that you need to add, now is the time to do it. Remember that you aren’t trying to take up too much of the interviewer’s time. 

If you leave a voicemail, keep it short and sweet. If you speak to the interviewer, let them know you’re available to answer any questions regarding your candidacy.

The phone conversation is also the best time to follow up on specific details of the interview. Let your interviewer know that you remember them and are engaged with the campus.

3. Write a short thank you letter.

You can view a more detailed guide on putting together a thank you letter above. With a handwritten letter, you’ll want to follow all of the same principles except the subject line.

These are the quickest rules of thumb for drafting your thank you note:

• Use an appropriate greeting — “Dear” is a good option.
• Make sure you thank the interviewer for their time.
• Mention at least one or two specifics about the conversation you had.

4. Mail the letter to the address that’s written on the business card you obtained during the interview.

Write the letter immediately after the interview so the conversation is still fresh in your mind. Then mail it before the day is over. The sooner you mail it, the sooner the interviewer will receive it.

If you didn’t obtain your interviewer’s business card, you’ll probably be able to find a P.O. box by looking up their contact information through the school website.

Related: Guide to Medical School Interview Attire in 2024

Medical School Interview Thank You Letter Example

By looking at medical school interview thank you letter examples, you can get a better idea of how to structure your letter as well as ideas for each paragraph. Have a look at an example for student John Doe:

Dear Dr. Smith,

Thank you for your time in interviewing me on October 18th. I enjoyed touring the school campus and learning about the different student programs available. I’ve also been thinking about your research into the impact of synthetic thyroid hormone over time. The research aspect of your school fascinates me, and I’d love to get a chance to participate.

I’m excited by the prospect of attending school at your institution. The campus has a friendly feel, and the classes work well with my learning style. I’m hoping that I will be able to work with financially disadvantaged patients who don’t often have access to quality healthcare. This school seems like a good fit for that.

It would be an honor to attend any of your courses and work in your student clinic. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about my candidacy.

All the best,

John Doe

Related: How to Write a Medical School Letter of Intent

Medical School Interview Thank You Letter Tips

These are some quick tips to help your thank you letter have the best impact:

Send a thank-you by the end of the interview day.

You want your medical school interview thank you letter to reach the interviewer before the day is over. That way, they still remember the conversation you had. If you wait too long, your interviewer might not be able to place you among the other students they’ve interviewed.

Make sure you get in touch whether that’s through an email, thank-you note, voicemail, or phone call.

Handwritten notes should be accompanied by phone calls.

If you handwrite a note, get in touch with your interviewer by phone by the end of the day. That way, you get as much impact as you would if you sent an email.

It’s okay if the interviewer doesn’t pick up. You can just leave a brief voicemail stating your name, number, and thanking them for their time. Tell them you’re excited about the school and available to answer any follow-up questions they have.

Write whatever makes you most comfortable in the letter.

Talk about the details that you remember best; it’s okay to let your personality shine through. Just make sure it’s grammatically correct and still remains formal. You can use some free writing assistant tools such as Grammarly or Wordtune to make sure your writing meets academic standard.

Use formal language, even if you casually hit it off during the interview.

You’re formally thanking your medical school interviewer for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy. Though your tone can be friendly, make sure that you’re still adhering to formal structural guidelines.

Medical School Interview Thank You Letter FAQ

Winding Down

Did this medical school interview thank you letter tutorial take some of the pressure off? You don’t need to overcomplicate things. Just use traditional formatting, hone in on key details about the interview, and be respectful of your interviewer’s time.

Let us know how you’ll approach your own thank you letter in the comments! Share the article with your friends if it’s been helpful.