A few years ago a medical school applicant wrote me to say that the dean of the school at which she had recently interviewed called her to tell her that he was impressed with her candidacy and the hand-written thank you note she had sent. The client thanked me for my help and the thank you note tip I had given her. As you might have guessed, she was admitted to that medical school.

Writing a thank you note after a medical school or residency interview is so easy for you to do, and it can go a long way.

Now, I get asked by clients what the best way to send post-interview thank you notes is – email or snail mail. I strongly advise sending your thank you note by good old USPS. The reasons are:

1) Email may be viewed as lazy. Handwritten notes demonstrate you’ve put some time into being appreciative.
2) Email can be deleted without much thought. Emotionally, it’s harder to throw someone’s handwritten note in the trash.

Get your handwritten thank you notes in quickly. The night after you’ve completed your interview or the next day is a good time to write and send.