After your interview you will have a lot of information that you will use to determine the program’s rank on your rank order list. You may also decide you need additional information for programs you are very interested in.

Reflect on the interview

After your interview you will need to figure out how much the residency impressed you. As soon as possible after the interview take time to write down thoughts/impression. Ideally this would be done the next morning, after your head has cleared from interview day but when you still remember lots of details. You will also want to write down any further questions that may come up after the interview day and a list of contact information of residents and faculty who said they would be willing to answer follow up questions.
Students employ various methods for determining how impressive they found an individual program. Usually your gut reaction will be the best indicator of whether the program is right for you.

Contact after the interview

Always send thank you cards to your interviewers. A paper thank you card is preferable, but a thoughtful thank you email is also acceptable. If you do have questions that come up after your interview, contact the residency or faculty who gave you their information.
If you have a clear number one, it is fine to send a second letter in January or February but this won’t likely make a difference. Again, paper is better than email. Do not send two different programs a letter saying that they are number 1; remember that programs talk.

Do:

  • Send thank you cards in a timely fashion.
  • Take time to really reflect on your interview day.
  • Consider a second look for one or two programs you are really interested in and are having trouble deciding between.

Don’t:

  • Send an administrator a single envelope full of thank you cards to distribute to your interviewers.
  • Send an email to a resident or student with 10 questions that would require 3 pages each to answer. Residents and faculty are busy. One or two easily answered questions are fine but if you require more than what can be typed in a few minutes it is better to see if someone can speak with you on the phone.
Adapted with permission from the copyrighted career advising resources developed by Amanda Kost, MD and the University of Washington Department of Family Medicine