· 4 min read
Medical School Interview Thank-You Email (With Template)
Do medical school interview thank-you notes matter? What the AAMC and seven schools say, when to send one, who to address and a short fill-in email.
Send a short thank-you email within a day or two of your medical school interview, unless the school says not to. It is a courtesy, not a factor in the decision. Follow each school's route, since some want notes through a portal or the admissions office. Keep it under 100 words, with one detail from your conversation, and save any news for an update letter.
Does a thank-you note matter?
Not for the decision. Brown's admissions office says “choosing to write one or not has no effect on your admissions decision”, and Utah's FAQ says “Thank you notes are not required”.
It is still worth the five minutes. The AAMC says “It's always a good idea to email or write to your interviewers to thank them for their time.” It also says “Remember to stick to whatever contact information you were given.” That is the rule that matters most: send the note the way the school asks.
What seven schools say
Each school's own admissions page, read October 18, 2026. The route under each name is where the note goes.
| School | Its admissions page says |
|---|---|
| BrownEmail | Optional, with no effect on the decision. Email your interviewer if you have the address, or the admissions office to forward it. Not through the portal. Source |
| UtahAdmissions office | Not required. Do not contact interviewers directly. Send it to the Office of Admissions, which forwards it. Source |
| GeorgetownPortal | Mailed or emailed notes are not added to your application. Interviewed applicants can submit one in the secondary application portal. Source |
| PittPortal form | After your interviews, a form in the admissions portal sends your note to your interviewers. Source |
| George WashingtonEmail or mail | Email notes for interviewers to the admissions office, or mail them there with the interviewer's name. Source |
| SUNY DownstateEmail | Email the note to the admissions office address. Source |
| Loyola StritchEmail | Appreciated. Email your interviewer if you have their address, or send it to the admissions office. Source |
When and how to send it
- Check the school's instructions. Reread the interview-day email and the admissions FAQ. Some schools use a portal, some forward notes for you, and Utah asks you not to contact interviewers directly.
- Write it within a day or two. While the conversation is fresh. None of the seven schools sets a deadline, and a note sent a week later is still fine.
- One short note per interviewer. Use their name and one detail from your conversation, so no two notes read alike. If you do not have names or addresses, as often happens after an MMI, send one note to the admissions office.
- Send it the school's way, then stop. Email, portal or the admissions office, as the school asks. Do not expect a reply, and do not follow up on it.
Thank-you email template
About 68 words. Change every part in brackets, and write a different middle for each interviewer. Subject line: Thank you, [your name], interview on [date].
Handwritten is fine only where the school takes it. The AAMC says “A legible, handwritten note is a nice personal touch that makes a good impression.” Brown, though, asks for “no handwritten please” on notes sent to its office.
What to leave out
A thank-you is not an update letter or a letter of intent. Keep those separate.
News about your application
A new publication, role or grade belongs in an update letter, sent the way the school takes updates.
A first-choice promise
Saying you will attend if accepted is a letter of intent, and it can only be true for one school.
Questions about how you did
George Washington says interviewers cannot discuss your evaluation with you, so do not ask.
A second try at an answer
Keep it to thanks and one real detail. A note that reargues a question reads as nerves, not gratitude.
The note will not move your file, and here is how long schools take to decide. Your next interview can move it. Practice the questions every school asks out loud, with follow-ups.
Sources: AAMC, Preparing for Medical School Interviews, and the admissions pages of Brown, Utah, Georgetown, Pitt, George Washington, SUNY Downstate and Loyola Stritch. All checked October 18, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do thank-you notes matter after a medical school interview?
They are a courtesy, not a factor. Brown says writing one or not has no effect on your admissions decision, and Utah says notes are not required. The AAMC still calls a thank-you a good idea, so send a short one unless the school says otherwise.
Should I send a thank-you email after an MMI?
You often will not have your raters' names or addresses after an MMI. Send one short note to the admissions office, or use the school's portal if it has one, as Georgetown and Pitt do.
How soon should I send a thank-you email?
Within a day or two, while the conversation is fresh. None of the seven schools we checked sets a deadline, so a note sent a few days later is still fine.
Email or handwritten note?
Email, unless the school says otherwise. The AAMC says a legible handwritten note makes a good impression, but Brown asks for no handwritten notes to its office, and Georgetown does not add mailed or emailed notes to your application.
Can I say the school is my first choice in a thank-you note?
Keep the thank-you to thanks. If a school is truly your first choice and you will attend if accepted, say so in a separate letter of intent. How to write a letter of intent.