AAMC raking it in from students

[exPCM]

---

Members don't see this ad.

This may be a controversial topic to some but I think it is worth discussing.

The AAMC took in over $20 million from AMCAS and $13 million from the MCAT in one year. This "nonprofit" then paid more than a dozen employees over 300K in compensation and spent over 8 million on travel and more than 450K on lobbying.
Look here: see pages 9, 10, and 27 for instance:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2009/362/169/2009-362169124-05b05eff-9.pdf
Note: Site may take several seconds to load.
IMO this is just another organization with a monopoly that is gouging students. Want more money - they can jack up the MCAT and AMCAS fees again.

 

[zwitter]

I agree with you. Non-profits should not be compensating employees rediculous amounts of money like that.

I heard they are curving the mCAT harder to make more students feel as though they have to retake it😱

 

[tremulousNeedle]

I was always amazed by all the money that the NBME gets for overseeing the USMLE step 1 and 2 exams (~$2K / student). Granted, they have to pay for outsourcing to testing facilities, but they still have to be making a pretty penny.

 

[schlieren]

Nice find on page 27. Now those who failed MCAT get names to curse LOL.

 

[pvmed]

.

 

[bomgd3]

Haha, and you're just realizing this NOW?

Don't worry, many schools are just as abusive of the application process, and then there's the USMLE's.

 

[organdonor]

Monopolies are bad! at least the SAT has to contend with the ACT but the MCAT has what, LSAT or PCAT as competition? Hardly.

I signed up for a second MCAT date before I got my scores back from my first one (bad idea I know). When I found out my score was good enough, I dropped the second exam. Only problem was that they wouldn't refund me one cent. They said it was too close to the date. I believe it was a couple weeks prior to the test. Bullcrap. I told them that I was for sure 100% positive I would not take the test again, but (this surprised me) they wouldn't even open up my seat at the testing center.

 

[AlexB]

there's a price to play.

I think it's pretty repulsive to find out this information, as the AAMC always puts themselves out as this non-profit whose existence is to further the advancement of medicine.

This shows that's not necessarily true. 800K compensation? Really? I'm sure the operational costs of the AAMC are in the hundreds of thousands, but there is quite a bit of extravagance there. Then again, if I was in their position, I'd probably do the same thing, I'd just say it as it is rather than disguise it as something else.

 

[phltz]

You have to pay good money to get good people. Look at the quality of the practice exams put out by the test prep companies. They're terrible. They're riddled with mistakes. Look at the quality of the actual MCATs, both the official practice tests and the real test(s) you may have already taken. While tough, actual errors are _extremely_ rare. I'm glad they're not cutting costs. I'm glad they're paying good competent people to get it right.

I'm sure there's some waste, and I know it's frustratingly expensive to go through this process. But I feel like they're actually running a pretty tight ship. They put out tough but fair exams. Their websites are reliable and well designed. They're doing a lot right. This wouldn't be possible if they were run as a shoe-string non-profit with idealistic young college grads.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

This may be a controversial topic to some but I think it is worth discussing.

The AAMC took in over $20 million from AMCAS and $13 million from the MCAT in one year. This "nonprofit" then paid more than a dozen employees over 300K in compensation and spent over 8 million on travel and more than 450K on lobbying.
Look here: see pages 9, 10, and 27 for instance:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2009/362/169/2009-362169124-05b05eff-9.pdf
Note: Site may take several seconds to load.
IMO this is just another organization with a monopoly that is gouging students. Want more money - they can jack up the MCAT and AMCAS fees again.

But haven't you heard? This is the USA, where the rich get richer and the poor get f*@$ed.