Class action law suit against AMCAS?

[TwoSteveSquared]

I hate suing, but I feel that AMCAS monopolized med school apps, and this allowed them to get away with screwing us all over by not taking the appropriate actions to solve their mistakes. This is going to alter the way med schools look at our apps, cause they are gonna have to go through them quicker, which means, those without the steller stats might not get a second look when they normally would.

Does anyone know anything about law and can reasonably think of why AMCAS is at fault for anything besides being incompetant?

Is it even considered damaging to cause mental anguish and frustration?

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[grasshopper]

I know nothing about law, but I have to comment that your suggestion makes me giggle, TwoSteve. I'm frustrated too, but I think they'll get it figured out eventually, and I figure the courts have better things to deal with. The idea makes me smile, though. You know, people on this forum probably make up most of the people that care enough to be this upset. We do it to ourselves, guys.

 

[TwoSteveSquared]

My post makes me laugh too. I think I was really pissed off about 10 minutes ago when I wrote it cause I got kicked off of the AMCAS application when I was checking to see if they fixed their "desgnated schools error." Life will go on.

 

[Dylann FMD]

Read my post on giving the specialists a break. It might be such a polar opposite you will chuckle.

 

[kutastha]

The main problem is that the schools choose to go through AMCAS, so whom would you really be suing?

Andrew

 

[kris]

Originally posted by ajr:
•The main problem is that the schools choose to go through AMCAS, so whom would you really be suing?

Andrew•

Still AMCAS.
Perhaps the question is whether the schools ought to be suing AMCAS too.

hi andrew! did we meet the other day in chat?

 

[MedPuck]

I think AMCAS should offer us a percentage of our money back, since we are paying them for a service that really isn't efficient this year. A lawsuit is a bit extreme but how about a little refund, for the inconveniences?

 

[Dylann FMD]

Originally posted by MedPuck:
•I think AMCAS should offer us a percentage of our money back, since we are paying them for a service that really isn't efficient this year. A lawsuit is a bit extreme but how about a little refund, for the inconveniences? •

Isn't AMCAS a non-profit organization? If they are, then the money they take in just covers the cost of processing applications (hard to believe, but possible). Anyways, if that is the case, there really is no course of action. Suing them would mean they would go into debt, meaning future classes would have to pay even more. Besides, I am sure they have to hire more people this year to fix the chaos, plus pay for the new systems. I know the cost sucks, but really guys, you are going to extremes!

I guess I have become the official AMCAS sympathizer!

 

[Hopkins2010]

Dylan,

I agree lawsuit is going too far, and yes AMCAS is nonprofit.

However, the amount in fees they collect should more than enough to pay for their webservers and cover all operating costs.

If it REALLY costs them $150 to process one application set, then they aren't running a very effective nonprofit business model. I've worked at nonprofits in the past and if they had that kind of revenue for the relative simple file processing that they do, they would definitely be making a profit.

The student services section of the AAMC only employs 20-30 people, so its not like they have to pay salaries for a massive workforce. My personal feeling is that they are using the application fees to supplement other parts of the AAMC that have nothing to do with applicants or application processing.

Of course I have no real proof to confirm this, but common sense dictates that it SHOULD NOT cost them that much to do the application processing, even with all their new webservers and computer software.

 

[jephyboy]

I've got this feeling that there will be a whole ship-load of schools that will go independent of AMCAS next year. And I'll give you one guess as for the reason (hint: AMCAS apps).

 

[Dylann FMD]

Baylor21:

I agree that the costs seem pretty steep (I find the $150 less to scoff at than the fact they need $30 for each additional school, since there is very, very little extra work). However, I find your insinuation that they use our application dollars for other parts of AAMC hard to believe, seing as those most other parts (ERAS, MCAT, puplications) are revenue making as well. I agree that some of the money probably goes to the meetings, etc, which are all things that we will use once (if) we get into medical school.

Once you divide the $150 starting fee with all the schools you apply to, generally the average per school cost is between $25 and $50. However, most secondaries cost $50 and $100. You may say the separate schools spend more time with secondaries, but really, if you look at it, there is some "fishy" activities there. Many schools use med students to review applications, interview, give tours, house interviewees, and/or decide on applicants. Do you think they get paid for this???? I very much doubt it.

I am not implying that we should also be suspicious and angry at med schools. I am just trying to point out the one-sided angst towards AMCAS and AAMC is a little shortsighted. Personally, I think we all just need to suck it up and deal with it. Med school is going to cost money. A lot of money. Look at how many people pay Harvard exorbitant amounts of money for 1 hour of instruction a day. With med school costing so much, why would you think the application process would be cheap? Deal people, really. I personally think this anger towards AAMC and AMCAS just further illustrates the stereotypes of typical premed-ers: edgy, paranoid, somewhat immature, super competitive, and not in touch with real life. I have had several people tell me recently because of my intelligence/maturity, I should go the PhD route instead of MD. I think this view is disgusting because it paints a very dim view on the state of medicine and medical education today, because it is saying we are not as intelligent and mature as PhD candidates. But with my fellow premed-ers spending so much time and energy worry about and complaining about AAMC and AMCAS, I am starting to see why people are saying these things. If this AMCAS is really that big of a setback, than you people have really lived sheltered lives and have a lot to learn about life. I really hope you start to learn some of this before you become doctors, because it will make you much stronger and will create a much better overall physician.

 

[TwoSteveSquared]

I have had several people tell me recently because of my intelligence/maturity, I should go the PhD route instead of MD.

Nope, with that kind of arrogance you should rule the world.

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Dylann FMD:
•Once you divide the $150 starting fee with all the schools you apply to, generally the average per school cost is between $25 and $50.•

Actually, the average per school can not possibly be lower than $30, due to the fact that each additional school costs $30 and the first costs $150. You'd have to apply to 151 schools just to get the average down to $31.

My average cost is $45 per school, but I only applied to 8 schools. I agree with you completely about secondary fees, especially since many schools don't even screen applicants for them

 

[Spang]

I recall one of the admissions folks telling me the schools pay 30-40K a year for the AMCAS services. Do that math!

BTW I'm considering looking into small claims court when this is all said and done. There's an upper limit ($1000 or $5000?) to what you can claim and if nothing else maybe it'll either be a hassle for them or they'll blow it off and I'll win. Just a thought.

Spang

 

[Dylann FMD]

Originally posted by Jamier2:
•Actually, the average per school can not possibly be lower than $30, due to the fact that each additional school costs $30 and the first costs $150•

Yeah, I realized I had mistyped that one. Meant to say $35

 

[Amy B]

I believe the VERY least AMCAS should do is give us the money we spent calling them long distance.

 

[kutastha]

Originally posted by Dylann FMD:
•I have had several people tell me recently because of my intelligence/maturity, I should go the PhD route instead of MD. I think this view is disgusting because it paints a very dim view on the state of medicine and medical education today, because it is saying we are not as intelligent and mature as PhD candidates. •

Actually, I'd like to put that quote on my car.

I agree wholeheartedly. I've witnessed people's complaining and complaining for months about AMCAS, calling for lawsuits, holding them responsible et al. My response has always been that you will encounter challenges like this for the rest of your life. You cannot sue everytime things don't go your way. The amount of money (the parents of) these kids are spending right now pales in comparison to the money spent on medical school. Every year this happens. The process is just going more slowly. You send it off and now it's just a waiting game. When the interview question comes up, 'So, how did you handle the AMCAS fiasco?' will they want the young premed that says he screamed at the computer, thought about lawsuits and wanted to hold AMCAS liable for everything? Or will they take the person that can calmly say it was just another rung in the ladder to realize his dream of becoming a physican?

Andrew

 

[Smoke This]

Andrew, thank you for sharing your opinion. It is encouraging to know that there are some people here who can look past AMCAS's outrageous incompetence, and thereby place themselves in an elite category distinct from other premeds. I myslef am not one of these people.

When the interview question comes up, 'So, how did you handle the AMCAS fiasco?' will they want the young premed that says he screamed at the computer, thought about lawsuits and wanted to hold AMCAS liable for everything?

Whom do you suggest we blame, then? My only obligations as an applicant are to submit and pay for my application, and send AMCAS an official transcript. AMCAS is charged with doing the rest. AMCAS has not fulfilled our expectations, namely, processing and transmitting our applications in a timely fashion. What is more, AMCAS went online with their new application system without fully testing it, debugging it, ensuring there is enough server capacity to handle the user demand, or providing any alternative whatsoever. As a result, AMCAS still to my knowledge has been unable to transmit any full applications at all, and there is no reliable way of knowing when this will eventually occur. Before this can happen, schools still need to prepare their "local environments" to accept the transmissions, which is still problematic as I understand it.

That as doctors we will face other hardships in the future does not excuse AMCAS from their egregious failings and reprehensible behavior. To suggest as much is about as lacking in credibility as the "everybody else is doing it, so why can't we?" defense in court.

I also do not think that it would be out of line to expect AMCAS to be held accountable for this, either through some sort of voluntary partial refund (especially now that some schools intend to bypass AMCAS and make decisions before the official transmission) or even some sort of class-action lawsuit (which I admittedly know nothing about).

 

[kutastha]

Smoke, is this your first time applying? These egregious failings are the way AMCAS does business. Issues like these are routine. AMCAS has never had an 800 number, and has always lost transcripts. Not a single student is losing anything by having his or her application processed behind schedule. As I sit here, no one's being looked at before me and no school has accepted others ahead of me. And as far as I know, no school has chosen to bypass AMCAS. AMCAS is most certainly to blame, but I'm not going to allow myself to get all fired up for something like this. So, they won't get looked at til mid-September - all right, I'll interview in December. It just gets pushed back a couple months. AMCAS has no concrete deadlines. They will still deliver the product you paid for. Trying to get any portion of that money back because they were late is going to be a hard sell to any judge. Yes, the web-based app was a terrible idea, and it is AMCAS's fault, and I'm not making an excuse for AMCAS because there will be other hardships down the line - I'm saying that handling it in a mature fashion is probably in everyone's best interests. You take the punches AMCAS throws and you respond by going to medical school.

Andrew

Originally posted by Smoke This:
•Andrew, thank you for sharing your opinion. It is encouraging to know that there are some people here who can look past AMCAS's outrageous incompetence, and thereby place themselves in a different category from other premeds. I myslef am not one of these people.•

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by ajr:
"""""I agree wholeheartedly. I've witnessed people's complaining and complaining for months about AMCAS, calling for lawsuits, holding them responsible et al. My response has always been that you will encounter challenges like this for the rest of your life. You cannot sue everytime things don't go your way. """"""

For a lot of us who have complained there has been a genuine reason for it. Be glad AMCAS didn't change your name and then tell you they didn't know how to change it back to your true name. This is more than just an inconvience.
Or how about those people who have had to get multiple transcripts from the schools they attended due to AMCAS saying they needed to have them sent again. Over and Over theyhave sent these. They have had to pay for them time and time again.

Or how about those people who had their credit cards maxed out and put over the limitdue to the errors AMCAS was making due to the computer glitches. I believe when your credit card goes over the limit there are service charges these people will have to pay. Some people I know used their debit cards and had numerous checks bounce at $40 per check. Is this something they should chalk up to going up the rungs on the ladder of life? I think not.

Originally posted by ajr:
"""""The amount of money (the parents of) these kids are spending right now pales in comparison to the money spent on medical school."""""

Not all of us are 22 years old with thier "parents " paying for their application process. I'm sure alot of us are older and this comes right out of our pockets and even if some are younger, I'm sure a lot of them are paying this expense on their own.

Originally posted by ajr:
""""""Or will they take the person that can calmly say it was just another rung in the ladder to realize his dream of becoming a physican?"""""

Just because you may not have had the problems others have faced, in my opinion this does not give you the platform to look down upon those who have had problems.

Another part of being grown up is respecting those around us with problems and having the heart to listen to them without passing judgment. Maybe there is nothing you can do or say to make their problems go away, or maybe you can't understand why they are complaining. But sometimes you need to just sit back and listen with your silence and understanding. After all is that what a great doctor needs to do?

Just my two cents of wisdom from being an older student.

 

[kutastha]

Amy Beth, I understand your concern. Be aware that in the past, there were not forums to discuss this information, so a lot of these problems go from being isolated incidents to all-out anarchy.

Now, don't get me wrong, I can tell you now harbor some sort of ill-will towards me, and I'm not even sure why. Perhaps a positive attitude doesn't go as far as it used to.

I've had my share of problems now and the previous two times I applied. I had an application sent back to me three months after submission because I missed a minus on an A-, by that time, October 15th had passed and I was screwed. I've lost so many transcripts to AMCAS (I had 7 txcpts last time I applied, I now have 8) that there's probably some guy in Washington DC that has a couple copies of some California kid's records. I was fortunate enough to learn the hard way that most schools won't recharge you for resending transcripts AMCAS has lost.

In addition, as an older student, like you - I'm 28 years old - and have spent the last four years of my PhD stipend to save up for just this process. I put parent's money in parentheses because it doesn't apply to everyone, and I would think those that it didn't apply to would know that.

Those that had their credit card maxxed out should have called their credit card companies to handle the situation the moment they took notice. I once bought a Metrolink rail pass for $100 and got charged 26 times. I simply called up both Metrolink and my CC company and had the charges removed - no service charge was required. It happened to thousands of people and was handled appropriately. If your credit card company doesn't perform like that, you need to change your company.

I'm not looking down on anyone and I'm fascinated you thought I was. My application was far from trouble-free, but unlike most of the posters on here, perhaps I'm not one to want to attack everything that doesn't go my way - nor agree with me.

We all will meet challenges in life, how you handle them determines your integrity. I curiously appreciate your subtle way of telling me to keep my mouth shut, but I was trying to impart the way I handle such situations in hopes that people will understand and look at their problems with an alternative perspective. Perhaps a doctor should have an open ear, and trust me, I do. But doctors also use their experience and knowledge to help others, which is precisely what I was doing.

Just two more cents from an older student,

Andrew

Originally posted by Amy Beth:
•Originally posted by ajr:
"""""I agree wholeheartedly. I've witnessed people's complaining and complaining for months about AMCAS, calling for lawsuits, holding them responsible et al. My response has always been that you will encounter challenges like this for the rest of your life. You cannot sue everytime things don't go your way. """"""

For a lot of us who have complained there has been a genuine reason for it. Be glad AMCAS didn't change your name and then tell you they didn't know how to change it back to your true name. This is more than just an inconvience.
Or how about those people who have had to get multiple transcripts from the schools they attended due to AMCAS saying they needed to have them sent again. Over and Over theyhave sent these. They have had to pay for them time and time again.

Or how about those people who had their credit cards maxed out and put over the limitdue to the errors AMCAS was making due to the computer glitches. I believe when your credit card goes over the limit there are service charges these people will have to pay. Some people I know used their debit cards and had numerous checks bounce at $40 per check. Is this something they should chalk up to going up the rungs on the ladder of life? I think not.

Originally posted by ajr:
"""""The amount of money (the parents of) these kids are spending right now pales in comparison to the money spent on medical school."""""

Not all of us are 22 years old with thier "parents " paying for their application process. I'm sure alot of us are older and this comes right out of our pockets and even if some are younger, I'm sure a lot of them are paying this expense on their own.

Originally posted by ajr:
""""""Or will they take the person that can calmly say it was just another rung in the ladder to realize his dream of becoming a physican?"""""

Just because you may not have had the problems others have faced, in my opinion this does not give you the platform to look down upon those who have had problems.

Another part of being grown up is respecting those around us with problems and having the heart to listen to them without passing judgment. Maybe there is nothing you can do or say to make their problems go away, or maybe you can't understand why they are complaining. But sometimes you need to just sit back and listen with your silence and understanding. After all is that what a great doctor needs to do?

Just my two cents of wisdom from being an older student.


•

 

[Hopkins2010]

First off, I have a problem with people here labeling everybody who is angry at AMCAS as being "immature, crybabies" or at least thats the impression given.

The failure of AMCAS is not the end of the world and I agree there will be far greater challenges. I myself have faced situations that are much more egregious than what I have faced with AMCAS.

However, that doesnt mean that people have no right to be angry about the situation.

Somebody argued that AMCAS has always done things like this so we should just accept it and move on. Well, Mexico had a corrupt government for 70 years, does that mean they should just learn to live with and not try to change anything? I know thats not a perfect analogy but I think you see my point that just because AMCAS has always done things this way does NOT mean we should necesarily just accept it.

Now, I will grant you that some people have gone overboard, and personally I dont think sueing AMCAS is necessary at this point in time.

Clearly, AMCAS will only consider change if they are pressured to do so. We cant just expect that they will "see the light" and change on their own. With no negative feedback, what reasons would they have to try and ensure the process next year is better for others?

 

[kutastha]

Originally posted by baylor21:
•
Somebody argued that AMCAS has always done things like this so we should just accept it and move on. Well, Mexico had a corrupt government for 70 years, does that mean they should just learn to live with and not try to change anything? I know thats not a perfect analogy but I think you see my point that just because AMCAS has always done things this way does NOT mean we should necesarily just accept it.•

I didn't mean it like that baylor - First off, I don't think people are 'crybabies' - these are valid problems and ones that I have gone through as well. I know I'm alone in this, but I just think of it as a rite of passage to get into medical school. Every year people get in through AMCAS, so apparently it works (somehow). It just doesn't work as well this year. They know the application is a problem, and I'm sure they will fix it for next year just like we'll be able to fix the current president problem in 2004.

Andrew

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by ajr:
Now, don't get me wrong, I can tell you now harbor some sort of ill-will towards me, and I'm not even sure why. Perhaps a positive attitude doesn't go as far as it used to."""

I harbor no ill will to you at all. My point is that I believe this message board is a place where people can come in and vent, praise, cry, rejoice, complain and inquire. And although I do not agree with you and your previous post, I respect your right to your own opinion.

The message I want to convey is let people vent or whine if they so choose without feeling like they are going to get put down. After all there are many places we get put down in life and I personally don't feel like this should be one of those places.

Enough said on this topic from this wise old gal

 

[kutastha]

I harbor no ill will to you at all. My point is that I believe this message board is a place where people can come in and vent, praise, cry, rejoice, complain and inquire.

I agree. I never said no one couldn't

The message I want to convey is let people vent or whine if they so choose without feeling like they are going to get put down. After all there are many places we get put down in life and I personally don't feel like this should be one of those places.

I agree, and I never said it wasn't.

I just wanted to impart my own way of handling the situation. I put no one down, and did not say anyone was childish. I didn't say anyone's problems were trivial, and I didn't say AMCAS was excused. Somehow these messages came across - from where, I don't know. Perhaps my patience with problematic situations is a bit severe, but I've had my share and it's how I have grown accustomed to dealing with them. I apologize for any misunderstanding.

Andrew

 

[Smoke This]

Andrew, I beg your pardon if I came across as angry or confrontational. You really do have remarkable patience in the face of this crisis, which I truly believe is admirable. Then again, you have dealt with AMCAS in the past and know what to expect; I do not. As you described:

These egregious failings are the way AMCAS does business. Issues like these are routine. AMCAS has never had an 800 number, and has always lost transcripts.

"The way AMCAS does business" is unacceptable. I suppose it must take uncommon patience to put up with that sort of thing multiple times!

 

[kutastha]

Originally posted by Smoke This:
•Andrew, I beg your pardon if I came across as angry or confrontational. You really do have remarkable patience in the face of this crisis, which I truly believe is admirable. Then again, you have dealt with AMCAS in the past and know what to expect; I do not. As you described:

These egregious failings are the way AMCAS does business. Issues like these are routine. AMCAS has never had an 800 number, and has always lost transcripts.

"The way AMCAS does business" is unacceptable. I suppose it must take uncommon patience to put up with that sort of thing multiple times! •

Oh, it's most certainly unacceptable. I don't know if I was all that patient in the past, but I try to tell (kid?) myself that the med schools know full-well of all the trials and tribulations, but use AMCAS as part of their application process to ensure you really want to go to med school. And that's why we go through it, no?

Andrew

 

[kris]

Vent all you want you guys. As someone who applied last year, I'll be the first to admit that what you're going through is way way more hellish than what applicants have gone through in the past.

While individual applicants may have had troubles in the past, at least we could get in touch with AMCAS, and at least we got timely responses, and MOST of us got our problems resolved in a reasonable amount of time.

Character building is way overrated

However, perspective is necessary. This will get straightened out, and I doubt that individuals will be put at any significant disadvantage compared to others. It's all relative, and most of you do already realize that you're all in the same boat. I'm guessing the boat won't sink, but will make it to shore intact, though late.

By the way, I hope you all realize that I don't really endorse the ideas of suing AMCAS--I was just kidding around in my earlier post.

Vent on!

 

[Smoke This]

I really do feel immature having been part of this. It's not as though denouncing AMCAS to anyone who will listen will change things. However, AMCAS has really shot itslef in the foot with all the headaches and bad PR it has generated, and I wouldn't be surprised if AMCAS shapes up as a result.

As for me, AMCAS must compensate me for this outrage. I will have a "get off the waitlist free card", yes?

 

[sandflea]

forget the 'waitlist' card! i want an 'automatic admission to the school of your choice' card!

 

[MoeDaMan]

I just want my money back

I spent so much on the primary and the telephone calls my telephone bills alone reached 20 to 30 bucks...

and one by one, I am sending out copies of my primary application.....I wish they told me to do this at the beginning and I wouldn't have even bothered with the application.... this is so sad

 

[Dylann FMD]

I don't want to throw more gasoline on the fire, but after reading the comments since the last time I responded, I feel like a really need to speak up.

To AmyBeth and others who said you have a right to complain, you must realize that if you have the right to complain about AMCAS, others have the right to complain about you and your complaint. By saying these things on this forum, you open yourself up to criticism, just as I am sure plenty will do to my comments.

With this being said, as an outside observer to your comments I truly feel many of you are being unreasonable and unforgiving. I think it is wonderful that AMCAS has finally gotten around to bringing the application process into the 21st century. However, technology is not infalliable. There were problems, as there is with any technology. It would have been nice had they worked out the bugs before hand. They didn't. Well, what does that mean for us. It means med schools will get our applications 12 months prior to matriculation rather than 14. So it has shortened a long, overly drawn out process. Personally I think of that as a Godsend!

AMCAS was well meaning in its intention (to bring the application up to the time period), and it is trying its best to work out the problem. Yet it can't attempt to fix it with the thousands of calls, e-mails, and visits from neurotic premed-ers. I guess for the past couple days people have not been able to get ahold of the office by phone. However, our MCAT scores suddenly have shown up on the application. Do you think that is some sort of coincidence? Without the constraints of paranoid premed-ers, the good people at AMCAS have been able to make some progress. I am hoping they lay off the phones for a little while longer! If you read my previous post on giving the specialists a break, you can find out more about that.

The costs of AMCAS are not as overpriced as they seem. Personally, I think they are not out of line at all. So the basic fee per school is about $35 to $60 a piece. If we were to apply separately to each school, there would likely be an increase in application fees, probably around $25. Additionally, we would have to send official transcripts and MCAT scores to each school. Each of these would cost $10 (or more). Then, there would be the extreme amount of time spent filling in the hundreds of pages of repeated information. I remember in high school I paid my sister $100 to fill out my undergrad applications because I couldn't stand typing in repeated information. And those applications were a quarter the work of these! I know I didn't have to pay that, but my time is too valuable to spend typing in my address 10 or 15 times. I don't think many of you guys realize what a time saver AMCAS is (IF YOU LET IT BE!) for both us and the medical schools.

Seeing as those AMCAS is non-profit, and have spent a large amount of money on the new technology and trying to fix it, I think asking for a refund or class action suit is pretty ridiculous. However, if they were to overcharge your checkcard and you bounced checks because of it, well, then as a good business they should cover that, I agree. However, here is a helpful hint--call and verify your balance after any large charge. I do this whenever I make a charge over $200 (including AMCAS)--its just a smart business practice to stop things early. As far as spending so much time on the phone, I think maybe half of the phonecalls to AMCAS are valid, which would cut the wait time in half. Plus e-mail is available. That doesn't cost anything. If you use the correct title names they are pretty good about responding back (within a few days, which I think is reasonable). If you don't get a reply in a week, e-mail again. Its not like your application (or anyone else's) is going anywhere.

As far as lost transcripts, my philosophy is (and many will disagree), don't send the transcripts in until you have completed the application. Sending them in 6 weeks ahead of time may insure they get there, but they have nothing to match them with, so they are apt to get "lost" in the clutter. I think it is just sensible not to confuse a business like that. If I were processing 30,000 applications, and 10,000 people sent (sometimes multiple) transcripts in early, that would be quite a pile that would develop. It would be several people's job just to go through it each day to try and see if the people who submitted that day had previously sent in their transcripts. I really think it is just a good practice to hold off sending in your transcripts until around the time you submit.

Patience and understanding are virtues. Sometimes things get screwed up, and there is nothing we can do about it. This is just one situation. So what are our options? Sit around, scream, yell, threaten lawsuits, spend half the day on hold long distance? Or how about relax, realize that everyone is in the same boat, no one has an advantage/disadvantage, and enjoy our summer and free time that might have been spent filling out secondaries. In life, we need to be able to roll with the punches, not sit and cry about them. I am sorry to be blunt, but as someone who is going through the same issue, I see all of you having these intense anger and disgust. These are not feelings of good doctors or prospective doctors. They are very negative and unproductive. They will get you no where. You have the right to complain all you want, but the only person you are hurting is yourself.

 

[rxfudd]

I don't know why everyone is saying that the only ramification of the AMCAS problem is that the process is backed up a couple of months. Given that the admissions process goes right up until the day classes begin, the process does not get backed up - it gets compressed. There is no buffer region to back it up into. It seems highly possible that the net result of this compression will be that everyone's file will be looked at with less scrutiny and it will become more of a numbers game than it already is.

Adcoms are usually in the middle of secondary apps now, in the middle of the first group of interviews when they will be reviewing secondary apps, in the middle of the second group of interviews when they will be conducting the first group of interviews, etc. It seems like they will need to catch up with themselves eventually and that they will have to really pick up the pace to do this. This means working faster and perhaps not giving everyone's application a really super-detailed review.

So we are NOT all in the same boat. Everyone who has a really good GPA/MCAT score can rest easy and look at the delay as just a delay. Others (myself included) cannot help but be frustrated.

And again - would everyone please stop looking at every comment that is made in these forums as an indicator of one's competence in a medical career. Frustration does not equal bad medicine, ethics, character, etc. It means you are fed up - and even doctors get fed up.

 

[MoeDaMan]

Dylann FMD with all due respect...half of ur comments didnt make any sense


the UC school system, and if by next week AMCAS "doesnt get their act together" they are sending out an email by passing AMCAS!!

The fact of the matter is, and I told them at the beginning fo the year...what the hell is ur back up plan? They were like, aaah dont worry it will be fine!!!

u dont introduce a new system, and expect it to be perfect....it is absolutely idiotic

as for the phone is concerned..I live in california, called at 6:00 in the morning...9:00 their time to be first in line...

I was placed on "zero que" for 2 hours....if nobody is not there to answer the phone, then stop wasting my F***ing time...and they should not dare get away with charging me if no one is answering the phone...

as for as emails are concerned? they dont answer, and when they do they answer generically to questions that have no relevancy to what a person asked!!!

as far as acmas saving us money, B**shi* because of those idiots, I have now spent an additonal $150 dollars, sending my primaries, releasing mcat scores, sending 3 transcripts to 6 different schools...all this **** to do in addition to the $1000 dollars I have spent on the "primary application"

and for pple who aren't going to the process this year, and don't know what we or the medical schools are going through...should keep their trap shut!

There was a way around all these issues! and AMCAS is just run by couple of incompetent fools!!! the last time I called to release my MCAT score, the women on the other line said what is MCAT?!!!? DUH it doesn't take a genius to find out that these pple are absolute idiots!

had I ever exhibited this kind of poor performance at work, I would have been fired on the spot!!! EVen the medical schools are furious!!

I personally WANT my MONEY FOR MY PRIMARY APPLICATION!!!!

i went throught the TEXAS medical and dental application service...they charged me 150 dollars ONLY...typed all my grades in and gave my full gpa and everythign!!! all within 3 days....AMCAS needs to get revamped immediately...their actions are inexcusable, and pple such as urself DYlan should stop "whining on why we are whining"...

if anything.....pple like u are complaining on why we are complaining...the irony...

pple come here to vent their anger, and they have every right to do so....ur probably working for AMCAS and got ur ego hurt...SIGH

 

[Big Bill]

I have posted on this topic before but beleive that we need a listing service like law schools have were they work on this stuff year round and take your recommendations for you. That we can straighten out this mess. I really feel for you guys that are having problems. They should just go back to the old way were they send out a disc, you load it on a computer then print out which schools you want to do. That was much easier.

 

[EMDrMoe]

For a lot of years, I've been trying to convince myself that I believe in the right to voice your opinion. Now, I see that for a long time, it has been the right of others to support MY opinion. This exchange is great. We're actively debating a topic - not because it's for a grade, but because each person believes in his or her opinion. The SDN forum's purpose is just that - to encourage interaction. It has helped me tremendously, and this thread is no exception. Thanks to all of you.

As for AMCAS...my husband had an error for 3 weeks and could not enter info, when I had been able to with no problem from the same computer, they have "never received" some of our transcripts that were sent by the schools in March, we were charged numerous times (and never even submitted!), they "deleted" a school from our schools list and we have racked up some pretty good phone bills. Obviously, the system is inefficient. However, will worry change anything? This is not to say that I'm not concerned and don't keep up with the process, but blame will change nothing.

Keep on speaking your minds It means they're active!

 

[SMW]

I agree that patience is a virtue, but I also believe that monumentally inconveniencing 40,000 people that have paid good money for a service, only to have to go out and pay more money and do a lot of the service themselves merits a response. I think a class action lawsuit might be the way to go. See my remarks in the thread "new AMCAS email."

 

[Amy B]

Patience is a virtue. I know that, but considering I submitted my appl on June 27 and nothing has been done to it is scary. Other people who submitted after me are getting secondaries and interviews and meanwhile my appl is sitting in internet no man's world doing nothing. The lady at AMCAS told me Friday she couldn't figure out why they haven't even started working on it yet.

 

[C U in MD school]

This is what I plan on doing. after i get into a school this year, i plan to call my credit card and have the charge removed for not providing the promised service. My credit card has done that in the past and im sure they have would be happy to back me up this time too. I already called them and made a record of it. so in a year, i can follow up on it. HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW AMCAS?

 

[SMW]

Good plan CU! I'm going to do the same. I've been talking to my lawyer husband about the proposed class action suit, and although he was initially enthused, it seems that the damages don't pencil out as enough to warrant filing suit. They might have if AMCAS hadn't said it was going to start sending out paper copies and if all 40,000 applicants had experienced what we've been going through, but it's likely the number of applicants so far hasn't even reached 20,000. He recommends your credit card approach. Sorry I don't have a good idea about getting back phone charges, transcript & bank fees, and copying & postage costs.

 

[McEntrye]

bump