Consequences with AMCAS for violating an AACOMAS acceptance

[asparagus_liker]

I was just accepted to a DO school, but I am waiting to hear back from 20 other MD schools.
The acceptance requires that I send a deposit and sign an agreement to attend within a few days.

If I accept this agreement, but get accepted to an MD school and say yes to that one too, what will happen?

Will AMCAS deny my admission because I already agreed to AACOMAS?

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[Mr.Smile12]

First AMCAS doesn't act...the schools do. Second, you ultimately have to choose one school to attend. People give up DO spots to take MD spots frequently.

CYMS won't list AACOMAS programs, so you have to pay honestly according to all traffic rules.

 

[asparagus_liker]

First AMCAS doesn't act...the schools do. Second, you ultimately have to choose one school to attend. People give up DO spots to take MD spots frequently.

CYMS won't list AACOMAS programs, so you have to pay honestly according to all traffic rules.

Okay, so it is normal to sign the agreement to attend a DO school, wait several months, and then violate the agreement to go to an MD school?
Will I be in legal trouble, will the MD school be angry with me for accepting a DO school and then accepting them too?

 

[chilly_md]

They are separate. Every year, there are a good number of students planning on going to a DO school who get into an MD school later in the cycle.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Okay, so it is normal to sign the agreement to attend a DO school, wait several months, and then violate the agreement to go to an MD school?
Will I be in legal trouble, will the MD school be angry with me for accepting a DO school and then accepting them too?

If you pay their nonrefundable deposits, what can they do? No one has ever placed a warrant on an incoming student as far as I know.

Relax. It will be fine, and it happens more often than your think.

 

[asparagus_liker]

They are separate. Every year, there are a good number of students planning on going to a DO school who get into an MD school later in the cycle.

Well, I am required to sign a formal agreement to hold my spot at the DO school.
I am afraid of legal action from the DO school, or the MD school that accepts me rescinding their acceptance because I violated the DO school agreeement.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Well, I am required to sign a formal agreement to hold my spot at the DO school.
I am afraid of legal action from the DO school, or the MD school that accepts me rescinding their acceptance because I violated the DO school agreeement.

Get a law student to read it pro bono, but it's a contract that won't go into full effect until orientation.

I don't know which school to refer to, but you aren't a student until you complete orientation and officially matriculate.

 

[gyngyn]

I am afraid of legal action from the DO school, or the MD school that accepts me rescinding their acceptance because I violated the DO school agreeement.

Fear not.

 

[asparagus_liker]

Fear not.

I am sure this situation has happened before.
I'm just afraid of the MD school rescinding their offer after finding out I agreed to a DO school.
"A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush," but there are some MD schools that I am waiting to hear back from that I would prefer over the DO school that accepted me.

 

[RockClimberMed]

but I am waiting to hear back from 20 other MD schools.

For the 20 MD schools, have you interviewed at any of them? If not, I would just go ahead and pay the DO deposit as it's pretty unlikely you will hear from any of them if you have not already. Congrats on your acceptance.

 

[LizzyM]

The fact that they get to keep your (large) non-refundable deposit takes enough of the sting out of it that the DO school will let you go. It happens multiple times every cycle.

 

[jvj24601]

You're not violating anything. You pay the deposit and accept with the condition that if you no longer wish to or can't go, you lose the deposit.

 

[candbgirl]

“but I am waiting to hear back from 20 other MD schools.”

How many of these schools have you interviewed at? Are you waitlisted or waiting for initial response after interviews? Do you have any As from MD schools? If so, would you really consider giving the MD spot up for a DO spot?

 

[asparagus_liker]

“but I am waiting to hear back from 20 other MD schools.”

How many of these schools have you interviewed at? Are you waitlisted or waiting for initial response after interviews? Do you have any As from MD schools? If so, would you really consider giving the MD spot up for a DO spot?

I have not interviewed at any of them, no. I have no other A's.

I have an odd non-trad application, and I am hoping that is why they are delaying, but it seems I shouldn't bet on it.

 

[gyngyn]

I have not interviewed at any of them, no. I have no other A's.

I have an odd non-trad application, and I am hoping that is why they are delaying, but it seems I shouldn't bet on it.

Pay the deposit.
All you lose if you get another acceptance, is the cash.

 

[eigen]

This is pretty frequent among my students. They're out the deposit, which hurts, but that's the only issue they run into.

DO schools have the deposit because they know this will happen, and they will still be able to make their class but also get $$.

Personally, I think it's an unpleasant tactic on the part of schools to force an early decision. I get why they do it, but I tend to think less of schools when they do it, especially when it's a particularly early offer with a short deadline.

There's a reason the CGS exists for doctoral programs with a set decision deadline, and there's a similar reason why AMCAS has an agreed upon deadline for choosing schools. Both are to ensure that applicants are deciding between offers together which makes it smoother than a series of accept/rescind decisions, and it also stops the "arms race" between schools for earlier and earlier acceptances to scare students into accepting because they have no other offers.

When you don't have that, then applicants have to make the decision that's best for them: and that's often accept an offer, pay the deposit, and then back out if they get a better one.

 

[LizzyM]

Without the deposits, DO schools would really suffer with the melt that happens in the spring and summer as people holding DO offers get off MD waitlists. (Melt is an admissions term for people who accept an offer then back out.) At least the cash is a comfort as they scramble to choose applicants from their own waitlist.

 

[eigen]

Sure, I get that.

But I feel like the artificially short and early timelines they give people to accept also means they get a lot more melt than they would if they had acceptance deadlines that aligned more with MD programs.

 

[LizzyM]

Sure, I get that.

But I feel like the artificially short and early timelines they give people to accept also means they get a lot more melt than they would if they had acceptance deadlines that aligned more with MD programs.

But then they couldn't collect and keep those hefty deposits. I have never worked in a DO school but I think that it is a revenue stream that they have grown accustomed to and would be loath to give up.

 

[eigen]

Very true! But that's why I tend to think it's a little predatory. I would suggest that, like with many other similar things, it disproportionately makes money off of the back of some of the most vulnerable student populations who can least afford it.

I also work very heavily with first gen, low income students who are (a) easily scared into feeling like they need to accept, and (b) often really struggle with the finances of the deposit.

It's just like with the CGS resolution for graduate schools. Does it likely make it harder for lower ranked programs to fill a class, because students know all of their options before applying? Sure. But it's also the right thing to do with respect to students, especially from an equity perspective.

I think it made a lot more sense when MD and DO were more separate paths than they are now, but with the increasing acceptance (i.e., merger of residency programs) having two completely different timelines for acceptances is going to be increasingly challenging for students to navigate. With, again, a disproportionate impact on students who are the most vulnerable.

Sorry, I know this has gotten off topic for the immediate topic of the thread, it's just something I feel strongly is worth acknowledging- especially where students (like in this case) feel trapped, scared, and worried about legal retribution for things that are intentionally set up to manipulate them in some way.

 

[Goro]

Okay, so it is normal to sign the agreement to attend a DO school, wait several months, and then violate the agreement to go to an MD school?
Will I be in legal trouble, will the MD school be angry with me for accepting a DO school and then accepting them too?

We have students who matriculate, and then within the first month of classes, bail on us to go to another MD school, especially our state school.

It is perfectly OK to dump a DO accept to go to an MD schools.

The two systems are completely separate. The MD school will have no way of knowing you did anything with the DO world.

I have not interviewed at any of them, no. I have no other A's.
Get used tot he idea that you will be VERY likely attending that DO school, and please don't be a self-hating DO student.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Sure, I get that.

But I feel like the artificially short and early timelines they give people to accept also means they get a lot more melt than they would if they had acceptance deadlines that aligned more with MD programs.

It is consistent with the AACOMAS Traffic Guidelines. We are in the 14 day period until April 30. Thereafter deposits should be paid immediately/as soon as possible. It hasn't changed as far as I can see from SDN post history. Caveat emptor.

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[candbgirl]

I have not interviewed at any of them, no. I have no other A's.

I have an odd non-trad application, and I am hoping that is why they are delaying, but it seems I shouldn't bet on it.

Pay the deposit and go celebrate with friends and family. You are going to be a doctor. Congratulations.

 

[RunnerDad]

Well, I am required to sign a formal agreement to hold my spot at the DO school.
I am afraid of legal action from the DO school, or the MD school that accepts me rescinding their acceptance because I violated the DO school agreeement.

Lawyer here, late to the party. The DO school would have no contractual remedy outside of keeping your nonrefundable deposit. If they (unwisely) attempted to go after every candidate who paid them the deposit and then accepted and enrolled at another school, they would end up losing more good candidates than they would retain -- word travels fast. Also, a court is loathe to issue an order of specific performance, i.e., forcing someone to perform under a contract where the person has not received anything of value already in exchange for that performance.

This is not legal advice, it's just general guidance about all such contracts. You'll have "performed" under the contract by paying them the deposit, so long as you don't go ahead and enroll and start classes (and even in that case, they really wouldn't have a remedy except possibly make you pay tuition for those classes in which you were enrolled, IF it were required by the school's regular tuition refund policies).