I Think That The AAMC Is Selling Our Addresses

[rxfudd]

My parents got a letter on Saturday from a medical supplies company telling them how important it was that I took the MCAT - so important, in fact, that they should take advantage of a special offer to purchase me my first stethoscope, engraved and everything for only $285 (!!!).

I sort of brushed it off as more of the weird luck I have been having until I got a letter addressed to me today from the AACPM (Podiatry Association) telling me that, and I quote, "Now that you have taken the MCAT, you owe it to yourself to take on more step in the right direction...consider podiatric medicine as a career."

Ignoring the fact that the AAMC is a non-profit organization, doesn't it seem as if they've already taken enough of our money to not have to sell our addresses? There will be approximately 35,000 applicants this year applying to an average of 9 medical schools each. That comes to a grand total of $13,600,000 for the AAMC.

Now - assuming that they have 6 people working in the AMCAS offices (which, from our experiences, is probably generous), and that each of them is making even $100,000 a year (which is even more generous than my first act of generosity above), that leaves the AAMC with 13 million dollars a year solely from our applications. Quite a chunk of change for a "non-profit" organization.

So come on - don't sell my address. Although, that stethoscope was looking pretty nice...

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[moo]

Yep, I got that stupid advertisement too... not the podiatry one but the stethoscope one. And the funny thing is, they even got my address printed WRONG and they still got it to my address. C'mon, when did I authorize the AAMC to sell my information so I can get SPAM? Crazy!

 

[Popoy]

Hey, rxfudd, maybe this is how you got featured in the newspaper

Isn't all this illegal?

I'm sure AMCAS is smart enough or at least I hope they are.... There's only one answer.... There's a MOLE

 

[imtiaz]

I got that letter from the NYCPM too. Curiously, when I scored higher on the MCAT, I didn't get it a second time. I think they just get a score release and send people letters that fit their score range.

 

[Amy B]

Hi, I also received the "to the proud parents of..." mail for the stethscope and the Podiatry junk. I get very angry when i get telemarketing calls to my house and do everything I can to prevent them.

My question is if they are giving out our addresses are they also giving out our phone numbers, SS#, our birth dates, etc.....?

Is nothing safe? Shouldn't they have asked us if we wanted to receive things from people who wanted to sell us stuff? Where are our rights???

 

[fishtolive]

yep, got the same thing...what a bunch of bull...o.k., let me buy your stethescope since i'm in frickin college and can't even use it right now...makes sense!

 

[Jamier2]

Unlike the rest of you, I was thrilled to recieve my podiatry pitch in the mail today. It sure is a good thing they sent it, now I'm going there instead of med school.

 

[Smoke This]

Originally posted by Jamier2:
•Unlike the rest of you, I was thrilled to recieve my podiatry pitch in the mail today. It sure is a good thing they sent it, now I'm going there instead of med school. •

LOL

I took the August 2000 MCAT, and my mailbox at school was filled with podiatry, osteopathic, etc. mailings practically until I moved out the next summer. It reminds you that not getting in to an allopathic program isn't the end of the world, no?

About that stethoscope thing--I wouldn't get that crap even if I were a matriculant. Come on, engraving?? It might as well say "pretentious jerk, MD."

 

[dtreese]

Yeah, Smoke This, but they also give you antibacterial covers for the scope. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

 

[Smoke This]

Originally posted by dtreese:
•Yeah, Smoke This, but they also give you antibacterial covers for the scope. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. •

Oh, right.

Does the engraved plate have an antibacterial cover as well?

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Smoke This:
•Come on, engraving?? It might as well say "pretentious jerk, MD." •

I wonder if they'd put that on it, if you asked. (Yes, I would, but that's just me. You know nobody would ever steal it that way.)

 

[MDgonnabe]

Originally posted by dtreese:
•Yeah, Smoke This, but they also give you antibacterial covers for the scope. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. •

Forget antibacterial. Has anyone invented one with a heating pad on it??? Those things can get cold!

 

[punkin2]

When I got mine, I thought Kaplan had sold my name. I figured AMCAS would be above something like that.

Maybe not.

 

[skelly99]

I am pretty sure that this comes from checking the box on the MCAT allowing them to send you information on programs, scholarships, etc.

 

[dtreese]

Originally posted by MDwannabe:
•Forget antibacterial. Has anyone invented one with a heating pad on it??? Those things can get cold! •

I have a funny story about that. When I was 3, my mom took me in to the doctor and he took off my shirt to use the stethoscope. The foolish pediatrician didn't warm it before he put it on my chest, and being the child that I was, I grabbed the scope, put it in front of my mouth, and yelled, "HEY! THAT'S COLD!" Heh heh. I bet he warms his stethoscope to this day.

 

[E'01]

Ooooooooh and I thought I was special... I guess we all got em!