If VSAS doesn't open up tomorrow...

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Arodgeisfire said:
I once got a rejection a cool 18 months after I applied to one

I found those who ran VSAS for programs to be HIGHLY unprofessional
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I'm about to be an intern and I still get rejections. I reamed VSAS on a recent survey, don't remember where it was from but I think it was the required school exit survey.
 
RamsFan&FutureDO said:
Real question, has anyone gotten any acceptances/rejections from apps yet? XD impatience is real
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I’m actually getting rejections that tell me to reapply if I’m from in state. So instead of reviewing apps, they just mass cancel and everyone should reapply— even you’re in state.

Im also getting cancellations from places saying they’re not accepting students until October for example and we should reapply if we want the rotation. There’s no info on their sites or on VSAS that they aren’t accepting students.

This is straight trash.
 
RamsFan&FutureDO said:
Real question, has anyone gotten any acceptances/rejections from apps yet? XD impatience is real
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I had one rejection this morning that stated they were taking students in October.

Immediately got a rejection email that they weren't taking students for 2020-2021 year.

Gotta love it.
 
RamsFan&FutureDO said:
LOL I applied to 2 places that apparently aren't taking ANY students and just didn't bother to touch VSAS. If programs weren't going to bother adjusting their catalogs they should've just opened VSAS last week. Incredible.
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On an old thread asking how VSAS worked I warned everyone of this. HEED THE WARNING PEOPLE!
 
Espressso said:
Ha, I remember your comments vividly. You were on one on that thread. I remember thinking, man this guy seems salty af.

What, a year later now? I'm now thinking, this dude knew what was up.
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Keep in mind this is a whole new racket. Past students didn't have to deal with this. It's up to us to look out for each other.
 
Scrubs101 said:
Is the refund form up yet? Last i saw they said it wont be available until late summer
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Yes, on the FAQs it says that those that think that they will be eligible for refunds will be able to fill out a form when it becomes available in August.

I called them yesterday to confirm this, which they did, and they added that their legal team was still in the process of looking over and developing the form.

Somehow VSAS finds it totally acceptable that they can instantaneously take money from us, but not ~maybe~ return our money to us for another 3 months. I. Just. Don't. Get. It.

I would just do a credit card charge back because of how shifty and unacceptable this behavior is, but I don't want to risk any negative repercussions, however unlikely they may be.

Y'all can do whatever, but my plan moving forward is to keep track of my VSAS purchases needing to be refunded (i.e. my applications to programs that I am no longer eligible for/were cancelled due to COVID), wait for this form to come out in August, fill it out, and hopefully get refunded. If that does not occur, I will be going through my credit card company.

I only applied to a few programs (4), but if I applied to more, I would be much more demanding of getting my money refunded ASAP.
 
green&white21 said:
Yes, on the FAQs it says that those that think that they will be eligible for refunds will be able to fill out a form when it becomes available in August.

I called them yesterday to confirm this, which they did, and they added that their legal team was still in the process of looking over and developing the form.

Somehow VSAS finds it totally acceptable that they can instantaneously take money from us, but not ~maybe~ return our money to us for another 3 months. I. Just. Don't. Get. It.

I would just do a credit card charge back because of how shifty and unacceptable this behavior is, but I don't want to risk any negative repercussions, however unlikely they may be.

Y'all can do whatever, but my plan moving forward is to keep track of my VSAS purchases needing to be refunded (i.e. my applications to programs that I am no longer eligible for/were cancelled due to COVID), wait for this form to come out in August, fill it out, and hopefully get refunded. If that does not occur, I will be going through my credit card company.

I only applied to a few programs (4), but if I applied to more, I would be much more demanding of getting my money refunded ASAP.
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They actually said "legal team"? That's hilarious. They couldn't say "our customer service". They're running it by their lawyers. If they can refund us our $45 or $100. @Giovanotto is right.. it's a racket.
 
Last edited:
I just deleted a long post about a horrible VSAS experience I had with a specific program today. I really want to withdraw my application now. Why isn't there a refund for students withdrawing an application? Feels like that should be a thing.
 
sunshinefl said:
I’m sad I missed the post 🙁
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No no, just wrote it out here then deleted it. Basically I had a simple question about their VSAS requirement and went through FOUR people who were supposed to be the contact for visiting students, but they weren't. VSAS contact was wrong, GME website was wrong, and their actual gme email gave me instructions on who to call, but the other person on the end of the line stated, "If you are a student applying through VSAS, this is not the way to do it. Bye," and hangs up on me mid-sentence. I barely introduced myself.

Suffice to say, I'm withdrawing my app after weighing the pros and cons of this program.
 
Espressso said:
They actually said "legal team"? That's hilarious. They couldn't say "our customer service". They're running it by their lawyers. If they can refund us our $45 or $100. @Giovanotto is right.. it's a racket.
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I kid you not, they said "legal team." I went up the chain 2x as well to respectfully ask why they were not going to refund people now. I kept my cool and didn't press the issue any more than I needed to when I knew they weren't going to budge on the issue. Honestly, in retrospect, I probably should have just demanded an immediate refund, but I played the "gathering information" card instead to no avail.

If I can empathize even just a smidgen with VSAS, I would say that given how volatile everything is at the moment, with some programs ghosting, others accepting students in the fall, others denying and accepting nobody for 2020-21, others asking students to withdraw and then reapply, etc. etc. it might be difficult to assess who is really eligible for a refund right now. I.e. perhaps a program is still accepting visiting students, but only starting in December. However, this is still not what the applicant had originally applied for in the first place, and IMO should be refunded if they want to withdraw.

I knew how toxic VSAS was going into all of this--the lack of standardization of program requirements, deadlines, expectations, etc--but COVID has added another layer of VSAS and programs being able to manipulate and take advantage of desperate medical students. It's a travesty. I know it's messed-up when I catch myself thinking "oh, I shouldn't worry about jumping through hoops to get refunded, it's only $60 spent on VSAS, I spent way more on ~insert overpriced board exam that got cancelled or a biannual mandatory background check not included in my tuition~."

popopopop said:
I just deleted a long post about a horrible VSAS experience I had with a specific program today. I really want to withdraw my application now. Why isn't there a refund for students withdrawing an application? Feels like that should be a thing.
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I personally know nothing about VSAS's policy on this, but I wouldn't give up hope on a refund. When the time comes, be persistent, state your case, and if necessary, let your credit card company know about these shady practices.
 
getfat said:
Just noticed this as well.

Have a Audition scheduled for July (in philly too). Contact is wrong. I'm getting to the point where i'm wondering if i should just email the PD.
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They probably have a few other administrative people on their website you can try before the PD. I don't think the PD handles vsas.
 
getfat said:
Just noticed this as well.

Have a Audition scheduled for July (in philly too). Contact is wrong. I'm getting to the point where i'm wondering if i should just email the PD.
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Is the contact for the program website different than the contact on vsas? If so, use the program coordinator contact on their website. That's the most reliable, from my limited experience.
 
You can literally apply for rotations on VSAS at programs that closed >1 year ago. This crap should be illegal but hey at least med students get fleeced for money and that’s apparently the point of medical education.
 
This situation should be a rallying cry by all of us to demand more of our institutions, the AACOM, the AOA, and most certainly the NBOME. They’ve taken the easy way with distributive clinical education, rapid expansion of DO schools, and medical examination price extortion for far too long, but sadly as students our power to make any real change is stifled by our need to not piss off the powers at be who hold our futures directly in their hands. I definitely didn’t see this coming 3 years ago or maybe it was there and I didn’t want to see it...


Sent from my iPhone using SDN
 
Espressso said:
Is the contact for the program website different than the contact on vsas? If so, use the program coordinator contact on their website. That's the most reliable, from my limited experience.
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Took your advice and it worked! Got a reply in an hour. So thanks!

They couldn't answer my question but it was nice getting a proper contact.

I'm starting to realize a lot of places are even more paralyzed (from making a decision) with this rioting.
 
getfat said:
Took your advice and it worked! Got a reply in an hour. So thanks!

They couldn't answer my question but it was nice getting a proper contact.

I'm starting to realize a lot of places are even more paralyzed (from making a decision) with this rioting.
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I applied to a few in Chicago...gonna go ahead and just assume I won't get any auditions this year and gonna have to scramble for rotations left and right haha
 
getfat said:
Just got a denial due to COVID.

I thought these schools were given a week to update their electives?
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You’d be amazed how wide spread the lack of action by programs is on there. Looks like the majority just took the coalition statement to mean no aways at all vsas is off


Sent from my iPhone using SDN
 
RamsFan&FutureDO said:
This situation should be a rallying cry by all of us to demand more of our institutions, the AACOM, the AOA, and most certainly the NBOME. They’ve taken the easy way with distributive clinical education, rapid expansion of DO schools, and medical examination price extortion for far too long, but sadly as students our power to make any real change is stifled by our need to not piss off the powers at be who hold our futures directly in their hands. I definitely didn’t see this coming 3 years ago or maybe it was there and I didn’t want to see it...


Sent from my iPhone using SDN
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Every single one of us needs to remember how these organizations have treated us. It has shown me exactly how necessary it is to eliminate all of them. It's time to evolve.
 
AnatomyGrey12 said:
Every single one of us needs to remember how these organizations have treated us. It has shown me exactly how necessary it is to eliminate all of them. It's time to evolve.
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No lie, I was talking to my gf the other day about this **** storm and I mentioned that this is making me want to go into med ed down the line and try to bring some real change from within (soooo hippy dippy, i know). And then I said, I bet some SDN users would be with me doing the same thing say, 10-15 years later after residency and training.
 
Espressso said:
No lie, I was talking to my gf the other day about this **** storm and I mentioned that this is making me want to go into med ed down the line and try to bring some real change from within (soooo hippy dippy, i know). And then I said, I bet some SDN users would be with me doing the same thing say, 10-15 years later after residency and training.
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Absolutely. Ive always been a little interested in education policy for medicine, but the level incompetence makes me want to add it for sure.
 
Hopefully by now you all have figured out where to do rotations during this year. If you're still scrambling for rotations, our GME office has adjusted their policy yet again and are accepting "orphan medical students" (students whose medical schools don't have an affiliated hospital).

There are some requirements like, you have to be in Florida for two weeks before the rotation, or quarantine here two weeks beforehand. But once here you can do multiple back to back rotations at our program. The medical student coordinator could explain them better than I can.

adventhealthorlandogme.com/students

And I have a lot of open spots for rotations in the ICU starting Oct 19th onward.
 
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