Letter writer withdrawing letter because of misinterpretation! Help!

[Marcion]

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Hi all,

So here's the timeline of events:

1. I ask Dr. Name to write me a LoR back in May. It goes out with my AMCAS and TMDSAS in August.

2. I become complete at all my schools.

3. A week ago, I receive a message from Albert Einstein stating that one of my letters, Dr. Name's, lacks a letterhead. I email Dr. Name about this and he asks if maybe they meant a departmental letterhead. I call AMCAS to confirm that the letter is indeed missing a letterhead and this isn't a problem on Einstein's end. They look at the letter and tell me, yes, it's missing a letterhead.

4. I tell Dr. Name what AMCAS told me. He tells me "I'm not sure exactly what's going on here, but you seem to have violated the confidentiality agreement by receiving information about the content or format of the letter. I will be withdrawing the letter." Attempts to clarify the situation (Why would AMCAS tell me something in violation of their own confidentiality agreement? I specifically asked if they were allowed to tell me about the letter!) are met with "This is not open for discussion."

I am trying hard not to panic right now because I had a good relationship with the professor (or, I thought I did) and he's one of my two science LoR writers. My questions are:

1. Can he actually withdraw the letter now that it's been sent out?
2. If he can, how does this look to med schools?
3. Is there some place I can find a concise explanation of AMCAS policy so I can explain why what I did was not a confidentiality violation?
4. How screwed am I trying to get a new letter in at the last minute? Will this effect people who have reviewed my app already?

Thanks all.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Wow. You violated confidentiality by receiving information from AMCAS? This person is either a ***** or an ***hole or both. Probably both. I would never encourage a stranger on the internet to blow up someone's car but... I can't think of a way to finish this sentence.

Good luck

 

[rilte4]

Does your school have a premed office/advisor that can act as a go-between? If he hears from anyone in some sort of official capacity, he might be a little more hesitant to dismiss you or try to harm your application in some way. This does royally blow, though.

 

[BluMist]

I'd agree with @NotASerialKiller here and sorry that you have to deal with this.
I have no idea if someone can withdraw a letter.
Your best bet might be some official documentation or email from AMCAS to present to him.

 

[IlyaR]

That is pretty ridiculous but perhaps it's for the best. Since he's so anal about such a trivial thing maybe the letter wasn't going to be much of an accolade in the first place

 

[Tommyguns89]

Hmmm, I wonder if he is getting so defensive because he wrote something bad about you.

 

[Lawpy]

Wow. You violated confidentiality by receiving information from AMCAS? This person is either a ***** or an ***hole or both. Probably both. I would never encourage a stranger on the internet to blow up someone's car but... I can't think of a way to finish this sentence.

Good luck

I'd agree with @NotASerialKiller here and sorry that you have to deal with this.
I have no idea if someone can withdraw a letter.
Your best bet might be some official documentation or email from AMCAS to present to him.

Yeah sorry OP. Your professor is an idiot and a saboteur. I'll let the adcoms provide some insight @Goro @LizzyM @gyngyn @Catalystik

 

[gannicus89]

Definitely see if you can communicate with that professor through your premed advisor or academic advisor or even another professor who can vouch for you... That prof really jumped the gun....

 

[Glazedonutlove]

Show him the message from einstein and amcas

If he started off with "I'm not sure what's going on" he misunderstood what you told him

 

[Doug Underhill]

https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...2-475e-805b-05509e19626d/coabulletin13112.pdf

2. Anyone (a pre-medical advisor, letter writer, or applicant) who believes that confidentiality has been breached should concurrently report the incident to the medical school’s admissions officer and Geoffrey H. Young, Ph.D. Senior Director, Student Affairs and Student Programs, AAMC at [email protected]. Reports should include: • Name of the applicant • Date of the incident • Name and/or position of the source of the breach and circumstance (e.g. Dr. Smith during the morning interview, etc.).

I guess you have to email Geoffrey H. Young, Ph.D at the email listed. If anyone can clear this up, he can.

 

[Psai]

Wtfff

 

[Marcion]

Hi all,
Thanks for the supportive responses. My first act was to contact my pre-med advisor, but she was out of the office. She just got back to me. She will try to explain the situation to him.

In the meantime, I called AMCAS. They told me that a letter writer cannot remove a letter that has already been sent out and received. Since I have been complete since September everywhere, that is all my schools. Potentially, he could upload an additional letter saying "Marcion is a confidentiality-breaking ragamuffin and I hope he dies". I am going to be forwarding a copy of my correspondence with Einstein to my schools, and, I suppose to Dr. Young at the AAMC (thanks Doug!).

In the meantime, I had satisfied Einstein's requirement by giving them a copy of my other science LoR, which was apparently formatted correctly. I was just trying to clear this up in case it was an issue at other schools. This'll teach me a lesson about daring to be conscientious! 😵

Honestly at this point I'm almost as upset that this professor thinks I'm some kind of cheater now. He's a great guy, normally very chill, one I look up to some degree, and I'm really bewildered how he misinterpreted the situation like this. I have done my best to make it very clear that I have only received information from AMCAS and the school I applied to. 🙁

 

[soadhead]

There are a few things that AAMC is allowed to tell you about your LoRs: whether they received them, whether they are signed, and whether they have a letterhead. So no confidentiality agreement was broken. I'm guessing the professor thought that maybe they just gave you access to full letter.

 

[rilte4]

Potentially, he could upload an additional letter saying "Marcion is a confidentiality-breaking ragamuffin and I hope he dies".

I don't think he could upload another letter without a second Letter ID? And I don't think an unsolicited letter from him would be logged into your application by AMCAS. He doesn't know which schools you applied to, does he?

 

[Marcion]

I don't think he could upload another letter without a second Letter ID? And I don't think an unsolicited letter from him would be logged into your application by AMCAS. He doesn't know which schools you applied to, does he?

Apparently, LoR writers can "replace" letters by going to the same link they used to upload, (to fix missing letterheads...) but if schools have already received a letter, they would have both copies.

To those suggesting to go in face to face: I suggested (by email) meeting to clarify this afternoon because I was going to be on campus today for my job. This prompted the "I will not discuss this further" response. I believe that there's a good chance he'll tell me to GTFO if I show up at his office.

 

[rilte4]

Apparently, LoR writers can "replace" letters by going to the same link they used to upload, but if schools have already received a letter, they would have both copies.

Oh good, there are multiple ways for them to hold our applications hostage.

 

[Goro]

100% agree.

That is pretty ridiculous but perhaps it's for the best. Since he's so anal about such a trivial thing maybe the letter wasn't going to be much of an accolade in the first place

 

[Marcion]

It can't be too bad a letter, I already got one II with it.

 

[robin911]

My question is: why in the HECK didn't AMCAS see this when they "approved" your letter writer's letter upload???
Don't we pay them to ensure that everything is "correct"?

 

[hiphiphurrah]

Somehow he thinks you got a copy of the letter? Perhaps an e-mail explaining that you have not seen the letter and only been advised that it is not on letter head. And if you solved it with another letter, perhaps just let it be.

 

[NotWayneBrady]

Guy sounds like a massive tool. Take this to administration, he obviously has a major misunderstanding of how things work. One thing I've found some old professor types HATE doing is admitting they goofed up though, so best of luck.

 

[robin911]

Okay, my second question is: have you met with him at all to talk about this? I would sit outside of his office or figure out office hours and talk to him directly about this. It just sounds like a massive miscommunication. I would forward him the email from Einstein and also write down the facts that you were told from AMCAS. Then bring these to him to discuss it.

I also am a believer that if someone takes the time to write a letter and upload it, they probably cared enough about you to do so, meaning slim chance there is a lot of negativity. Maybe he was just having a bad day when you talked to him and communicating with him further may help the situation. #optimism

Trying to stay positive for you.

 

[ChrisMack390]

Do you have enough letters to meet requirements without this one? I would be cautious about "convincing" him to upload a new one...

 

[Almighty Saguaro]

I would never encourage a stranger on the internet to blow up someone's car but... I can't think of a way to finish this sentence.

Yeah, definitely NOT a serial killer

 

[IlDestriero]

Honestly at this point I'm almost as upset that this professor thinks I'm some kind of cheater now. He's a great guy, normally very chill, one I look up to some degree, and I'm really bewildered how he misinterpreted the situation like this. I have done my best to make it very clear that I have only received information from AMCAS and the school I applied to. 🙁

If this douche is one of your heroes I can't imagine what the other faculty are like at your institution of higher learning.
He's not a great guy.
He's not chill.
And he doesn't seem very bright.
Perhaps an idiot savant?
You don't want anything to do with that lunatic.
Good luck.

 

[tea guzzling traveler]

That sucks... Yeah, just do your best to clarify with him, and meet with him in person if possible.