Abe said:
I'm going to tell you the truth, i joined amsa to pad the EC part of the application which im really light on so anything will help, didn't really look into it, i dont think any of us have really, we dont really talk politics in their, or know what amsa stands for.
That's sad, because it's so true. It's like voting for a political party because a celebrity told you to.
It's understandable that you wanted to help pad your EC part, but let me tell you, adcoms aren't impressed by simply paying money too, or claiming membership in an organization. They are looking for substantial investment in a cause, be it a career, volunteer work, research, etc.
The deceitful thing about AMSA is that they prey on pre-meds as well as new med students just before matriculation or during orientation.
They charge $70.00 for a 5 year membership, because they know full well that once most people find out what they stand for, they wouldn't renew.
In addition, the Netters that they give out for "free" is most likely bought in bulk by the bank that issues the credit card that you must apply for in order to get the book.
So lets see who wins here,
Bank: Loses around 40.00 for Netters, but reaps a large potential award in future credit card interest and fees. WINNER!!!
AMSA: Gains your $70.00, because they don't pay anything for the book, they are simply an intermediary between you and the credit issuing bank.
With this money, they can continue to dribble their liberal political ideology into Washington and throughout the country, pretending to represent the interest of the majority of medical students, because they now have your name on their roles as a "supporting" member.
WINNER!!!
YOU: Just realized the scam you were taken for, but now can't do anything about it. LOSER!!!
So what can you do? I'll tell you. Money talks. Hit them in the wallet. They may already have your money, or maybe they don't. Either way, you can now EDUCATE OTHERS about the true tactics of this organization, and thus help decrease future money from flowing into the organization. I plan to do alot of talking to students, premeds and potential premeds alike, as well as letter-writing campaigns around the country. In addition, if Dr. Coburn is elected, I have some pretty close ties to him as well. This is exactly the kind of issue that he would jump on. As a side note, in my interview for OU, it was remarked by one of the interviewers, that I could well be Tom Coburn's long lost son
. I feel strongly, that the political issues that we discussed that day, and more specifically, my conviction and desire to effect political change, helped immensely in my acceptance.
If you're not that political, you at least need to start getting that way. Politics in medicine are the future. They will determine whether you and your patient get to decide, or whether Ted Kennedy gets to decide.
AMSA has no business spouting "official" opinions about social issues which don't relate to medical students. Gun control, the war in Iraq, and foreign policy are absolutely irrelevant issues in the context of a medical student organization, and while important, shouldn't be decided by a few liberals running the organization. My goal is intellectual honesty. If these people are going to hold those opinions, then they need to express them just as loudly at the table where they sign people up, as they do on the internet and in Washington. To do otherwise is cultic, and deceitful.
In short, I plan to do everything I possibly can to encourage those who may simply want to pad their application to educate themselves about this organization, and to ask yourself, "Is this what I support?"
Again, the adcoms don't give a crap whether you belong to an organization such as AMSA, and in all honesty, I believe in my interview, had I known at that time about the true motives of AMSA in particular (we mostly discussed current hot political topics), it would have been a GREAT topic of discussion. Keep in mind that most physicians, including those on adcoms, are conservative and would rather hear an applicant describe why he/she DIDN'T join AMSA. It shows leadership and independence, vs. the following mentality that you described in trying to do what everyone else is doing. I'm not faulting you for trying to do what it takes to get into med school. I understand that, but this is my free tip to you. If you subscribe to the ideology behind AMSA, then you are free to do so, but if you do not, I invite you to get mad about it. It could make the difference in distinguishing you as a someone who has the initiative and the drive (exactly what the adcoms are looking for).
Example: Out of the 40 of you, I'm quite sure that in Oklahoma, at OSU, many would not support a nationwide handgun ban. I'm also fairly sure that many are opposed to abortion, especially partial-birth aborion. I'll bet there are a more than a few Bush supporters. I also doubt that many of you want to become doctors in a socialized medicine state.
I make these assumptions about your group, as this would be a cross section of our current class, though there are the occasional liberals in the crowd who clutch their AMSA card w/ pride.
I invite you to talk to your fellow classmates, and ditch the AMSA tour. You're more than welcome to come tour the campus, again, I would be happy to show you all around, and you can do so knowing you're not supporting AMSA.
Again, have NO doubts that AMSA membership is worthless for an EC pad, (and don't forget my bit of interview advice). I think you'll find it more useful than any of the feel-good canned answers you'll read about.
Tony
Seriously though, let me know when you guys will be around.
