Reasonable complaint to AAMC?

[Kimchi]

Hey guys,

Just wondering, yesterday during my verbal section, the person beside me had their cellphone ring not once but TWICE and the proctor didn't do anything. They just let it ring right through. Most of the people in that room and me couldn't finish(i can't finish it even with no distraction which means I got EVEN WORSE of a mark). Would it be too much to write an email to AAMC about it?

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[USArmyDoc]

Well, if it makes you feel better go ahead. It is not going to make a difference in the long run though. That does stink and I am sorry to hear that it happened. The best you could do is make sure it doesn't happen to others when testing at that center.

 

[DrBowtie]

You can write them but nothing productive will come about.
You could probably void and get a refund if you complain enough but it won't help the curve on your test or anything.

 

[Will Ferrell]

Sorry to hear, but you're S.O.L. What rude schmucks. At my center the main proctor would have kicked that person out immediately.

 

[KLH91584]

I know what you mean. In PS, one girl's cell phone rang 6 times. After the first 2 times, the proctors took it from her and kept it with them. They didn't turn it off, though, and it rang 4 more times. I know nothing can be done about it, but it's so frustrating. I'm sure it didn't affect my score too much, but everytime something happens like that, it breaks your concentration for a split second. I don't understand what's so hard about turning a cell phone off for something as important as the MCAT.

 

[Jon Davis]

I would have taken that dude's phone out of his pocket and stomped all over his goofy phone. I was about ready to knock out the guy behind me who would take these huge deep breaths every 30 seconds. It was freaking annoying. For the verbal, I just read the passages with my hands cupped very tightly over my ears. It worked too!

 

[Mutt]

A couple people forgot to turn off their cellphones after using it during the lunchbreak and my proctor took their bags out into the hallway after they began to ring and just left them there.

Afterwards, the proctor asked that they come up to the front after and receive a verbal beatdown, I suppose...


Anyway, that sucked for you. I would have raised my hand and asked the proctor to do something about it.

 

[Kimchi]

Ahh well, thanks for the reply. I just hope many of the answers were C's for test EK.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I would have taken that dude's phone out of his pocket and stomped all over his goofy phone. I was about ready to knock out the guy behind me who would take these huge deep breaths every 30 seconds. It was freaking annoying. For the verbal, I just read the passages with my hands cupped very tightly over my ears. It worked too!

how can you write with both hands cupped ove ryour ears?

you should have said someting...he may not even have realized i. I guess I kept sighing during my PS section...i had no idea, I wa sin such a chaotic state. someone finally said something to me and i became aware of it and stopped.

 

[frankrizzo18]

Well, since none of you are mentioning your test sites, how can I know if you are telling the truth with affirmations from fellow testers at that site? I took it at New York East Side Marriott. The testing room was on the second floor of that busy building! The street light was right outside the window and throughout the ENTIRE TEST I heard ambulance sirens, Taxi horns, and strange dying-cat sounds. I also had to persevere through an elevator ringing when people arrived to the floor, then came out of the elevator and started talking (because they had no idea there was a test being given on the second floor of one of the premier hotels in New York City!! The only break we caught was that some people did not show up to the testing site so the original 6-foot desks that had three people at them (2 feet per person) were changed to two-person desks! I do not and can not recommend the New York East Side Marriott! I spent time this summer with a psychologist to reduce my anxiety. It was because of my work with a psychologist that I did not let the distractions hinder my performance (atleast I hope)!!! Now, please, someone else that also took it at New York East Side Marriott, affirm our testing conditions!! The damn externalities from the street (and If you were on my side of the room the cellphone that started to ring during BS).

 

[34140]

We had our proctors going in and out of our room during the writing and bio. They kept bringing in sheets, and taking sheets. and they kept using the door near me. God, i was thinking of writing. I dont think i will though,

 

[JohnnyOU]

I don't know how you guys kept cool with cell phones going off...I would've said something if the goobs who are SUPPOSED to say something didn't.

You should've been like..."Look tool....turn that **** off NOW...and then leave, cuz no one wants a doctor who can't follow 2nd grade instructions!"

 

[Jon Davis]

"I know you're probably not supposed to do this, but I'm going to try to use earplugs. I get distracted REALLY easy. Besides if they aren't concerned about cell phones, then they probably won't notice earplugs! LOL!"

I used my hands over my ears. It worked and the proctors didnt say nothing.

"Hey guys,

Just wondering, yesterday during my verbal section, the person beside me had their cellphone ring not once but TWICE and the proctor didn't do anything. They just let it ring right through. Most of the people in that room and me couldn't finish(i can't finish it even with no distraction which means I got EVEN WORSE of a mark). Would it be too much to write an email to AAMC about it?"

Sorry dude, youre SOL. Thats so common now its probably not even viewed as a "genuine" distraction anymore. If you got a bad score, that sucks. You might have to re-write if youre not happy.

 

[eshanim]

i DEF. think you ought to complain, although it probably won't make a difference for you in terms of outcome. but you know, we pay all this money to take the damn test and to apply to schools, and for what. for the proctors to be strict about the most random things and forget about the major things?

when i took it in april, this kid's phone went off twice as well. the most irritating part of it all? it was one of those tool-ish song ringers, you know that song, 'what is love' from the snl skit. it was the most distracting bs of my life, and he was idiotic enough to not turn it off the first time around and so it rang yet again. anyhow, point being that my proctors were visibly annoyed (although they didn't reprimand him at all, not that it would have helped), but there should definitely be harsher punishments for these people who could very easily ruin concentration for someone and the exam as a whole. and by harsher punishment, i mean capital punishment.