withdrew application then received nasty letter

[skijumpbump]

I was invited to interview at a certain school about 3 months ago and accepted the offer and scheduled an date interview date there. After getting into my top choice school I withdrew my application from this school which I had a scheduled interview at. I did this via their online application (I actually did this twice to ensure that I had withdrawn).

Today I get a call from this school asking me where I am because I am late for my interview, and they sounded pretty upset. I told them that I had withdrawn my application a month ago, and that I was sorry if there was any confusion (I don't know why this would be as I withdrew from the school twice). They said that this happens and that it was okay.

Here is the catch, I received this scathing email from the school today. They said:

"Because you did not come for your scheduled interview, we are assuming that you no longer wish to pursue your candidacy. Therefore, your file has been withdrawn from consideration. Please remember in the future that you are responsible for notifying a school before you are expected for the interview if you cannot attend. By not doing so, you have cost another candidate the opportunity to interview and have caused a wasted hour for one of the committee members. We consider this quite unprofessional on the part of a candidate.

We wish you the best of success with your alternate plans."

I really feel bad about this, since I did cost someone an interview spot and probably inconvenienced my interviewer. The this is I withdrew my application a month in advance. I know the medical community is small so I don't want to burn any bridges. On the other hand I do not feel that I have done anything unprofessional. Does anyone have any advice on wether I should send the school a letter explaining everything. Has anyone had a similar situation, or can offer me advice?

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[link2swim06]

If this is not a troll attempt, I would not feel bad at all. I mean if you actually did withdrawal your application this is 100% their problem. If I got an email like this I would response by telling them this was their mistake and NOT mine. Furthermore that there email is unnecessary and that to prevent future problems like this they should get their internal processes in order.

 

[scarletgirl777]

I was invited to interview at a certain school about 3 months ago and accepted the offer and scheduled an date interview date there. After getting into my top choice school I withdrew my application from this school which I had a scheduled interview at. I did this via their online application (I actually did this twice to ensure that I had withdrawn).

Today I get a call from this school asking me where I am because I am late for my interview, and they sounded pretty upset. I told them that I had withdrawn my application a month ago, and that I was sorry if there was any confusion (I don't know why this would be as I withdrew from the school twice). They said that this happens and that it was okay.

Here is the catch, I received this scathing email from the school today. They said:

"Because you did not come for your scheduled interview, we are assuming that you no longer wish to pursue your candidacy. Therefore, your file has been withdrawn from consideration. Please remember in the future that you are responsible for notifying a school before you are expected for the interview if you cannot attend. By not doing so, you have cost another candidate the opportunity to interview and have caused a wasted hour for one of the committee members. We consider this quite unprofessional on the part of a candidate.

We wish you the best of success with your alternate plans."

I really feel bad about this, since I did cost someone an interview spot and probably inconvenienced my interviewer. The this is I withdrew my application a month in advance. I know the medical community is small so I don't want to burn any bridges. On the other hand I do not feel that I have done anything unprofessional. Does anyone have any advice on wether I should send the school a letter explaining everything. Has anyone had a similar situation, or can offer me advice?

That sounds like a form email. I would reply to it politely re-explaining the situation and referencing the phone call. My advisor has said that not showing up for interviewers poisons schools' opinions of future applicants from your undergrad (why I don't know, that seems unfair) and like you said, don't want to burn any bridges, so just be polite.

 

[Retsage]

Really now, who gives a damn?

You did what you needed to, they screwed up. This is not your problem, nor do you need to rectify the situation in any way, shape, or form. Ignore the email and move on.

 

[DrYoda]

That doesn't really sound scathing, it it sounds like a generic email. Their problem for being disorganized, I would just brush it off and move on.

congrats on getting into your numero uno.

 

[airplanes]

Seems like all their people aren't on the same page? The email seems like a form to me as well. They probably just send it to everyone they think skipped their interview. It's not your fault at all so I wouldn't feel bad. I would just write them a letter or something to clear the air for other applicants coming from your school

 

[156925]

I was invited to interview at a certain school about 3 months ago and accepted the offer and scheduled an date interview date there. After getting into my top choice school I withdrew my application from this school which I had a scheduled interview at. I did this via their online application (I actually did this twice to ensure that I had withdrawn).

Today I get a call from this school asking me where I am because I am late for my interview, and they sounded pretty upset. I told them that I had withdrawn my application a month ago, and that I was sorry if there was any confusion (I don't know why this would be as I withdrew from the school twice). They said that this happens and that it was okay.

Here is the catch, I received this scathing email from the school today. They said:

"Because you did not come for your scheduled interview, we are assuming that you no longer wish to pursue your candidacy. Therefore, your file has been withdrawn from consideration. Please remember in the future that you are responsible for notifying a school before you are expected for the interview if you cannot attend. By not doing so, you have cost another candidate the opportunity to interview and have caused a wasted hour for one of the committee members. We consider this quite unprofessional on the part of a candidate.

We wish you the best of success with your alternate plans."

I really feel bad about this, since I did cost someone an interview spot and probably inconvenienced my interviewer. The this is I withdrew my application a month in advance. I know the medical community is small so I don't want to burn any bridges. On the other hand I do not feel that I have done anything unprofessional. Does anyone have any advice on wether I should send the school a letter explaining everything. Has anyone had a similar situation, or can offer me advice?

You have exactly what you want, admission to your top choice.
Replying will yield a neutral outcome at best, and more likely a negative outcome.
Leave it alone.

 

[chiz2kul]

There is nothing really nasty about the email they sent you.

 

[umean2tellme]

You're in where u want to be so no harm done. But I would understand if you were tempted to reply with an equally nasty email stating how you withdrew a month earlier and it is unprofessional of THEM to send such an email to you when it was THEIR mistake in the first place.

 

[Depakote]

I could see that happening. Plenty of disorganized admissions offices out there and if someone didn't show for an interview that the office thought they were scheduled for, it might peeve some people.

You probably don't need to sweat it, but it wouldn't hurt to send them an e-mail and reference your initial phone call and online application withdrawal. Worst that would happen is that they don't make this mistake in the future.

 

[rama kandra]

thanks. that was my spot btw. jk. congrats on your top choice.

forget em, they are all robots anyway.

 

[skijumpbump]

I am not a troll. I guess the email does seem like a form response but I guess I will send them a reply message explaining my conversation on the phone and I will explain the situation again. I don't think any damage can be done from this, and as was mentioned I might be helping other applicants from my undergrad.

 

[pianola]

Yeah, just explain the situation politely. I think you're fine. Sorry, I know that's a frustrating situation.

When I withdrew from one of my schools, I got e-mails from October to December asking me to upload a picture of myself onto their on-line form. I had to tell them 3 times I had withdrawn and I *still* got an e-mail after that.

So I gave up. Hopefully they got it all figured out.

 

[IDoIt4Love]

While it is pretty lame that even after withdrawing AND explaining over the phone that you've withdrawn, you still got this letter, I understand your concern. I think you should just respond politely but frankly, telling them how many times you've withdrawn and how far in advance you did that. Then add that you don't appreciate all the additional/superfluous communications after already having the matter well taken care of.

 

[TheElement]

Do you think the second withdrawal online might have unwithdrew you?

Either way, I also got a confusing email from one of the emails I applied to. I got an interview invite just like you and turned it down but a couple months later I got an email saying that I wasn't qualified enough to get an interview and it wished me the best of luck. The adcom doesn't have enough time so I guess they send out these blanket emails all the time.

 

[waytooez]

That sounds like a form email. I would reply to it politely re-explaining the situation and referencing the phone call. My advisor has said that not showing up for interviewers poisons schools' opinions of future applicants from your undergrad (why I don't know, that seems unfair) and like you said, don't want to burn any bridges, so just be polite.

so if a harvard undergrad didnt show up to his interview at johns hopkins, johns hopkins will never interview any more candidates from harvard? hard to believe what your advisor says is true unless the undergrad is not a well known school

 

[Superman78]

I hope all future doctors don't obsess about meaningless stuff. This is a non-issue. It was a clerical or computer error that you had nothing to do with.

 

[202781]

I was invited to interview at a certain school about 3 months ago and accepted the offer and scheduled an date interview date there. After getting into my top choice school I withdrew my application from this school which I had a scheduled interview at. I did this via their online application (I actually did this twice to ensure that I had withdrawn).

Today I get a call from this school asking me where I am because I am late for my interview, and they sounded pretty upset. I told them that I had withdrawn my application a month ago, and that I was sorry if there was any confusion (I don't know why this would be as I withdrew from the school twice). They said that this happens and that it was okay.

Here is the catch, I received this scathing email from the school today. They said:

"Because you did not come for your scheduled interview, we are assuming that you no longer wish to pursue your candidacy. Therefore, your file has been withdrawn from consideration. Please remember in the future that you are responsible for notifying a school before you are expected for the interview if you cannot attend. By not doing so, you have cost another candidate the opportunity to interview and have caused a wasted hour for one of the committee members. We consider this quite unprofessional on the part of a candidate.

We wish you the best of success with your alternate plans."

I really feel bad about this, since I did cost someone an interview spot and probably inconvenienced my interviewer. The this is I withdrew my application a month in advance. I know the medical community is small so I don't want to burn any bridges. On the other hand I do not feel that I have done anything unprofessional. Does anyone have any advice on wether I should send the school a letter explaining everything. Has anyone had a similar situation, or can offer me advice?

Prolly not what you want to hear...but who gives a **** what that school says. You know you did the right thing. I would write them back and tell them whats up. Maybe include your acceptance to the better school.

 

[ButImLETired]

I hope all future doctors don't obsess about meaningless stuff. This is a non-issue. It was a clerical or computer error that you had nothing to do with.

Oh, the old "I disagree with what you said so I'm going to suggest you're gonna make a bad doctor". Always so charming

 

[beachblonde]

I hate to say this, but.....

I think this serves as a good lesson that it's best to call to cancel interviews. It's one thing to withdraw an app still under consideration via an online system, but you need to call or email (preferably call) to withdraw from an interview.

While I don't think you did anything wrong, OP, there was a better way to ensure that the school could have given your interview spot to another candidate.

But hey, you got into your top choice, so you win!

 

[Thrombomodulin]

.

 

[scarletgirl777]

so if a harvard undergrad didnt show up to his interview at johns hopkins, johns hopkins will never interview any more candidates from harvard? hard to believe what your advisor says is true unless the undergrad is not a well known school

I wouldn't say my school is not well known, but that's what I was told, that it would reflect badly. I doubt that means they'd start to give blanket rejections from undergrads, but if a school started to notice that 25% of people from school x who they offered interviews to failed to show up without officially withdrawing, I think that would look bad. I guess a bigger issue is that in schools with good advisors, they need good relationships with med schools in order to get valuable information for us or discuss problem interviewers, and this kind of behavior makes that job harder.

 

[LizzyM]

Believe me, no one with the power to make decisions about who will get an interview will discriminate against an excellent applicant fro having attended a school that was attended by someone who failed to show up for an interview.

When you withdrew, you interacted with a computer.

A second computer, that does not interface with the first computer, sent the nasty-gram (which wasn't really nasty, but just a form letter for "no shows").

When you withdrew your application you didn't cancel your interview. Maybe it didn't occur to you that you'd need to cancel the interview but you didn't know that the two computers are independent of each other.

Lesson learned.

No further communication is necessary. There are no humans there, only computers, and they don't care.