Applications to the Hopkins School of Medicine and other medical schools across the nation failed to reach their respective destinations after the application Website of American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) experienced technical glitches this summer.
As a result of problems associated with a new online application process, medical schools have taken a number of steps to ensure that the application process remains fair.
In early August, JHU medical school officials joined their counterparts at other medical schools across the country to devise a solution to the AMCAS problems. In addition, Johns Hopkins began posting special notices on the school's Web site advising students who had applied to follow a number of steps to ensure that the school receives all information vital to admission. The Hopkins site prompted students to send a printed copy of their AMCAS application, MCAT results, official college transcripts and letters of recommendation to the school.
School officials say they are extremely optimistic that the application problems have only cause inconvenience and will not interfere with actual medical school acceptances.
"I'm confident the applicants have nothing to worry about as long as they follow our instructions," says James L. Weiss, M.D., Associate Dean of Admissions at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
The problem stems from the medical school application system run by AMCAS. Typically, potential students first complete the generic application created by AMCAS, which notifies schools of a student's intent to apply. Next, schools like Hopkins send those students a secondary application more specific to the school.
This year, however, AMCAS began requiring all generic applications to be submitted entirely online. Previously, students sent in their applications on floppy disks to AMCAS.
This year, AMCAS began using the new program, which was aimed at centralizing the entire application process online. While developers intended the process to permit applicants to send all vital information ranging from transcripts to personal statements through the Internet, students had trouble logging in.
The Website was slated to begin operating on June 1, but errors forced a delay until June 18. When it finally did open, the site immediately suffered from numerous problems, including software glitches and site crashes.
Students reported spending hours or even longer trying to download an application that should have taken minutes.
"One student told me he spent days trying to download the application online," said Weiss.
These stories quickly became the rule rather than the exception as an increasing number of prospective applicants reported encountering difficulties. Soon the troubles spiraled out of control by midsummer and even after some students were finally able to send their applications to AMCAS, the same company found itself unable to transmit those applications to their respective schools.
The ensuing dilemma has left many medical school applicants with a feeling of being in limbo.
"I tried to start working on applications this summer, but I couldn't get the Website to work," says senior Matt Kleinmaier. "When they first put up the site it was impossible to get on."
Some schools have pushed back application deadlines to accommodate beleaguered students.
"We have our wonderful office staff working overtime," said Weiss. "This whole situation is going to work out fine.
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