Any questions about the conference? Throughout the years we found that a lot of students would bring up issues described below. If, however, your problem or comment doesn't relate to the content of this page, contact us with your inquiry.

Questions

» Is there a specific dress code for the event?
» Can I pay for only one day if I won't be able to stay for the whole two?
» Will lodging be provided?
» I don't have a credit card. How do I register?
» I have a credit card but I don't want to use it online. Can I still register?
» Do you offer special group registration rates?
» Can my parents join me for the conference?
» Can I take my children to the event?
» There are too many workshops scheduled to attend in two days. What should I do?
» Do I have to wear the registration wristband at all times during the conference?
» What if I require special accommodations?
» I can't afford to pay for registration. Do you offer fee waivers?
» I registered for the conference but couldn't make it. Can I still receive the event materials?

Answers

Is there a specific dress code for the event?

On the one hand you will be walking around a college campus all day and should dress comfortably, on the other, however, you will be interacting with important people and a certain degree of professionalism is required. Do your best to balance the two. For example, men can wear slacks along with a polo shirt, oxford shirt, or a T-shirt; women can wear dress pants or a skirt along with a blouse.

Can I pay for only one day if I won't be able to stay for the whole two?

No. Each day has different programming, which makes it hard to establish a fee for each one separately. In addition, we have limited space and we would like to have as many people enjoy the whole event as possible.

Will lodging be provided?

While we don't provide free lodging for conference attendees, we do offer a great deal on hotel rooms at the La Quinta Inn Sacramento North, located 1.5 miles from American River College.

If you would like to share a room with other same-sex conference attendees to save on accomodation, please submit the Room Sharing Request form.

I don't have a credit card. How do I register?

Please contact us as soon as possible at info@amsaarc.org for instructions on how to proceed in such a predicament. It is very important for you to contact us ASAP regarding this matter -- credit card registrants secure their spot automatically by submitting thier billing information online, but a non-credit card request will take longer to process (allow for regular mail delivery time and manual processing).

I have a credit card but I don't want to use it online. Can I still register?

If you are concerned about online transaction security, we recommend setting up a free PayPal account. Also, rest assured that we have absolutely no access to your billing information -- all financial data are processed via secure pay sites of experienced vendors, including PayPal.

Please contact us as soon as possible at info@amsaarc.org for instructions on how to proceed if you don't want to pay for registration with your credit card. It is very important for you to contact us ASAP regarding this matter -- credit card registrants secure their spot automatically by submitting thier billing information online, but a non-credit card request will take longer to process (allow for regular mail delivery time and manual processing).

Do you offer special group registration rates?

Group registration is meant for check payment from a college, club, or organization and does not include a discount. We believe the registration price of $15.00 for a two-day conference is a great deal. We are a student organization with limited funding and cannot afford to foot the bill for this event without charging for admission.

Can my parents join me for the conference?

Yes, provided they register and pay for admission. If your parents' main concern is your safety during the event, let them know there will be plenty of adults around; they would waste their weekend by accompanying you. That said, parents interested in learning more about the path to medical school are more than welcome to attend. Our main advice is to make sure that they join you for the conference for the right reasons.

Back to Top

Can I take my children to the event?

We understand that overcoming child care issues might weigh in heavily on busy parents' conference attendance plans. Since we won't be providing any services in that regard, you're more than welcome to bring your offspring to the event. Our only request is that you show respect toward other pre-med students and don't disturb the speakers at the main building as well as during workshops. There were no complications of this sort during past editions of the conference.

Your child needs to be under the age of 12 in order to be eligible for free admission to the event. If you decide to bring your offspring to the conference, please contact Bartosz Sudol, AMSA ARC VP of IT in order to let us know in advance.

There are too many workshops scheduled to attend in two days. What should I do?

Given the fact that we will be offering 58 workshops during this year's conference, it would be physically impossible for anyone to visit them all (that's also due to the fact that some of them run side by side time wise). It would be most prudent to choose the topics and issues about medical school admissions that interest you the most, or closely relate to your situation, and make sure you attend the applicable sessions; the latter is especially important because of the fact that, due to facility limitations, workshops are limited to 60 attendants per meeting.

If you would like to take part in more workshops than physically possible, you could team up with your friends and make sure every person attends a session of interest to the whole group (overlapping would defeat the purpose of this menauver!). After the conference, you can get together and make each member of the team conduct a mini presentation of the content of the workshop he or she attended.

Do I have to wear the registration wristband at all times during the conference?

Yes. We ask that you wear your wristband at all times during the conference so we can guarantee you access to the event's main session, food, and workshops. If you do not wear your wristband we will ask you to return to the registration desk and put on another one. Also, we ask that you wear your wrist band overnight from Saturday to Sunday night so that you don't have to register back on Sunday morning, loose valuable time, and miss out on your preferred events.

What if I require special accommodations?

If you need any special accommodations during the conference, AMSA ARC will make every effort to attend to them within the organization's means. For specific requests contact us at ceo@amsaarc.org by 8/20/2008 at 11:59 pm. Should you submit your notice after the deadline, we will not be able to guarantee anything due to a short time span.

I can't afford to pay for registration. Do you offer fee waivers?

We have a limited number of fee waivers for attendees who can demonstrate their inability to cover the registration cost. Please submit the Fee Waiver Request form by September 15, 2008 to be considered for the discount.

I registered for the conference but couldn't make it. Can I still receive the event materials?

Although we understand that you may have a good reason for missing the conference, we are unable to supply you with the event materials after the event. Booklets, guides, flyers, and handouts are being distributed by conference coordinators, presenters, and speakers throughout the two day-event, and for that reason it would be very hard for us to compile all of that information and mail it to you. Also, the cost of processing and mailing such a package would be higher than the conference registration fee.

AMSA ARC reserves the right to refuse conference admission to individuals who have purposefully distributed unapproved materials and/or services to attendees during previous event editions. This conference is fully organized and funded by AMSA ARC. We also reserve to right to remove any individuals from the conference who are found to be disruptive and/or attempting to distribute unapproved materials and/or services to conference attendees. If you have any questions in regards to this matter, please e-mail ceo@amsaarc.org.