It’s an unusual story involving a Mayo Clinic mix-up and mayonnaise.
Students applying to Rochester’s Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine were accidentally sent acceptance letters yesterday.
The institution sent 360 letters of acceptance but then a few hours later informed the hopefuls a technical error was discovered and the letters of acceptance were withdrawn.
Those recipients had all been interviewed for the school and were waiting to hear if they were accepted.
On an online forum many posters say their disappointment was heightened after some told family and friends they were accepted and some even said they'd rejected other offers or withdrew from “wait lists.”
KIMT News 3 Jessica Bringe spoke with one of the impacted applicants through online messages they detailed the apology given to all the applicants.
There was an email and a "scripted" phone call informing everyone they're now “wait listed.” However, the applicants thought the apology was insincere.
So, in response, one applicant (who wishes to remain anonymous) started a humorous GoFundMe page to finance the shipment of 2,000 gallons of mayonnaise to Mayo Clinic's admissions director.
The petition's creator told KIMT it's meant to be a joke pointing out how medical school applicants don't have any power in this process.
Mayo Clinic Public Affairs did provide a statement in response to the mistake:
On Thursday, February 13, 2020, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine erroneously emailed approximately 360 letters of acceptance to talented, engaging individuals seeking an appointment at the medical school. Soon after the emails were sent, a technical error was discovered and the letters of acceptance were withdrawn. Shortly afterward, applicants were notified by email and phone call and those calls are still continuing. We deeply regret having caused disappointment to these applicants, and we are continuing to investigate the issue.
As for how the petition is going so far there have been at least 4 30-pound boxes, 12 one-gallon jugs and forty squeeze bottle of mayonnaise ordered to send to the Mayo Clinic
There haven’t been any donations made to the GoFundMe page at this point though.