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Training of medical students at the Frankfurt Goethe University
Photo: Michael Schick / IMAGO
The sentence with which the university in Frankfurt am Main begins the explanation for its failure is 41 words long.
41-word dry formulations of »a transmission error caused by the Goethe University regarding the notification of the number of places to move up to the Foundation for University Admissions«.
What those responsible actually want to say: they messed things up – and promised 282 people a place at a medical school that they don't even have.
The approval was then revoked, by means of a withdrawal notice.
And thus possibly thwarted 280 life plans.
The bureaucratic formulation, which can also be found on the university's website, has legal reasons.
In a personal letter, which SPIEGEL has seen, the contrition with which those responsible in Frankfurt cashed in the promised medical study places shines through.
"It is with extreme regret" that the acceptance of the study place was withdrawn: "We are well aware of the implications of this decision for you." And then the appeal to those affected: "Please contact us!
We are here for you."
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But they are deeply disappointed – and angry.
"I collapsed nervously at the weekend and can't sleep or eat properly," said a 23-year-old on "Hessischer Rundfunk".
For four days she thought she had a place at medical school.
She was "stunned" because her life's dream had now been destroyed by the administrative error.
Because: A simple correction of the error is not possible.
The University of Frankfurt has a total of 421 places to study for medicine (381) and dentistry (40) for the coming winter semester.
The number is limited in particular by the capacity in the laboratories and in contact with patients and can therefore not be increased at will.
However, the university incorrectly reported a total of 703 free places to the Dortmund Foundation for University Admissions, where the coveted medical study places are allocated centrally via the hochschulstart.de website - and all of these were distributed to interested parties.
With the approval, however, all of these applicants are eliminated from the central distribution, their possible assignment to other universities is therefore no longer possible, further successors were included in the lists.
"If we simply feed the affected Frankfurt applicants back into the system, new injustices will arise elsewhere," says hochschulstart spokeswoman Kathrin Stenzel.
With an online petition, the prevented students now want to ensure that the mistake of the university is not at their expense.
"I had received eight other offers and this fake offer made the others expire," writes Nicole Schenk, one of those affected.
She has been waiting for a place at university for four years.
"Because of the offers, I've already given notice of my apartment and employer." She hopes for help from politicians and the public.
By Tuesday afternoon, around 20,000 people had already signed the petition.
"We do everything we can to help those affected," a university spokesman told SPIEGEL.
There is a direct and personal offer of advice to help rejected applicants, and a telephone hotline is currently being prepared.
The spokesman confirmed that those affected can lodge an objection to the rejection within a four-week period.
Only at the end of September, after the objection period has expired, can one say how many of the 282 cases will go to the next legal round.
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