Chances after dismissal for two IAs

[Pattycake25]

I have been exchanging some messages with another SDNer who is worried about his prospects, and he gave me permission to post about his situation here. Two years ago, he impersonated two different professors over the course of a semester, attempting to procure test preparation materials from the publisher. I'm hazy about the details at this point, but it appears he was only caught for the second offense originally, and was suspended. A few months later, the first offense came to light, and at this point he was dismissed from the school. He also received an F in one of the two courses (not the other because that professor apparently did not make use of the TP materials himself, thus negating the unfair advantage). He enrolled somewhere else, and finished strong with no further incidents.

I told him that, unfortunately, this leaves him just about no chance of medical school. The way I see it (and I am not an adcom, as I also told him), he basically commit fraud in order to cheat...twice. Even though he swears up and down he has matured, I pointed out that there are just too many applicants without such grave scars on their history to justify taking him. He (and I) would like to know if others can give him more favorable news.

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[mcloaf]

Chances seem vanishingly low to me, but like you I'm no adcom.

I'm interested to see what the attendings say but I think I know the answer...

 

[CrimsonKing]

Ha, this dude has no freaking chance.

Even lesser academic dishonesty events like cheating on an exam or "paraphrasing" on a paper will get you all but blackballed from admissions.

Impersonating professors to gain access to test-prep material? This dude is about as dishonest as you can get. No chance.

Tell him to go into a field where dishonesty is rewarded, like law or banking.

 

[gyngyn]

I have been exchanging some messages with another SDNer who is worried about his prospects, and he gave me permission to post about his situation here. Two years ago, he impersonated two different professors over the course of a semester, attempting to procure test preparation materials from the publisher. I'm hazy about the details at this point, but it appears he was only caught for the second offense originally, and was suspended. A few months later, the first offense came to light, and at this point he was dismissed from the school. He also received an F in one of the two courses (not the other because that professor apparently did not make use of the TP materials himself, thus negating the unfair advantage). He enrolled somewhere else, and finished strong with no further incidents.

I told him that, unfortunately, this leaves him just about no chance of medical school. The way I see it (and I am not an adcom, as I also told him), he basically commit fraud in order to cheat...twice. Even though he swears up and down he has matured, I pointed out that there are just too many applicants without such grave scars on their history to justify taking him. He (and I) would like to know if others can give him more favorable news.

0.0% chance. Less if he covers it up!

 

[Catalystik]

If he has a good credit rating, there is a Caribbean school out there somewhere that will take him. US MD or DO schools: Not a chance.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Considering how big things like Medicare fraud are in healthcare, I doubt that schools will take a chance on someone like this.

 

[Pattycake25]

If he has a good credit rating, there is a Caribbean school out there that will take him in a heartbeat. US MD or DO schools: Not a chance.

Regarding Caribbean schools, though: first, I'm assuming we aren't talking about the big 4, which are somewhat reputable, because they too will toss his app. So let's say he gets in to another one of 'em, which are little more than diploma mills anyway. Would this incident haunt him come match time? I mean, your chances are low enough already at that point, so his only hope is that he wouldn't have to disclose it at all to directors. He is reading this thread and is having a difficult time coming to terms with this being the end of his educational journey, so I want to make sure that he doesn't misread your post as a viable option, unless it actually is...

 

[QofQuimica]

I served as a student adcom for four years, and as everyone else has already said, I would not be willing to accept this candidate regardless of how good the rest of his app might be. There are studies showing that practicing physicians who have problems with unprofessional behavior are more likely to have been students who had problems with unethical or unprofessional behavior. Yes, people make mistakes, but a pattern of repeated "mistakes" involving unethical behavior is just not compatible with being a physician - or with any other career entailing a fiduciary relationship.

 

[Catalystik]

Regarding Caribbean schools, though: first, I'm assuming we aren't talking about the big 4, which are somewhat reputable, because they too will toss his app. So let's say he gets in to another one of 'em, which are little more than diploma mills anyway. Would this incident haunt him come match time? I mean, your chances are low enough already at that point, so his only hope is that he wouldn't have to disclose it at all to directors.

Your original question related to medical school only and not to a career in medicine.

The last time I reviewed a residency application form (myERAS) two years ago it asked about 1) Have you ever been convicted of a felony? and 2) Is there anything in your past history that would limit your ability to be licensed or receive hospital privileges? Also, one has no control over what information might be included in the Med School Dean's letter before interview offers are extended, though it's possible that information from a college transcript would not be included.

I'd be more concerned about the state medical license application as they are very thorough. A question about a history of ethical violation, or similar wording, would not be unusual.

And keep in mind that the Caribbean "Diploma Mills" are not recognized in every state as the "Big Four" usually are.

 

[Goro]

Surprisingly, medical schools may very well offer an interview to such a person. I've seen it happen here and elsewhere. Yeah, an n= 2 is hardly significant, but stranger things have happened too.

However, getting past the interview itself will be the hard part.

I have colleagues who believe in the power of redemption, and others who would say something like "with all the good applicants we get, why take a chance on this one?"

We all keep in the back of our minds the knowledge that dishonest doctors tend to start out as dishonest medical students.

I have been exchanging some messages with another SDNer who is worried about his prospects, and he gave me permission to post about his situation here. Two years ago, he impersonated two different professors over the course of a semester, attempting to procure test preparation materials from the publisher. I'm hazy about the details at this point, but it appears he was only caught for the second offense originally, and was suspended. A few months later, the first offense came to light, and at this point he was dismissed from the school. He also received an F in one of the two courses (not the other because that professor apparently did not make use of the TP materials himself, thus negating the unfair advantage). He enrolled somewhere else, and finished strong with no further incidents.

I told him that, unfortunately, this leaves him just about no chance of medical school. The way I see it (and I am not an adcom, as I also told him), he basically commit fraud in order to cheat...twice. Even though he swears up and down he has matured, I pointed out that there are just too many applicants without such grave scars on their history to justify taking him. He (and I) would like to know if others can give him more favorable news.

 

[deleted127837]

Would it be possible to go Caribbean --> Caribbean residency --> Caribbean-based/international practice?

If medicine > living in the US...possible?

 

[TriagePreMed]

Would it be possible to go Caribbean --> Caribbean residency --> Caribbean-based/international practice?

If medicine > living in the US...possible?

If the person wants to live in another country, particularly one in South America or Europe, they are best served going to a medical school in that country and completing a 6 year program. I hear there's free medical school in Cuba for American Citizens under the age of 25, which is an education most Latin American countries accept.

 

[aspiring20]

I have been exchanging some messages with another SDNer who is worried about his prospects, and he gave me permission to post about his situation here. Two years ago, he impersonated two different professors over the course of a semester, attempting to procure test preparation materials from the publisher. I'm hazy about the details at this point, but it appears he was only caught for the second offense originally, and was suspended. A few months later, the first offense came to light, and at this point he was dismissed from the school. He also received an F in one of the two courses (not the other because that professor apparently did not make use of the TP materials himself, thus negating the unfair advantage). He enrolled somewhere else, and finished strong with no further incidents.

I told him that, unfortunately, this leaves him just about no chance of medical school. The way I see it (and I am not an adcom, as I also told him), he basically commit fraud in order to cheat...twice. Even though he swears up and down he has matured, I pointed out that there are just too many applicants without such grave scars on their history to justify taking him. He (and I) would like to know if others can give him more favorable news.

this particular SDNer (from here I will address him/her as "OP") has also PM'ed me regarding this earlier, so i'll give my two cents.

while plenty of people have no problem getting into medical schools with IAs marked on their apps, IAs regarding academic issues are another subject all together. and in this incident, the OP committed TWO serious infractions that demonstrated a severe lack of ethics. it is one thing to be accused of plagiarism because of sloppiness in one's citations, but what the OP did were intentional acts of dishonesty/fraud.

do i think the OP faces an uphill battle on Mt. Everest? absolutely. but do i think his chances are entirely 0? absolutely not.

so if the OP is reading this, here's what i would do.

1) forget about sending in any applications within the next 5-8 years.
2) find another profession (whatever it may be) and put in around 5 years to a decade of full-time employment in that profession. in the meantime, devote yourself to regular community service and clinical volunteering experiences along with sporadic shadowing
3) a year before the date you plan to send in the applications, start studying for the MCAT and do extremely well. since you finished strong in your second institution, i am assuming that your GPA is competitive enough that post-bacc work isn't needed. but if you need additional courses to raise the GPA or to rehash on all the pre-reqs (and to address any new pre-reqs that will inevitably arise), then also take additional courses around 2 years or so before the application date.
4) by the time you send in your application, this incident will be roughly 10 years ago in your past. you'll also have 10 years of work experience, 10 years of community service, 10 years of clinical exposure, and plenty of shadowing hours - those are mammoth ECs that'll only come with time.

OP, i sincerely believe that time heals all/most wounds, and if medicine is what you truly want to do, and you're willing to make the necessary sacrifices, then i am confident that the above plan will work out. however, if you want to apply right away, then i am afraid your chances will be close to 0.0%.

i know waiting for 8-10 years before sending in your application is drastic (and even a little crazy), but your unfortunate situation, in my opinion, warrants this course of action. these incidences are irrecoverable right now, but over a decade from now, it'll be a whole different story.

so, temporarily put medicine aside and pursue another career while building your ECs. and when the time comes, spare absolutely no expenses.

people here may call me naive, but i feel your chances are not over IF you are willing to pursue this path at a later point in your life.

best of luck.

 

[Aerus]

this particular SDNer (from here I will address him/her as "OP") has also PM'ed me regarding this earlier, so i'll give my two cents.

while plenty of people have no problem getting into medical schools with IAs marked on their apps, IAs regarding academic issues are another subject all together. and in this incident, the OP committed TWO serious infractions that demonstrated a severe lack of ethics. it is one thing to be accused of plagiarism because of sloppiness in one's citations, but what the OP did were intentional acts of dishonesty/fraud.

do i think the OP faces an uphill battle on Mt. Everest? absolutely. but do i think his chances are entirely 0? absolutely not.

so if the OP is reading this, here's what i would do.

1) forget about sending in any applications within the next 5-8 years.
2) find another profession (whatever it may be) and put in around 5 years to a decade of full-time employment in that profession. in the meantime, devote yourself to regular community service and clinical volunteering experiences along with sporadic shadowing
3) a year before the date you plan to send in the applications, start studying for the MCAT and do extremely well. since you finished strong in your second institution, i am assuming that your GPA is competitive enough that post-bacc work isn't needed. but if you need additional courses to raise the GPA or to rehash on all the pre-reqs (and to address any new pre-reqs that will inevitably arise), then also take additional courses around 2 years or so before the application date.
4) by the time you send in your application, this incident will be roughly 10 years ago in your past. you'll also have 10 years of work experience, 10 years of community service, 10 years of clinical exposure, and plenty of shadowing hours - those are mammoth ECs that'll only come with time.

OP, i sincerely believe that time heals all/most wounds, and if medicine is what you truly want to do, and you're willing to make the necessary sacrifices, then i am confident that the above plan will work out. however, if you want to apply right away, then i am afraid your chances will be close to 0.0%.

i know waiting for 8-10 years before sending in your application is drastic (and even a little crazy), but your unfortunate situation, in my opinion, warrants this course of action. these incidences are irrecoverable right now, but over a decade from now, it'll be a whole different story.

so, temporarily put medicine aside and pursue another career while building your ECs. and when the time comes, spare absolutely no expenses.

people here may call me naive, but i feel your chances are not over IF you are willing to pursue this path at a later point in your life.

best of luck.

I think you're being way too optimistic in this case. Why should an adcom accept him when there are thousands of other applicants without such serious charges? Minor cheating is already serious enough, but attempting to impersonate a professor TWICE makes me think that the risk is way too big for any institution to accept, no matter how good the applicant is.

Remember that the later board and licensing exams might also ask questions about these kinds of things. Even in the miraculous situation that "OP" is accepted and graduates, do you think that it will be overlooked?

 

[shopsteward]

1) forget about sending in any applications within the next 5-8 years.
2) find another profession (whatever it may be) and put in around 5 years to a decade of full-time employment in that profession. in the meantime, devote yourself to regular community service and clinical volunteering experiences along with sporadic shadowing
3) a year before the date you plan to send in the applications, start studying for the MCAT and do extremely well. since you finished strong in your second institution, i am assuming that your GPA is competitive enough that post-bacc work isn't needed. but if you need additional courses to raise the GPA or to rehash on all the pre-reqs (and to address any new pre-reqs that will inevitably arise), then also take additional courses around 2 years or so before the application date.
4) by the time you send in your application, this incident will be roughly 10 years ago in your past. you'll also have 10 years of work experience, 10 years of community service, 10 years of clinical exposure, and plenty of shadowing hours - those are mammoth ECs that'll only come with time.best of luck.

I got a PM from this person over a year ago on the same subject, and gave very much the same advice: years of dedicated, honest, hard service is a possible path to redemption. The OP needs to demonstrate in hard and uncontrovertible fashion their changed values and commitment and that they will react appropriately to the pressures of being a doctor. In fact, they will need to put in so much time and effort that probably it will only be possible if they are wholly committed to that alternative path as one which is likely to be the whole of their future career.

I suspect that there may be family pressures on the OP "to become a doctor", and that it may have been the OP's failure to react appropriately to those pressures which led them down the path which resulted in the IA. Too many parents think that they own their children's futures, or that their children owe a debt to them. Parents need to recognise that the only purpose of having children is to set them free into the world, and children need to learn to break free of their parents. If I'm right about family pressures, the first thing the OP needs to do is learn to deal with those family pressures and build a life which is appropriate for them, not their familly expectations.

 

[TriagePreMed]

I think you're being way too optimistic in this case. Why should an adcom accept him when there are thousands of other applicants without such serious charges? Minor cheating is already serious enough, but attempting to impersonate a professor TWICE makes me think that the risk is way too big for any institution to accept, no matter how good the applicant is.

Remember that the later board and licensing exams might also ask questions about these kinds of things. Even in the miraculous situation that "OP" is accepted and graduates, do you think that it will be overlooked?

aspiring20 likes to give everyone hope despite the fact that he/she has no evidence that there is hope after this. It is simply impossible to overlook something of this magnitude. He impersonated faculty. There was planned dishonesty on multiple occasions. I'd be wary if this person had other incidents and didn't get caught. This is not like a student that got desperate during a test and looked over and cheated off the other guy. Yes, I believe in the power of redemption and that people change, but unfortunately, some things carry with us for the rest of our lives.

 

[MedPR]

No chance.

Inb4

 

[Pattycake25]

In aspiring's defense, these forums tend to be overly pessimistic. It's good to have people who point out that even if you don't have a great shot, you still may have A shot.

That being said, I definitely agree with pretty much everyone else here - this was too serious an infraction for time to heal, even with extensive character rehabilitation. It's time for "OP" to make other plans. Thank you for your help guys - it sucks, but we did OP a favor.

 

[MedPR]

In aspiring's defense, these forums tend to be overly pessimistic. It's good to have people who point out that even if you don't have a great shot, you still may have A shot.

That being said, I definitely agree with pretty much everyone else here - this was too serious an infraction for time to heal, even with extensive character rehabilitation. It's time for "OP" to make other plans. Thank you for your help guys - it sucks, but we did OP a favor.

Overly pessimistic is better than overly optimistic though

 

[plumhill]

Overly pessimistic is better than overly optimistic though

Not necessarily. Its best to be realistic.

Aspiring20's course of action is probably the only even remotely hopeful course of action that OP can take, and it STILL might not work (and IMO, it probably won't work). The pre-med advisor at my school said that for any student with an academic IA on their record, time between the incident and the application was about the only thing that could help the applicant....lots and lots of time for the applicant to mature and show integrity.

 

[aspiring20]

Not necessarily. Its best to be realistic.

Aspiring20's course of action is probably the only even remotely hopeful course of action that OP can take, and it STILL might not work (and IMO, it probably won't work). The pre-med advisor at my school said that for any student with an academic IA on their record, time between the incident and the application was about the only thing that could help the applicant....lots and lots of time for the applicant to mature and show integrity.

agreed. and not all academic violations are created equal. plagiarism as a result of sloppy citations freshman year is categorically different from something like this incidence.

however, if the OP applies when he's in his 30s with close to a decade of professional working experience and continual ECs that demonstrate substantial exposure to medicine and service to others, then i am gonna go out on a limb and say he has an excellent chance. i can't prove this, obviously, but my gut tells me that it's possible.

if people with rather serious misdemeanor convictions can get in without substantial time off, then that's saying something about adcoms. a lot of people don't have crystal clear backgrounds (myself included), and a lot of people make stupid mistakes. if the OP wants medicine, then he should start in another career and begin building his relevant ECs.

best of luck to the OP

 

[TriagePreMed]

Not necessarily. Its best to be realistic.

Aspiring20's course of action is probably the only even remotely hopeful course of action that OP can take, and it STILL might not work (and IMO, it probably won't work). The pre-med advisor at my school said that for any student with an academic IA on their record, time between the incident and the application was about the only thing that could help the applicant....lots and lots of time for the applicant to mature and show integrity.

There was another thread where aspiring20 was very optimistic about when even ADCOM said that there was no shot. I'm willing to concede there might be an infinitesimal shot that person could overcome it with 10+ years of gap, etc (still don't actually think so). However, this particular case is way too much. We're talking about 2 IA that ended up in expulsion. 2 IA involving identity theft and impersonation. This is not even twice cheating on an exam or plagiarizing. I'm even surprised that it didn't end up in criminal court. Sure, you can have lapses in judgment, but just as some injuries or criminal records are permanent despite what you do, this is the equivalent in academic terms.

 

[plumhill]

There was another thread where aspiring20 was very optimistic about when even ADCOM said that there was no shot. I'm willing to concede there might be an infinitesimal shot that person could overcome it with 10+ years of gap, etc (still don't actually think so). However, this particular case is way too much. We're talking about 2 IA that ended up in expulsion. 2 IA involving identity theft and impersonation. This is not even twice cheating on an exam or plagiarizing. I'm even surprised that it didn't end up in criminal court. Sure, you can have lapses in judgment, but just as some injuries or criminal records are permanent despite what you do, this is the equivalent in academic terms.

I don't think anyone's doubting the severity of the situation. I think what we're trying to get across is that if the OP wants to have ANY shot, the only thing he can try to do is what aspiring20 suggested. Now, I don't think that is a guarantee of anything and it still probably won't work. But yes, OP should be prepared to put in those 10+ years of hard work and possibly (probably?) still not receive a single II. Since we aren't adcoms, we cannot definitely say that OP has a 0% chance of getting in anywhere.

 

[darklabel]

Honestly, go Caribbean. Your case is one of those "last resort" that goes well with Caribbean. Waiting 10+ years is extreme and theres no guarantee because there will always be just as good applicants or even better ones.

Try to be a superstar and be ready to match towards some unknown FM program.

 

[aspiring20]

Honestly, go Caribbean. Your case is one of those "last resort" that goes well with Caribbean. Waiting 10+ years is extreme and theres no guarantee because there will always be just as good applicants or even better ones.

Try to be a superstar and be ready to match towards some unknown FM program.

any chance of the OP going to one of the "Big 4"?

 

[flodhi1]

any chance of the OP going to one of the "Big 4"?

"Big 4" might work out but US MD is without a doubt out of the question. In medical school even a single incident of academic dishonesty can result in immediate expulsion. There is no way a committee would look at 2 separate incidents and cut some slack especially not with thousands of applicants waiting in line.

 

[shipseki]

Good points.

Although 2 IA's is a serious infraction, considering that the student who PM'ed OP went as far to impersonate a professor/test provider, I strongly believe that time (albeit lots of it) will heal. Although, the student REALLY needs to demonstrate that he has learned from his mistakes and establish a career in a different field that is reputable.

this particular SDNer (from here I will address him/her as "OP") has also PM'ed me regarding this earlier, so i'll give my two cents.

while plenty of people have no problem getting into medical schools with IAs marked on their apps, IAs regarding academic issues are another subject all together. and in this incident, the OP committed TWO serious infractions that demonstrated a severe lack of ethics. it is one thing to be accused of plagiarism because of sloppiness in one's citations, but what the OP did were intentional acts of dishonesty/fraud.

do i think the OP faces an uphill battle on Mt. Everest? absolutely. but do i think his chances are entirely 0? absolutely not.

so if the OP is reading this, here's what i would do.

1) forget about sending in any applications within the next 5-8 years.
2) find another profession (whatever it may be) and put in around 5 years to a decade of full-time employment in that profession. in the meantime, devote yourself to regular community service and clinical volunteering experiences along with sporadic shadowing
3) a year before the date you plan to send in the applications, start studying for the MCAT and do extremely well. since you finished strong in your second institution, i am assuming that your GPA is competitive enough that post-bacc work isn't needed. but if you need additional courses to raise the GPA or to rehash on all the pre-reqs (and to address any new pre-reqs that will inevitably arise), then also take additional courses around 2 years or so before the application date.
4) by the time you send in your application, this incident will be roughly 10 years ago in your past. you'll also have 10 years of work experience, 10 years of community service, 10 years of clinical exposure, and plenty of shadowing hours - those are mammoth ECs that'll only come with time.

OP, i sincerely believe that time heals all/most wounds, and if medicine is what you truly want to do, and you're willing to make the necessary sacrifices, then i am confident that the above plan will work out. however, if you want to apply right away, then i am afraid your chances will be close to 0.0%.

i know waiting for 8-10 years before sending in your application is drastic (and even a little crazy), but your unfortunate situation, in my opinion, warrants this course of action. these incidences are irrecoverable right now, but over a decade from now, it'll be a whole different story.

so, temporarily put medicine aside and pursue another career while building your ECs. and when the time comes, spare absolutely no expenses.

people here may call me naive, but i feel your chances are not over IF you are willing to pursue this path at a later point in your life.

best of luck.

 

[darklabel]

any chance of the OP going to one of the "Big 4"?

I would think so, if he has great MCAT/GPA and they're not really one for having a stringent moral compas. With big four you'll have access to federal loans and practice all 50 states, good enough for OP and money hungry Carrib.

"Big 4" might work out but US MD is without a doubt out of the question. In medical school even a single incident of academic dishonesty can result in immediate expulsion. There is no way a committee would look at 2 separate incidents and cut some slack especially not with thousands of applicants waiting in line.

DO is the same way, even if his stats are superb (4.0/40), the two IAs are just impossible to spin. Having such an IA is also illegal (fraud) and doing the same thing twice and getting caught will always have adcoms questioning. He may get interviews, but a review of the file will always result in a no.

If I were OP, try only new/DO's with low averages with expectation of rejection and apply big 4 Carrib (with focus on SGU). Everything else about waiting 10+ years just isn't worth it and there's almost no way to say you've "learned" through this. Think as an Adcom, if you saw someone impersonating personel for high test scores twice and getting caught, would you ever trust the person? Wouldn't you always doubt their entire undergrad career simply because they weren't caught?

 

[flodhi1]

I meant to type US MD/DO. I agree just because DO schools accept students with slightly lower stats than MDs does not mean they will overlook such major ethical dilemmas. I'm honestly surprised that the school did not press charges. These IA's aren't just simple cheating or plagiarism (which are without a doubt serious too). The calculated fraud and deceit performed by the student could have very well ended up in court with criminal convictions and possible jail time. The incidents were also within 2 years. The ADCOM will question What will stop this student from impersonating staff in medical school or committing fraud?
What will stop him from cheating the healthcare system/ hospitals when he becomes a physician?
Just because someone got caught doesn't mean they are regretful of their actions and will never let it happen again. At this point a 4.0/45 to medical schools mean nothing because who knows how much of those stats was truly earned without cheating the system.

If the original applicant feels they have a chance they are welcome to schedule an appointment with deans to some medical schools and inquire. I'm 99.99 % sure it will either be a NO or a "apply and we will see" just to screw him over for some primary and secondary fees.

I would think so, if he has great MCAT/GPA and they're not really one for having a stringent moral compas. With big four you'll have access to federal loans and practice all 50 states, good enough for OP and money hungry Carrib.



DO is the same way, even if his stats are superb (4.0/40), the two IAs are just impossible to spin. Having such an IA is also illegal (fraud) and doing the same thing twice and getting caught will always have adcoms questioning. He may get interviews, but a review of the file will always result in a no.

If I were OP, try only new/DO's with low averages with expectation of rejection and apply big 4 Carrib (with focus on SGU). Everything else about waiting 10+ years just isn't worth it and there's almost no way to say you've "learned" through this. Think as an Adcom, if you saw someone impersonating personel for high test scores twice and getting caught, would you ever trust the person? Wouldn't you always doubt their entire undergrad career simply because they weren't caught?

 

[487806]

In aspiring's defense, these forums tend to be overly pessimistic. It's good to have people who point out that even if you don't have a great shot, you still may have A shot.

That being said, I definitely agree with pretty much everyone else here - this was too serious an infraction for time to heal, even with extensive character rehabilitation. It's time for "OP" to make other plans. Thank you for your help guys - it sucks, but we did OP a favor.

Sorry, but the fact hurts. Your friend has no chance.

aspiring20 likes to give everyone hope despite the fact that he/she has no evidence that there is hope after this. It is simply impossible to overlook something of this magnitude. He impersonated faculty. There was planned dishonesty on multiple occasions. I'd be wary if this person had other incidents and didn't get caught. This is not like a student that got desperate during a test and looked over and cheated off the other guy. Yes, I believe in the power of redemption and that people change, but unfortunately, some things carry with us for the rest of our lives.