Got Caught Cheating on Exam, Is my pre-med career over?

[efle]

Oooooooooh drama.

OP you had a moment as a terrible human being. Seriously, cheating in something like Orgo (a curved course full of people trying honestly to prove their worth to med schools) is pretty much the way to fail in your responsibility as a student and member of your campus community. So I understand everyone telling you to repent and accept consequences, and this especially makes sense if the prof is lenient.

That said, if all the prof has as evidence is that you answered a synthesis the same way as someone sitting near you, I doubt your school will give an IA, that just isn't a clear case like plagiarizing a large chunk of text etc. I'm not convinced confession is the best way to go - if you care about med school >> sleeping at night, that is. I think a very smart sociopath aiming for med school in your position would deny cheating.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

That's because we expect people to take responsibility for their actions, and actions have consequences.

Even my 9 year old understands this.

But it is very easy to tell someone to own up.

OP, I can't sugar coat this. I don't like squashing people's dreams, but this isn't the place for hugs and kisses. IF this gets onto your record as an IA, then your medical career is over.

You have been given some excellent advice here from jamcat, Ismet, jakeislove, Law2Doc and others (except ghost, whose advice is a career ender). Follow that and there is some hope.

 

[DermViser]

You may have been stressed, but you decided to respond to that stress by cheating. To med schools this shows that you will not uphold a professional or ethical standard when faced with adversity, what do you expect them to think you'll do when you get presented with the much greater stresses of med school, residency, and eventually as an attending all of which have stakes much higher than an organic chemistry test in undergrad? I think anyone here who is in med school or has gone to med school can attest to how much of a big deal every school makes about professionalism. I think it is something that they take much more seriously than most people would guess before coming to med school.

Take this lesson to reflect upon yourself overall, understand that this could very likely shut the doors to med school for you, and make sure to have some backup plans if need be.

Yup. Someone who cheats on an exam in college, could just as easily have no qualms in faking and documenting physical exam findings.

 

[pandadawn]

My mom (a professor) just had this happen. A student cheated on her final, and my mom knew. She is supposed to immediately report any cheating to the person in charge of the judicial board. Instead, she called the student into her office to discuss it. Her plan was if the student owned up to it and apologized, to give the student an F for the exam and have it be a learning experience for him/her. The student denied it. So the student not only got an F but is now being referred to the judicial board. That all could have been avoided if the student had not been a liar in addition to being a cheater.

OP, I would recommend owning up to it, being extraordinarily apologetic, noting that you would like to attend medical school and this one mistake could ruin your career, appreciating that you require some sort of punishment, and offer suggestions for that punishment. One suggestion you could make would be some kind of "probationary status" where if you cheat again, both instances go on your record, but if you are clean for the rest of undergrad you have no official IA noted.

And then, of course, be a stand up guy. Don't do anything, in your personal or academic life, that you wouldn't want the board seeing. Also, if you're on Facebook make sure the settings are as private as you can make them, right now. Judicial officials have Facebook too and there's nothing that says this guy is truly a stand up guy who deserves a second chance like drunk frat party photos.

My dad is a professor and he would totally do this!! Throwback: When I was 8 my older sister was in charge of babysitting me. She's a controlling nut, and we ended up fighting and I called her a THE B-word. I was later grounded "NOT for calling her a b----, but for lying when I was asked about it."

We all make mistakes--but come back with integrity. And pray to God that "Visible Ghost" doesn't become a doctor.

 

[DermViser]

My dad is a professor and he would totally do this!! Throwback: When I was 8 my older sister was in charge of babysitting me. She's a controlling nut, and we ended up fighting and I called her a THE B-word. I was later grounded "NOT for calling her a b----, but for lying when I was asked about it."

We all make mistakes--but come back with integrity. And pray to God that "Visible Ghost" doesn't become a doctor.

Our attendings would sometimes purposefully ask us questions on labs or imaging to see if we would get flustered and start lying and making things up - same for physical findings. If your go to position is to lie or cheat when stressed, the road will be very rough for you.

 

[touchpause13]

The shaggy defense will not help you here.

Go in to your professor, spill your guts, cry if you are so inclined, express serious remorse, swear on all the gods you will never do it again, and beg for an F in the course instead of an IA. Professors are reasonable human beings and you are most likely not the first person he or she has caught cheating, you aren't going to be able to pull a fast one on them.

 

[rodmichael82]

Hello all,

Let me preface this by saying I am a pre-med (currently a junior) at a large public institution

As I type this message I cannot express how distraught and stupid I feel. For the first time in my life I cheated on an exam given in my organic chemistry class, and my teacher sent me an email saying that she has proof that I cheated on my exam by copying the answer to a synthesis problem.

I have not met with the office of academic integrity at my school yet, but I have decided that instead of trying to deny these allegations I will admit the truth. Ever since the start of finals, I was mentally occupied by my parents' impending divorce and slacked off of studying as I was depressed for hours on end. With that being said, I will not use this as an excuse, and will own up to my actions.

Are my chances for medical school done? Otherwise I am a decent applicant, I have done research and internships, and I am a smart kid that does not cheat (I made a 2200 on my SAT). However I made the stupid and irreversible mistake of cheating on my exam, and now I must pay the price. If I made mostly As from now on (I currently have a 3.6 gpa) and get a high score on the MCAT, will medical schools accept me if I take a gap year? I know it is especially damning since I am a junior, but do I have hope? How do I remedy this blemish on my record?

Any advice is welcome. I am typing this with tears on my face as I feel my dreams of becoming a doctor are truly over.

Let me emphasize to you that in the academic arena cheating is looked at in academics as a FELONY would in the upscale job market.
I can tell you that my medical school will tolerate a lot of BS from the students. They will tolerate run in with the law (misdemeanors), unprofessional behavior but IF A MEDICAL STUDENT IS CAUGHT CHEATING IT'S OVER. The student is immediately kicked out of medical school after the committee finds the student guilty.
This is going to be literally end your medical career. It doesn't seem like your professor has enough evidence to suggest that you're guilty. What you copy pasted an answer to a synthesis problem? Hell you could have memorized that and regurgitated it onto the exam.
IF YOU GET AN INSTITUTIONAL ACTION for cheating I can damn right tell you that this will throw you off for at least half a decade. No medical school is going to want to deal with you be it a MD or DO school. You might as well apply to the Caribbeans, take hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans and maybe have a 10-20 % chance of matching into Family medicine.

 

[rodmichael82]

Cheating is wrong and you should never do it!

The fact that she emailed you means she has got nothing and is just waiting for you to own up. Never cheat again, but deny everything and hire a lawyer or meet with school student legal aid. Please take this advice unless the teacher actually has physical and video footage of you cheating .

Don't admit ANYTHING if it can not be legally and explicitly proven

OP just because she sent you some email saying that she thinks you cheated, she expects you to admit it.
I'm NOT going to tell you to deny or admit to anything because that choice is yours and not mine.
But I will tell you this OP, if you get an IA for cheating dude your medical career is literally OVER. I would listen to the others posting and just beg for forgiveness. Get a F in the class and retake it, do whatever it takes to avoid an IA.

 

[PlasticBag]

Let me emphasize to you that in the academic arena cheating is looked at in academics as a FELONY in the job market.
I can tell you that my medical school will tolerate a lot of BS from the students. They will tolerate run in with the law (misdemeanors), unprofessional behavior but IF A MEDICAL STUDENT IS CAUGHT CHEATING IT'S OVER. The student is immediately kicked out of medical school after the committee finds the student guilty.
This is going to be literally end your medical career. It doesn't seem like your professor has enough evidence to suggest that you're guilty. What you copy pasted an answer to a synthesis problem? Hell you could have memorized that and regurgitated it onto the exam.
I hate to say this but if I were you, I would learn from this mistake and never do it again. I'll get heat for saying deny it so I'll let you make that decision on your own. IF YOU GET AN INSTITUTIONAL ACTION for cheating I can damn right tell you that this will throw you off for at least half a decade. No medical school is going to want to deal with you.

The OP could have cheated off of someone sitting next to him/her. If that person made a lot of mistakes, then it would be quite hard to prove innocence, especially if it was a long synthesis problem. It seems to me that even OP believes that denying it would be difficult

 

[rodmichael82]

The OP could have cheated off of someone sitting next to him/her. If that person made a lot of mistakes, then it would be quite hard to prove innocence, especially if it was a long synthesis problem. It seems to me that even OP believes that denying it would be difficult

I'm not telling him to deny it. Accepting or denying is all up to him. I'm just trying to let him know that after he gets an IA it's over.

 

[GomersGoToGround]

The OP could have cheated off of someone sitting next to him/her. If that person made a lot of mistakes, then it would be quite hard to prove innocence, especially if it was a long synthesis problem. It seems to me that even OP believes that denying it would be difficult

Especially because it's likely that the professor knows their students, and who sat by whom.

The degree of similarity would have to be quite striking in order to suspect cheating, because, assuming the specific problem had only a handful of proper answers, many students will have similar answers, so simply having down the same reagents is NOT enough to suspect cheating.

OP must have literally included exact side notes, arrows, positioning, etc. Professor absolutely knows that the OP cheated; just let go of the hostages, come out with your hands up, and hopefully nobody gets shot.

 

[efle]

Especially because it's likely that the professor knows their students, and who sat by whom.

The degree of similarity would have to be quite striking in order to suspect cheating, because, assuming the specific problem had only a handful of proper answers, many students will have similar answers, so simply having down the same reagents is NOT enough to suspect cheating.

OP must have literally included exact side notes, arrows, positioning, etc. Professor absolutely knows that the OP cheated; just let go of the hostages, come out with your hands up, and hopefully nobody gets shot.

And how do you prove the answer wasn't his and copied by the other student? Or that they just made the same mistakes / proposed the same routes? I don't think a judicial committee would slap him with a career ending IA over "their answers matched and he usually isn't as good a student as the other guy"

 

[yanks26dmb]

Out of curiosity... are all IA's the same?

IA for cheating = IA for public intox?

 

[breezy124]

Hello all,

Let me preface this by saying I am a pre-med (currently a junior) at a large public institution

As I type this message I cannot express how distraught and stupid I feel. For the first time in my life I cheated on an exam given in my organic chemistry class, and my teacher sent me an email saying that she has proof that I cheated on my exam by copying the answer to a synthesis problem.

I have not met with the office of academic integrity at my school yet, but I have decided that instead of trying to deny these allegations I will admit the truth. Ever since the start of finals, I was mentally occupied by my parents' impending divorce and slacked off of studying as I was depressed for hours on end. With that being said, I will not use this as an excuse, and will own up to my actions.

Are my chances for medical school done? Otherwise I am a decent applicant, I have done research and internships, and I am a smart kid that does not cheat (I made a 2200 on my SAT). However I made the stupid and irreversible mistake of cheating on my exam, and now I must pay the price. If I made mostly As from now on (I currently have a 3.6 gpa) and get a high score on the MCAT, will medical schools accept me if I take a gap year? I know it is especially damning since I am a junior, but do I have hope? How do I remedy this blemish on my record?

Any advice is welcome. I am typing this with tears on my face as I feel my dreams of becoming a doctor are truly over.

Own up to it at the meeting, be VERY apologetic, ask if there's anything you can do to fix your mistakes (extra assignments, harder final, etc.). Also, if the divorce and those issue were affecting you, do bring them up. Do not use it as an excuse but do convey that you were not thinking properly and would not do it again.

You might get away with a warning. I know a friend who got caught plagarizing his orgo lab. He got away with a warning after doing what I recommended.

TBH, these teachers know that so many premeds cheat. Besides SDN, there are many med school accepted students who cheat their way through college - the secret is not to do it too much (know how to do the assignment/problem at least) and not to be stupid about it.

Good luck.

 

[efle]

Out of curiosity... are all IA's the same?

IA for cheating = IA for public intox?

No, from what I've seen on here some IAs can be forgiven after well behaved periods (like a freshman year alcohol IA followed by 3 years of quiet isn't an app killer) and are mostly something to worry about with following rules - repeat offences are the killer. Cheating is its own beast because for every time caught there are likely many successful attempts, and it displays a liability/problematic morality that is not so readily forgiven.

 

[Visible Ghost]

Does any sane person run towards a burning building?

 

[jamcat]

A sane person also doesn't just keep digging when they realize they've dug themselves into a hole.

They look for somebody to help them up.

 

[The Buff OP]

Oh man, y'all fell for this troll! LOL

 

[Visible Ghost]

Oh man, ya'll fell for this troll! LOL

How does anyone cheat on orgo?

 

[chillinillinkillin007]

on a side note, who the hell takes orgo their junior year

 

[xffan624]

Oh man, ya'll fell for this troll! LOL

It's "y'all". Contraction of you and all = y'all. Get it right or don't use it.

 

[The Buff OP]

It's "y'all". Contraction of you and all = y'all. Get it right or don't use it.

It was a typo it's now "y'all."
Protip: Never start an argument with TheBuffOP.

 

[xffan624]

It was a typo it's now "y'all."
Protip: Never start an argument with TheBuffOP.

Protip: It's not an argument when you're right and the other person is wrong. .

 

[Visible Ghost]

A sane person also doesn't just keep digging when they realize they've dug themselves into a hole.

They look for somebody to help them up.

This guy is then going to hope that the professor will help him after he was caught cheating. Worst position is to depend on or hope for someone's mercy.

This guy is screwed

on a side note, who the hell takes orgo their junior year

Must have been orgo 2.

 

[The Buff OP]

Protip: It's not an argument when you're right and the other person is wrong. .

Protip: You are wrong.

 

[xffan624]

Protip: You are wrong.

Ok, sure. If you say so, .

 

[The Buff OP]

How does anyone cheat on orgo?

They must not be "natty."

 

[The Buff OP]

Ok, sure. If you say so, .

Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

 

[Visible Ghost]

.

 

[Visible Ghost]

He could say " blame it on the night"

 

[The Buff OP]

I Googled it.

Aha! You got my joke now?
Natty= Natural Bodybuilder
Organic= Natural

 

[Ismet]

Out of curiosity... are all IA's the same?

IA for cheating = IA for public intox?

No, all IA's are not the same.

 

[Uafl112]

Try your best to convince her to give you an F over a double F. Idk if its only my school that gives double Fs, but those basically mean that its an F based on cheating and the student is required to change his/her major. Had a friend cheat on an exam and they said they would do him a favor by giving him a zero on the exam as long as he didnt resist or try to appeal. He was incredibly lucky considering he had done well on the other exams and still got a B+ in the class.

Now, I had another group of friends who wanted to pull some ocean's 13 ****. Paid off a janitor to break into the professor's office when he was teaching, went on his comp, printed out the exams, gave em to the smart kids to complete, got a 108 on the exams. Tried it again for another class by stealing the professor's password when she typed it into the comp, broke into her office the same way, went on her grading sheet and changed some grades around. *****s didnt realize that an email is sent out to the professor when this happens. One thing led to another and they got double Fs. Had to change their majors, but whats the point? Always gonna be on your transcript no matter what they wanna do.

 

[MDScribe]

Hello all,

Let me preface this by saying I am a pre-med (currently a junior) at a large public institution

As I type this message I cannot express how distraught and stupid I feel. For the first time in my life I cheated on an exam given in my organic chemistry class, and my teacher sent me an email saying that she has proof that I cheated on my exam by copying the answer to a synthesis problem.

I have not met with the office of academic integrity at my school yet, but I have decided that instead of trying to deny these allegations I will admit the truth. Ever since the start of finals, I was mentally occupied by my parents' impending divorce and slacked off of studying as I was depressed for hours on end. With that being said, I will not use this as an excuse, and will own up to my actions.

Are my chances for medical school done? Otherwise I am a decent applicant, I have done research and internships, and I am a smart kid that does not cheat (I made a 2200 on my SAT). However I made the stupid and irreversible mistake of cheating on my exam, and now I must pay the price. If I made mostly As from now on (I currently have a 3.6 gpa) and get a high score on the MCAT, will medical schools accept me if I take a gap year? I know it is especially damning since I am a junior, but do I have hope? How do I remedy this blemish on my record?

Any advice is welcome. I am typing this with tears on my face as I feel my dreams of becoming a doctor are truly over.

Your post seems like you are already being quite mature about an unfortunate situation (intending not to make excuses, owning up to it, ect.) At this point, being honest with your professor seems like a wonderful next step. I would certainly have a discussion and setup a meeting with your professor. Professors are human too. While many do not hesitate to send stuff like this to an academic review board, I cannot imagine that if you are truly apologetic, do not make any excuses, and show maturity...your professor wouldn't "allow" you to fail the course rather than go through the entire review process. Many don't realize that an academic integrity review is often cumbersome even for the professor. I don't see why any teacher would want to fill out the documentation and "testify" if a student is admitting they cheated and will be taking the F in the class. Again, every teacher is different. But I think there is always hope in displaying honesty and integrity.

You might also emphasize your dream of practicing medicine, and how this act so clearly diverges from your character that there is no other words to describe it as a really immature incident. I'd also explain that an IA would completely devastate your career path and lifelong dream.

 

[Spirit of the Student Doc]

The fact that the professor emailed you instead of just reporting the cheating"behind your back" means that maybe she's willing to talk.

I would ask for an F not only for the exam but for the entire class, be extremely apologetic, say that you will retake the whole course, etc.

This was my first thought......

-Also, I'm going to say it, It would be better to get an F in the class and a 0 on EVERYTHING, than have this go on your record.... Accept whatever alternative your teacher offers.

-Furthermore, I hope the OP learns cheating is bad.... I mean how are you going to cheat on the MCAT or in med school?

 

[Spirit of the Student Doc]

You might as well apply to the Caribbeans, take hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans and maybe have a 10-20 % chance of matching into Family medicine.

Is that even an option? I understand Ross is more lax than a stateside school but I'm not sure they accept literally anything. For example they still require an MCAT and Bachelors.

 

[Spirit of the Student Doc]

Does any sane person run towards a burning building?

When you're in the building you don't go further in.

 

[GomersGoToGround]

And how do you prove the answer wasn't his and copied by the other student? Or that they just made the same mistakes / proposed the same routes? I don't think a judicial committee would slap him with a career ending IA over "their answers matched and he usually isn't as good a student as the other guy"

The part where I said "OP must have literally included exact side notes, arrows, positioning, etc. "

A striking degree of similarity, ie identical, or without a reasonable doubt copied.

Of course there are general similarities, because there are correct answers, and at least a few students with correct answers in synthesis are bound to be similar.

If they are really suspected of cheating, however, the degree of similarity must be really high. That's the assumption we have to make.

You can't prove either one, except for by word of professor and copy of exams.

Edit: sorry I misread your first post. I guess you would have to bring in both students.

 

[jakeislove]

Your post seems like you are already being quite mature about an unfortunate situation (intending not to make excuses, owning up to it, ect.) At this point, being honest with your professor seems like a wonderful next step. I would certainly have a discussion and setup a meeting with your professor. Professors are human too. While many do not hesitate to send stuff like this to an academic review board, I cannot imagine that if you are truly apologetic, do not make any excuses, and show maturity...your professor wouldn't "allow" you to fail the course rather than go through the entire review process. Many don't realize that an academic integrity review is often cumbersome even for the professor. I don't see why any teacher would want to fill out the documentation and "testify" if a student is admitting they cheated and will be taking the F in the class. Again, every teacher is different. But I think there is always hope in displaying honesty and integrity.

You might also emphasize your dream of practicing medicine, and how this act so clearly diverges from your character that there is no other words to describe it as a really immature incident. I'd also explain that an IA would completely devastate your career path and lifelong dream.

And shift responsibility for OP's actions/career to the teacher?! It would be perceived (by Me) someone showing a sense of entitlement.

 

[amazing tekkers]

I plagiarized on a paper in a freshman writing class. Instead of disputing it and found guilty by a panel,the professor was kind enough to give me the option of accepting a 0 for the paper and attending a presentation on plagiarism. I really had no case, I was caught by Turnitin and he could easily have used that as evidence. Mind you this was a sentence I got from some website and even re-phrased it. It still caught me. So I accepted the 0 and ended up getting a B in the course. I think you should talk to the instructor and beg for forgiveness, tell her you'll accept an F in the course and you'll retake.

 

[ProudMD]

No, all IA's are not the same.

Agreed. Generally, I classify IAs under four broad categories:


Category 1 (Violations under this category will most likely have zero impact on your application. Typically, violations under this category will receive sanctions of "warning", "censure", "reprimand" - the lowest levels of disciplinary sanction at school.)
-Minor alcohol violations (having alcohol in the dorm, etc) that did not involve any other forms of misconduct
-Noise/minor dorm violations (pulling a harmless prank, having a guest over without permission, keeping a pet when you are not supposed to, etc)
-Other types of minor "campus regulation violations" (putting too many flyers over the bulletin board, misusing a coffee maker reserved for faculty, etc)
-Extremely minor criminal violations that also got you punished via the university disciplinary system (trespassing, MIP, traffic violations, etc)


Category 2 (This is the most varied and broad category - it will have an impact on your application, but can be easily overcome via a sincere explanation that clearly demonstrates remorse and lessons learned. Typically, violations under this category will receive a sanction of disciplinary probation, a mid-level response from your school.)
-Very minor academic honesty violations (unintentional plagiarism after failing to properly cite sources, etc)
-Minor drug violations that did not involve any form of violence or intention to sell (simply possessing and/or smoking weed in your dorm, etc)
-Minor incidents of disorderly conduct that did not involve violence
-Having a fake ID
-Extremely minor incident of DUI/DWI that did not involve any injuries or serious criminal charges
-Minor misdemeanors that also got you punished via the university disciplinary system


Category 3 (This category includes serious violations that will significantly hinder your medical school prospects. However, it is still possible to overcome these incidents, but it'll involve taking significant time off and a prolonged period of redemption and exemplary behavior. In other words, you can't simply rely on a well written explanation in order to overcome this red flag. Typically, violations under this category will receive a sanction of suspension.)
-Any form of academic dishonesty that is more serious than the most minor cases illustrated under category 2.
-Stalking, harassment, and physical altercations that did not lead to serious injury
-Stealing things from peers, stores, and/or the school
-Serious misdemeanor offenses that involved moral turpitude.


Category 4 (This category includes egregious violations that will effective kill your medical school prospects. Is it absolutely impossible to get into medical school with a category 4 violation? Well, nothing is "impossible". But realistically, look for another career. Typically, violations under this category will receive a sanction of multiple semesters of suspension or expulsion.)
-Severe incident of academic dishonesty that involves multiple amoral and/or criminal acts (hacking into a professor's computer in order to steal answers and then distributing these ill-gotten information to other peers, etc)
-Sexual assault
-Significant acts of violence
-Any felony


I believe that OP's IA falls under Category 3. All is not lost, but he/she will need to take significant time off (a single gap year won't cut it) and demonstrate a long period of redemption and exemplary behavior.

 

[Goro]

They're not.

Failing to properly add footnotes is not the same as cheating.

Out of curiosity... are all IA's the same?

IA for cheating = IA for public intox?

 

[MDScribe]

And shift responsibility for OP's actions/career to the teacher?! It would be perceived (by Me) someone showing a sense of entitlement.

Obviously the OP shouldn't do anything to sound entitled. But there are clearly some people out there who lack maturity and would rather spin the wheel on an investigation (with the hope that it is dismissed on a lack of evidence) rather than taking an F in the course. My suggestion was in the context of setting up a dialogue with the professor to attempt to find common ground on an incredibly unfortunate situation, rather than shifting blame or demonstrating entitlement.

 

[NYCdude]

I never understood how people could cheat. Even if they didn't think it was morally wrong, it doesn't logically make any sense either. You're willing to take the risk of getting a few points higher on one measly exam on the off chance that your entire career could be jeopardized? lol

It's like going into a swimming pool for a quick dip because you feel hot but there's a shark in it.

 

[amazing tekkers]

I never understood how people could cheat. Even if they didn't think it was morally wrong, it doesn't logically make any sense either. You're willing to take the risk of getting a few points higher on one measly exam on the off chance that your entire career could be jeopardized? lol

It's like going into a swimming pool for a quick dip because you feel hot but there's a shark in it.

Freakonomics always said, if you're not cheating, you're not trying

 

[jamcat]

Because everyone makes mistakes. Everyone does something stupid in their lives. I guarantee, NYCdude, that you've done something in your life to which the OP could say "I never understood how people could do X." The OP obviously isn't a repeat offender; he screwed up once. He does think it is morally wrong. We have all had moral lapses. I'm not religious at all, but judge not lest ye be judged is applicable here.

It's a different story for chronic cheaters, but I think it's clear that's not the case here.

 

[IlDestriero]

Try your best to convince her to give you an F over a double F. Idk if its only my school that gives double Fs, but those basically mean that its an F based on cheating and the student is required to change his/her major. Had a friend cheat on an exam and they said they would do him a favor by giving him a zero on the exam as long as he didnt resist or try to appeal. He was incredibly lucky considering he had done well on the other exams and still got a B+ in the class.

Now, I had another group of friends who wanted to pull some ocean's 13 ****. Paid off a janitor to break into the professor's office when he was teaching, went on his comp, printed out the exams, gave em to the smart kids to complete, got a 108 on the exams. Tried it again for another class by stealing the professor's password when she typed it into the comp, broke into her office the same way, went on her grading sheet and changed some grades around. *****s didnt realize that an email is sent out to the professor when this happens. One thing led to another and they got double Fs. Had to change their majors, but whats the point? Always gonna be on your transcript no matter what they wanna do.

It's sad that your university has so many cheaters that they have special designations and required major changes. I like a fair but firm honor code. Cheat and you're out. The end. Go take your dishonorable ass to some other university.

 

[kthxbai]

Hello all,

Let me preface this by saying I am a pre-med (currently a junior) at a large public institution

As I type this message I cannot express how distraught and stupid I feel. For the first time in my life I cheated on an exam given in my organic chemistry class, and my teacher sent me an email saying that she has proof that I cheated on my exam by copying the answer to a synthesis problem.

I have not met with the office of academic integrity at my school yet, but I have decided that instead of trying to deny these allegations I will admit the truth. Ever since the start of finals, I was mentally occupied by my parents' impending divorce and slacked off of studying as I was depressed for hours on end. With that being said, I will not use this as an excuse, and will own up to my actions.

Are my chances for medical school done? Otherwise I am a decent applicant, I have done research and internships, and I am a smart kid that does not cheat (I made a 2200 on my SAT). However I made the stupid and irreversible mistake of cheating on my exam, and now I must pay the price. If I made mostly As from now on (I currently have a 3.6 gpa) and get a high score on the MCAT, will medical schools accept me if I take a gap year? I know it is especially damning since I am a junior, but do I have hope? How do I remedy this blemish on my record?

Any advice is welcome. I am typing this with tears on my face as I feel my dreams of becoming a doctor are truly over.

On the divorce thing: I'm sorry this is happening to you but you have got to grow a backbone. My parents called it quits less than a month ago, and I'm also dealing with the fallout, but to crumble to pieces because of this is just weak. This is advice for life - find a way to bypass the impact of others' problems on your well-being and you'll be much happier for it.

 

[kthxbai]

The fact that the professor emailed you instead of just reporting the cheating"behind your back" means that maybe she's willing to talk.

I would ask for an F not only for the exam but for the entire class, be extremely apologetic, say that you will retake the whole course, etc.

Isn't that too extreme?

 

[NYCdude]

Because everyone makes mistakes. Everyone does something stupid in their lives. I guarantee, NYCdude, that you've done something in your life to which the OP could say "I never understood how people could do X." The OP obviously isn't a repeat offender; he screwed up once. He does think it is morally wrong. We have all had moral lapses. I'm not religious at all, but judge not lest ye be judged is applicable here.

It's a different story for chronic cheaters, but I think it's clear that's not the case here.

I know that, I'm not saying OP is a terrible person and I really hope he can sort his situation out. I'm just saying that cheating doesn't make any logical sense from a risk standpoint.