Help! School Disregarding Their Late Attendance Policy

[Mass Effect]

I'm responding after the hearing so waiting to see what happened. But for future reference, the way to handle these situations is to write back and say something along the lines of "I'm sorry for this. I need some clarification though. In the handbook it says "___". By my count, I was in class prior to the 8-minute mark on 3 of these occasions. Am I understanding the rule correctly? If so, would this be a violation since I didn't miss the 8-minute mark? If not, please let me know so I can be sure I'm on time in the future". Let them explain their rule in writing and why it's contradictory to what they're telling you. DO NOT PICK A FIGHT by telling them you're not in violation. Ask the question, don't make the statement (most questions are statements in disguise anyway).

After that, you need to make it there BEFORE 8 am from here forward. You're on the radar. It's not fair, it's stupid, but you do what you have to do to avoid being on the radar. Will it really be a big deal to get there at 7:55 instead of 8:03? Your post mentions the "rare personal issue" but how rare is it if you've only been in school 3 mths and it's already come up at least once? You need to sort these things out and make it a priority to get there before 8 am. Trick your brain into believing class starts at 7:45 if you need to plan for traffic. Trust me that when you get to clinicals, there will be no such thing as an 8 am start time in 99% of your clerkships anyway.

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[Mass Effect]

How is it disruptive to show up to an optional lecture after it starts?

One can be totally disruptive walking in late especially if they don't just sit in the corner in the back. We had one guy in my class who used to insist on sitting in the second row in the middle and ALWAYS came in a few minutes late. It was disruptive. During one lecture, the professor even said he isn't going to start until X comes in for that reason. It's just selfish and entitled. If you learn better being there in person, then get there in time. If you're late, don't come in, even if you don't meet the handbook definition of late.

This is dumb. I’ve regularly seen instructors late, TAs late, attendings late, residents late, to all manner of things not just stupid lectures. Reality is stuff happens. If you leave for your 25 minute commute, but there’s a huge wreck and you’re stuck in 55 minutes of traffic, then what? Did you luckily happen to leave a whole hour early? Yea, right. Better advice is if you’re running late and it’s going to affect other people, you make arrangements to mitigate that effect (call, don’t wait for me, I’ll catch up, etc). The attitude that thou shalt never be late never ever or else is just silly and only really exists in forums. Life happens.

I mean, life happens, but remember it's September. The OP likely started school in July. Since then, knowing lectures start at 8 (forget the handbook rules for a minute), the OP managed not to get there by 8 on four separate occasions. The school's rule is stupid, but also, the lecture starts at 8. Be there by 8 if you intend to go. And if you can't get there, then stay home. Easy fix. I can understand now and then missing a light or being stuck in traffic, but four times in less than three months? That's a problem.

I guess you glossed over the fact that he was late "4" times.....Bottom line, that is unacceptable, sorry.

This exactly. This is the problem as I see it. Being late happens, but being late 4 times and even after the admin already talked to them about it is an issue.

Finally, some logic. Everyone is ready to ban him from medicine for lateness to a OPTIONAL lecture when he wasn’t even late according to his own programs handbook. I’ll never understand the bizarre tendency to view rules as holy dictates I’m without even examining them.

Dude, calm down. When lectures start at a certain time, it means get there by that time, even if by a few minutes. When you get there after the start time, don't go in. It was an easy fix, but the OP brought this on themself. No one is defending the school, but the school's absurdity doesn't excuse the OP's shortcomings.

 

[Captain_Falcon]

One can be totally disruptive walking in late especially if they don't just sit in the corner in the back. We had one guy in my class who used to insist on sitting in the second row in the middle and ALWAYS came in a few minutes late. It was disruptive. During one lecture, the professor even said he isn't going to start until X comes in for that reason. It's just selfish and entitled. If you learn better being there in person, then get there in time. If you're late, don't come in, even if you don't meet the handbook definition of late.

This may be construed as arguing semantics but in that scenario it isn't necessarily "being late" that is the reason for disturbing the class. You said it yourself essentially-you can be late without being disruptive

 

[Mass Effect]

This may be construed as arguing semantics but in that scenario it isn't necessarily "being late" that is the reason for disturbing the class. You said it yourself essentially-you can be late without being disruptive

I don't think there's a way to come in late without being disruptive. It's just a matter of degrees how disruptive you are.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

One can be totally disruptive walking in late especially if they don't just sit in the corner in the back. We had one guy in my class who used to insist on sitting in the second row in the middle and ALWAYS came in a few minutes late. It was disruptive. During one lecture, the professor even said he isn't going to start until X comes in for that reason. It's just selfish and entitled. If you learn better being there in person, then get there in time. If you're late, don't come in, even if you don't meet the handbook definition of late.



I mean, life happens, but remember it's September. The OP likely started school in July. Since then, knowing lectures start at 8 (forget the handbook rules for a minute), the OP managed not to get there by 8 on four separate occasions. The school's rule is stupid, but also, the lecture starts at 8. Be there by 8 if you intend to go. And if you can't get there, then stay home. Easy fix. I can understand now and then missing a light or being stuck in traffic, but four times in less than three months? That's a problem.



This exactly. This is the problem as I see it. Being late happens, but being late 4 times and even after the admin already talked to them about it is an issue.



Dude, calm down. When lectures start at a certain time, it means get there by that time, even if by a few minutes. When you get there after the start time, don't go in. It was an easy fix, but the OP brought this on themself. No one is defending the school, but the school's absurdity doesn't excuse the OP's shortcomings.

“Dude calm down” quotes numerous people In one comment explaining how they’re all so wrong for defending OP.

 

[Mass Effect]

“Dude calm down” quotes numerous people In one comment explaining how they’re all so wrong for defending OP.

Given that it is a message board, yea, I will quote people and respond. That's the point of a forum. The quantity of your posts isn't what triggered that statement.

 

[0ncogene]

I don't think being late in medical school is a big deal. But if you're on a surgical rotation and you got a 7:30am case start, no one is going to wait for you.

 

[xffan624]

I don't think being late in medical school is a big deal. But if you're on a surgical rotation and you got a 7:30am case start, no one is going to wait for you.

What magical surgical rotation starts anywhere around 7:30 AM? Pretty sure my roll call was around 5-5:30 AM IIRC.

 

[Doc_Ock]

What magical surgical rotation starts anywhere around 7:30 AM? Pretty sure my roll call was around 5-5:30 AM IIRC.

.......mine wasn't until 8-8:30 🥳