No Makeup Exam with a Doctor's Note

[Letletlet7]

I am in my 3rd year of pharmacy school. I had 2 exams Tuesday. One at 8-10 am and one at 1-3 pm. I took the morning exam and I missed the 1-3 pm exam due to extreme back pain (nerve pain that I’ve been experiencing that came on sudden and severe, I’ve been experiencing back pain since a car accident this past summer) and also an aching severe migraine. My pain level was at like at an 8 or so! My mother took me to a doctor’s clinic. The doctor gave me a rescue injection & wrote me a list of meds. My migraine was so severe they turned off the lights of for me, I could not even tolerate light, sound or movement. I did not email the professor until after I left the clinic.

Her syllabus states: Makeup examinations will only be administered for excused absences. It is up to the discretion of the course coordinator and all faculty involved in the material covered in the examination whether or not any given absence is excused. All faculty must agree unanimously to allow a make-up. Prior approval for an absence from an examination can only be obtained from acknowledged direct contact with the course coordinator….The student should initiate contact to the course coordinator in person, phone or e-mail within 24 hours of the missed examination for emergency situations.

Now, she is giving me a 0 for a grade which consists of about 21% of the whole grade. I am totally screwed with this, there is no way I can even make it to a grade where I can even remediate the course which means I’m kicked out of the program. Her reasoning for deeming this an “unexcused absence” is because I did not notify her before, it was not an “emergency” and I should have been able to notify her prior to the exam. PLEASE HELP ME! There is the 4th and final exam left, which is cumulative. I am literally losing my mind and about to jump off a bridge at the thought of being kicked out of pharmacy school. I cannot stop crying. Is this fair, can they do this? My ailment was legitimate to me! I was in severe pain. Have any of you experienced ciatic nerve pain? Or a migraine, well it was a very severe case. If I don’t get to remake this exam or have the cumulative exam count as that exam, I am out of pharmacy school! School means everything to me and I am panicking at the thought of failure. Please please please help me. I need you.

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[Wheresmyaricept]

Have you tried to reason with the professor and explain it was an emergency? What if you were in a car accident...can't send an email if you're unconscious and wrapped around a bunch of metal.

If she won't budge, I would try the department chair. If no luck, try the dean?

 

[Sugoi Travis]

I'd contact the course coordinator (if you haven't already) and explain your situation. I wouldn't say it's over yet because at least according to your syllabus that the decision for a retake involves the consensus of all the faculty and right now that's not the case. Set up a meeting with the faculty involved and explain what happened and how things turned out. Unless if you've got something else against you that we are not aware of, I highly doubt that they're going to kick you out because of some unforeseen circumstance.

 

[Digsbe]

Talk to your adviser, the professor, and the department chair. Just explain yourself clearly and provide the physician's note. See if any other students at your school went through something similar and what happened to them, I'd imagine they try to stay consistent with how things are done.

 

[MyRealNameIs]

They probably just don't believe you. Explain in detail your situation and tell them they are free to call the doctor to verify your story. I would really be surprised if they don't grant you a make up exam for a valid reason.

Like others said, it is important to talk to them face to face. Move up the ladder if you don't succeed.

 

[PearlJam]

So why did you not notify your professor in advance? I would imagine this would not be an issue if you had taken the courtesy to reach out to the professor in advance, either with a call or email, to state I am really feeling miserable and am on my way to the doc for an emergency injection. You could then have stated in advance I will provide a doctor's note in my request for an excused absence. If this were your job you wouldn't just not show up without letting someone know in advance and then call a few hours after you were scheduled to start to let them know you went to the doctor and won't be coming in.

In the end I would imagine through moving up the chain of command from professor to department chair to Dean you will get this resolved and be allowed to take a make-up.

 

[sosoo]

perhaps talking to the dean may help.

 

[Letletlet7]

I'd contact the course coordinator (if you haven't already) and explain your situation. I wouldn't say it's over yet because at least according to your syllabus that the decision for a retake involves the consensus of all the faculty and right now that's not the case. Set up a meeting with the faculty involved and explain what happened and how things turned out. Unless if you've got something else against you that we are not aware of, I highly doubt that they're going to kick you out because of some unforeseen circumstance.

I did contact the coordinator, she said she talked to the other faculty involved and they came to a conclusion that this was an unexcused absense. What can I do at this point? What can I say?

 

[confettiflyer]

Keep running this up the flagpole...most universities have an ombudsman and you may have to start considering legal options for failure to provide appropriate medical accommodations or for discrimination of there are others that got that right.

Tread carefully. Even if you prevail, these dinguses are still in control of your academic life.

 

[297point1]

Even if you prevail, these dinguses are still in control of your academic life.

You always know how to make me smile

For real, now: move it along to the Director/Dean of Student Affairs, and if no result there, to the Dean of the pharmacy school. If the story you have provided is accurate and complete (and IMO, it is a big if), you should be accommodated for. Faculty might get to make the first decision in situations like this, but they often don't get to make the last decision.

 

[Letletlet7]

Keep running this up the flagpole...most universities have an ombudsman and you may have to start considering legal options for failure to provide appropriate medical accommodations or for discrimination of there are others that got that right.

Tread carefully. Even if you prevail, these dinguses are still in control of your academic life.

Thank you. I was considering that, if it does come down to that. But what is the process? Do I just hire an attorney and open a case? I hope it doesn't come down to that.. is there ways I can word my story to the chair or the dean that will make my case better? I have 0 communication skills which is probably why I got shut down I feel like I'm gonna get screwed and I feel so hopeless and out of control.... my life is over

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

There are no doctor notes in the real world, especially in retail. Might be better to pick a new profession now if you are prone to sudden onset debilitating episodes like this.

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

There are no doctor notes in the real world, especially in retail. Might be better to pick a new profession now if you are prone to sudden onset debilitating episodes like this.

Most reasonable jobs will accept a note for having pain soon after a car accident. He/she shouldn't have to throw away their whole training because they got into a car accident.

 

[Corpseman]

There are no doctor notes in the real world, especially in retail. Might be better to pick a new profession now if you are prone to sudden onset debilitating episodes like this.

The union that runs the pharmacies here require doctor's notes.

 

[Gastrapathy]

No lawyer. Get a letter from your physician with specific info (not just a note). Go to the dean.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Most reasonable jobs will accept a note for having pain soon after a car accident. He/she shouldn't have to throw away their whole training because they got into a car accident.

the car accident was last summer, it is not like he got into a car accident on the way and then missed the exam

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

Most reasonable jobs will accept a note for having pain soon after a car accident. He/she shouldn't have to throw away their whole training because they got into a car accident.

Sure, just tell your DM, "I know I was supposed to open the pharmacy at 8am but my sciatica was acting up so I called my mom to take me to the doctor instead. Here's a note."

If you were in a Union job you could probably get away with this a few times. If it was a powerful union like teachers and cops have they could probably never touch you.

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

the car accident was last summer, it is not like he got into a car accident on the way and then missed the exam

Still, I'm sure we're all aware that chronic pain can happen from an accident that wasn't recent. If it's a frequent occurrence, it would be an issue and a student/employee would need to find a way to not have this interfere with school/work. Not sure from OP's statement that this happens all the time and may have just been one issue.

Sure, just tell your DM, "I know I was supposed to open the pharmacy at 8am but my sciatica was acting up so I called my mom to take me to the doctor instead. Here's a note."

If you were in a Union job you could probably get away with this a few times. If it was a powerful union like teachers and cops have they could probably never touch you.

First, this is a student not a retail pharmacist. Second, life happens. You get sick, you get into accidents, etc. Any job who couldn't excuse an occasional issue coming up is ridiculous in my book. I don't think you telling someone to quit school and years of work because they missed one test is realistic or helpful.

 

[KARM12]

I think the issue isn't that he was sick...I think the issue is that he didn't call or email to let the professor know he was sick until after the fact.

 

[wagrxm2000]

No email/phone call, no make up. There is really nothing you can do. Why didn't you get ahold of the professor?

 

[confettiflyer]

Sounds like there's incentive to get horrendously sick such that contact isn't possible.

Forgot to email your professor? Find a way to get intubated!

 

[Crayola227]

Contact ombudsmen. Get a letter from doctor, document all the issues you've had historically with sciatica, car accident, migraines.

Scour the student handbook on rules and who you can contact. You need to make it clear how debilitating the pain was for you. An emergent unscheduled appt with a PCP is just as much as emergency as going to the ED, you just made better use of resources going through PCP first. People forget this.

You went to the first exam which made you worse off and then to the doctor.
You contacted them within the 24 hr rules?
Tell them the pain was so debilitating you couldn't even have enough executive function to have worked your phone, email, or explain to your mother how to do it until the moment you did handle this.

The point is you point out you did your best to participate that day, went to the doc, and given what you've described for your pain and migraine, ridiculous to think you were going to have a chance to get a hold of anyone. And it's ridiculous because this wasn't retail, your absence affected them in no real way at all. Given how they were depending on you, you could easily prioritize your health and wait to contact them until you were treated. They don't see it that way of course, they want every day of professional school to reflect "real life" but that's not realistic. If this was your job I'd say you better have your supervisor's number on speed dial and use morse code with your fingers to tell mom to call while they intubate you. But in this case going to doc then contacting her? Should be fine but they're dicks.

Contact the accommodations and disability office about this too.

If there are any procedure hearings, get a lawyer. Get a lawyer that specializes in education or ADA law. You can get one now just to consult for now. People forget you can get legal advice without telling anyone you are doing so.

Do everything in writing. Be very apologetic about these circumstances and outline what you will do in the future if anything like this ever arises. State that you will contact the dean and whoever is in charge of any course the first day of any class to formalize 1 or 2 people who should be contacted and how, and that in the future yourself, your mother, or your physician will be the one to make a report in that simplified fashion until you can handle it personally.

In the future in that case you will contact the ombudsmen, dean, course director, course coordinator, course secretary, disabilities office, any ****ing list that will shut everyone up so you don't get any more flack for lack of communication for something like this in the future.

I know people who had to fight something like this with cancer. No matter how ill you are you will get major **** so best to have stuff in writing, a medical team, ombudsmen, disabilities office, student health, and a lawyer all in advance after this and for the rest of your career.

People are always going to **** you for any health problems you ever have, that even inconvenience someone merely by having to take two steps to the right not to have you puke on their shoes.

Society is all about bureacracy and the bottom line, no one gives a **** about you at all until you assemble a medical and legal team in advance to protect you from this sort of ****.

Good luck.

You can fight this, you are just going to have to learn the game. Read my post history maybe.

 

[Letletlet7]

Oh my God, thank you so much for your advice. It's the best I've heard thus far and most importantly gives me hope. Is there anyway I can have another form of contact that works better for you, maybe an email or something. I'd really appreciate it.

I'm going to talk to attempt to talk to the course coordinator again today. Do you think it's a good idea or should I go one level up and go to the department chair? After that would be the dean.

 

[deleted480308]

also, in the future.....read your syllabus before missing an exam worth 1/5th of your grade. When professores write crazy hard core stuff in their syllabus it's because they are that hard core. You absolutely should have contacted them before missing.

 

[BMBiology]

Of course I feel sorry for the OP. Why is she not allow to repeat the course? Is there something else to the story?

I can also understand why her professor would impose this rule. It prevents people from delay taking the exam and then ask their friends what is on the exam. The professor can write a total different exam for her but that is certainly not practical.

I can tell you if she did something like this at my work place, she would first get a warning. She would be fired if she did it again.

 

[Crayola227]

You can PM me.

Yes, in theory you should have made a phone call or email ASAP and before the test, but I've seen the game then they get mad at you didn't contact them sooner, they get mad you didn't see it coming, they get mad you didn't tough it out, didn't reschedule an emergent appointment for sooner or later (like that makes sense) and frankly employers are cockcuskers like this too. Then they get mad when your mom dies and you take 2 days off to get her buried before she stinks the place up. Eventually they get mad no matter what you do which is when you figure out nothing but perfect attendance, not collapsing in pain on the floor at work, and missing your mother's funeral makes them happy.

That's why with any workplace you are sure about sick day policies and what sort of call/coverage they may have for them, AFTER hiring contact whoever is in charge of disability accomodations, disclose any chronic pain issues like migraine or sciatica or chronic hangnails. Then you also document via writing and phone call even just when these things act up AND you are still going to work so no one acts like it's a surprise, AND you contact your doctor at the same time just so they can document that you did so. Then if you have to miss work you are sure to go to urgent care, ED, PCP ASAP and exaggerate your symptoms if you have to, try to leave with a script even if it's just for tylenol heat and PT.

You do all this so it can be an ADA lawsuit if they want to fire you for like 2 fairly unexpected absences a year because they're dicks.

Yes, you can contact the coordinator, be sure any meeting you have you write things down verbatim right after, you can take notes during but be sure if they look over your shoulder it doesn't look like you're just writing things out of context to make them sound like the meanies they are, in the email asking for a meeting be sure to basically say what you plan to say in person, after the meeting you can email asking for a summary of what you talked about so you're on a clear page. Don't go above their head just quite yet.

At the same same time contact ombudsmen if there is one, disability/diversity/accomodations officer, there will be SOMEONE meeting this description (trust me it's law any institution that gets federal dollars in any way has to have someone with this job description.)

Be very nice and apologetic, focus on how unexpected and how much pain you had, it literally started during test from how you were sitting, you went home, took some OTCs and tried to tough it out to attend the next test, which was only 2 hours later, the time frame was short enough by the time you knew you were going to the doctor (at your mother's urging when she saw how nonfunctional you were), the migraine as a result of the last test and back pain was really unexpected, you couldn't even drive yourself because of photophobia, sonophobia, and sitting upright an impossibility due to your back pain, so there was no way for you personally to handle a phone or device to send email, given your pain you couldn't formulate telling your mom how to do this for you, and she kept shushing you to be quiet and not strain/worry yourself so trying to fight with her about it wasn't helping your health or getting you anywhere. Your doctor offerred to write a note and it didn't occur to you to ask them, they seemed so busy, to personally google your school to try to track down an email or phone number for them to contact personally.

Tell them how sorry you are, you know what an inconvenience this is, this was the first time you were ever this debilitated by pain from these conditions were it impacted schhol, already have a follow up appointment scheduled with your doc, outline your treatment plan to include medications as preventatives, to take at the start of an episode, and whether or not it leads to you missing class or not, should you have to take those meds or have the start of pain you will immediately contact whoever they think is best so they can anticipate what may or may not happen as a result.

If this doesn't work, ask what the next step is, if they say nope that's it, faculty decided, ask what the appeal process is. Ask if you can know the faculty involved in the decision and if you can contact them. If not, ask who else you might contact to resolve this (don't use the word fight).

For any further emails (not to ombudsmen or disabilities office) if it's to other faculty/dean above this dingus's head cc write kindly and cc the dingus on the email so you're not going above their head in a "behind your back" sort of way.

Tell them you are sorry, that contacting them when you were well enough to collect your thoughts as a result of treatment with the doctor you contacted them as soon as you were well enough to handle electronics, so you were trying to follow policies, and as I said outline how in the future you would ensure that the process for contacting whoever should be contacted will already be in place and streamlined for whoever your emergency contact person is to carry out, and all you're asking for is another chance in the face of this pain that was unexpectedly severe and you didn't realize you needed such a plan in place.

So between apologizing, having a plan in place for any future contact about this, a medical plan you are pursuing, having your mom as emergency contact and prepared to contact on your behalf should you not he able to, and vowing to contact them at the very first sign of trouble/pain to be proactive, you hope for another chance to make sure your health has the least amount of impact and you are ready to have better communication.

That should be your story to anyone involved in this process.

Like I said, an initial contact with an attorney set up now is not a bad use of money. Many will provide a free initial consult or only charge if you are going forward meeting with them a second time. Not bad to have such an attorney in your pocket now, because to kick you out there will have to be some sort of process where you can be involved, or appeal, and usually one or both options will allow an attorney to represent you. Don't bring any of that up now, just if it moves towards wanting you to sign things or be present for any sort of hearing, and the paperwork or student handbook usually names what those are and if you can have representation. You want representation regardless.

 

[Crayola227]

They write these policies and do this **** and people on these boards support it because we secretly hate the ill. They have to write policies to pretend like they care and aren't going to shank you for weakness.

The reality is the average young healthy person truly has the need for staying home unexpectedly so infrequently when it happens it's time to blame the victim and see if you can dump the one person in say 1000 that is just that unlucky with migraines, back pain, sickle cell, whatever, and trade them in for someone with no limiting condition because between 20-40 it's just as easy as that. And that's how the few but real people with illness that needed just a bit of understanding or accommodation for an illness here and there get marginalized in our society.

While the medical providers are trying to keep them as well as possible in a broken system to keep them productive and sometimes they'll need time off work, the employers, even if they are a healthcare organization, and insurers, are definitely looking for any reason to dump said employee for a younger better model.

My friend has a job where they definitely could do without him for 1 week to recover from gallbladder surgery (scheduling its removal being safer and more convenient to the company than the first inexpected bout landing them in the ED and out of work for a few days) and then they were getting **** on the phone for not being available for questions POD 1 when they were conked out on opiates.

Our bottom line mentality is destroying this nation's health. I see people not getting care they truly need to stay productive citizens for years to come because of short-sided employers and insurance companies that don't give a **** except if there's a hot body showing up at work that day.

There's evidence *Neanderthal* cared for the elderly and disabled. In any hunter gatherer society, if you couldn't pick berries that day seriously no big deal. It wasn'tthat hard for one person to gather enough for two people.

Even many agrarian societies had enough surplus grain to make it OK. It's the industrial revolution that's made us this ****ing intolerant of typical human biology that the factory wheels so to speak grind to a halt because someone needs an unexpected day for migraines every now and then.

We act like it's some fact of life that we have to work people to death but that's only because we've made that a policy.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I'm not convinced there isn't more to this story (like this isn't the first time you've done this)...especially since you said you would be kicked out of pharmacy school if you fail this class. I don't know of ANY pharmacy school that kicks a student out for failing a single class, obviously you were on probation to begin with.

But I also think its possible you did a bad job communicating the seriousness of the situation..... So yes, definitely follow the advice above on how to appeal in a gracious manner. But know, that your prior situations that put you on probation are going to be looked at and affect any ruling.

Certainly future advice for anyone reading this thread: 1) do not miss quizzes/exams/labs/etc for any reason other than physically incapable of walking into class 2) know the attendance policy for each class and how the teacher expects to be contacted if one is going to miss a class 3) have a designated person who knows to call the school for you in the event of that you are incapacitated and can not make it to school 4) if you are well enough to attend 1 test, then absolutely contact the teacher of a 2nd test if you are leaving and can't make it (this is probably a big point that they are holding against the OP, that the OP took the first test just fine, they so they are assuming the OP just wanted to skip the 2nd test.

When I was in school, most of the exams were multiple choice...but if people missed an exam, most of the teachers would have essay exams for the make-up. A big incentive not to miss an exam.

 

[Crayola227]

These are all excellent points.

If this is all that there is to the story, and it could be, they probably didn't like the timing and it looks like gaming the system.

I wrote in exquisite detail how to make your argument.

They will really be this harsh with you over something like this to ferret out anyone who full of BS. They hammer first and ask questions later.

I'm giving the OP the benefit of the doubt.

Being this harsh, making OP dance for their supper, accomplishes the following:
1) Prove you're not a lowlife.
2) if you are or are not a lowlife and tapdanced out of this one, then you better take this as a sign to fly straight and not come under the radar again.
3) The next time you come under the radar, it will be way easier to cut you next time.

This early in the year/training, the school has nothing to lose by giving everyone a massive kick in the pants for anything that smacks of trouble.

 

[sakigt]

I missed an exam in Pharmacy school. I think it was severe pink eye? I couldnt keep my eyes open. I had my husband drive me to campus, lead me down the hallway where I could speak to the professors about it. I wasnt about to play games with them.

 

[KARM12]

I missed an exam due to illness in school. I made sure to contact the professor before the test and got a doctor's note. They let me make up the test...during finals week...with a full written exam instead of a multiple choice exam....

 

[Crayola227]

Yep woulda shoulda coulda

To add to what you said be sure to ask if they are excusing the absence and will allow a retake at the time, get a verbal commitment and later follow up by email to ask again so they can respond affirmative in writing

If not, sit yourself in the chair and try to hold one eye open with one hand, or in case of this person with sciatica I've seen people lay down on the floor scantron in hand, have a barf bag in hand, fall out of your chair laying there moaning

Better to do that and then get sent home for the ridiculousness if they want to say unexcused absence, or to fail test that way and go to your doc or have a cab/ambulance sent and try to fight about remediation later after the full view of classmates in that debacle than have them kick you out for an unexcused absence or to try to say you didn't document well enough with your doctor excusable illness

As far as helpful advice, being sure to go to the doc no matter how **** you feel or how unnecessary

I was sick with vomiting for a required attendance thing and would have been fine at home sipping some juice but instead I went to student health where they freaked out (sure I was a bit dehydrated, BP a little low) where they gave me like 2 bags saline I didn't really need but hey it got me a good note with a little poke

Even if your doc can't see you (based on your complaint we can see you tomorrow or whatever or go to ED) get your butt to the office I guarantee they'll at least take your vitals and make a note you came complaining even if they don't see you/fit you in (though they probably will if you're on the doorstep)

If you're really stuck at home see if you can get a selfie of vomiting or any other sign of illness with that day's newspaper or something, take a cab if you have to or get a classmate or neighbor over to help you out or attest or take a pic etc, be sure to call your doc, ambulance if you have to

They really can try to **** you over even if you follow rules and contact ahead of time they'll often want doctor's note or some proof and sometimes they'll say they'll let you make up excused only later to change their minds some caveat about "but you didn't get a doc's note" or "I don't like the note"

Even if you're prety sure a pain thing like this isn't going to be an issue a lot still go to your disabilities office and create a plan/documentation

This is your career and they can really get this unreasonable so take it seriously and act quickly and defensively, get a doc documentation communication and lawyer sooner rather than later if they're strating to get nasty