Academic IA - need some perspective

[sunshine20047012]

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Hey everyone, I just wanted some perspective on what's been going on with my pre-medical journey the past several months. I am a rising junior.

During last semester (Spring 2025) when I was a sophomore I was taking a gen ed. The exams are online, open-note, and not proctored. However, you are NOT supposed to use AI, and this is explicitly stated in the first question. I unfortunately decided to use AI anyways, getting flagged on 1 question out of the whole exam. I was deliberate in my cheating, you see, and made sure to edit my answers. But I got lazy at some point and I paid for it. I immediately admitted to using AI, and accepted all charges laid out for me. I accepted a 0 on my exam, and got a B+ in the course. I eventually got sanctioned with a warning, which will go on my record. I also got a sanction to write an essay reflecting on how I will express what happened to medical schools. Honestly, such a tame and understanding punishment for what I did, I feel grateful.

I am disappointed in myself because I was in a great spot, I just didn't believe in myself. I think I just want some perspective, because it is so easy to get tunnel visioned in this situation and obsess over this decision I made in poor judgement. I am doing things I am proud of this summer, but it is still hard to feel like I will never "make up" for what I did.

 

[einvincible12]

You’ll be fine. Explain it and how you learned to use AI as a learning tool and not a “doing tool” and it shouldn’t be an issue. Might hurt you some places of course if they blanket screen academic IAs but overall it’s not gonna be an app sinker or really anything serious

Might be biased as I have a very similar IA but generally this is the advice others have given on SDN.

 

[eigen]

Explain it and how you learned to use AI as a learning tool and not a “doing tool” and it shouldn’t be an issue. Might hurt you some places of course if they blanket screen academic IAs but overall it’s not gonna be an app sinker or really anything serious

I agree with the advice, but I think your last sentence minimizes the severity.

Cheating using AI is just as serious as any other form of cheating. You can get past all of them if you show that you've truly learned from the experience and realized why what you did was wrong, but one doesn't usually do that by minimizing it, IME.

I say this because I notice an increasing tendency of my students to minimize cheating in various ways, and it usually impacts them negatively in the long run.

 

[einvincible12]

I agree with the advice, but I think your last sentence minimizes the severity.

Cheating using AI is just as serious as any other form of cheating. You can get past all of them if you show that you've truly learned from the experience and realized why what you did was wrong, but one doesn't usually do that by minimizing it, IME.

I say this because I notice an increasing tendency of my students to minimize cheating in various ways, and it usually impacts them negatively in the long run.

Yes sorry, it came off wrong. I am generally saying to OP this will be minimally hurtful in the application process if handled properly, but not saying it should be minimized in writing. OP should look other places for advice on how to write this most effectively, but it is not something worth losing your mind over and thinking you have zero chance at getting accepted. From what I've seen, the writing should be almost maximizing the incident and what you learned from it and how it affected you.

 

[Goro]

You’ll be fine. Explain it and how you learned to use AI as a learning tool and not a “doing tool” and it shouldn’t be an issue. Might hurt you some places of course if they blanket screen academic IAs but overall it’s not gonna be an app sinker or really anything serious

Might be biased as I have a very similar IA but generally this is the advice others have given on SDN.

I concur. Just own this.

But do NOT screw up again!

 

[Dr.Freedman MedEdits]

You clearly have genuine regret about this IA; that is what important. Write about what happened in a straight forward way, express that regret and what you have learned, and don't worry about it. We have had many students make missteps of this nature who receive med school acceptances.