Accepted to MD After Academic Dishonesty – There’s Still Hope

[infinitestars]

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Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my journey for anyone who feels like one mistake means the end of the road.

During my senior year of college, I made a serious error in judgment and was involved in an academic dishonesty case. It was a tough, humbling experience, and for a while, I genuinely believed that medical school was no longer an option for me. My GPA was strong, but it was the only real standout in an application potentially tainted by the IA. I took the MCAT twice and scored below the MD average both times. Reading online threads made it feel like the best I could do was DO—or that it would take 5+ years to make up for my mistake.

I took two gap years to reflect, grow, and rebuild my application. I focused on meaningful work, volunteering, and consistently showing that I had learned from my mistake. I was upfront about what happened in my applications and emphasized how I’ve grown—without making excuses.

To my surprise and deep gratitude, I was accepted into an MD program this cycle. I didn’t join the Peace Corps, earn a master’s degree, or publish any research. I simply focused on becoming a better version of myself and covering my weak areas—whether that meant gaining more clinical hours, volunteer experience, or improving my narrative.

If you’re in a similar situation, please know it’s not impossible. Be honest, take responsibility, and show how you’ve changed. You are more than your worst moment—and definitely more than what anonymous voices on a forum might say.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need support. I’ve been there.

 

[Goro]

They're definitely are adcoms who believe in Redemption

 

[GoSpursGo]

this is great news!

I know you want to be somewhat anonymous, but could you share a little bit about how you wrote about the IA and how it may have come up in an interview setting? I feel like we always get questions about how to show growth and ownership from these experiences

 

[infinitestars]

this is great news!

I know you want to be somewhat anonymous, but could you share a little bit about how you wrote about the IA and how it may have come up in an interview setting? I feel like we always get questions about how to show growth and ownership from these experiences

You only get around 1300 characters to write about an IA (institutional action), so you have to be concise and intentional. I started by stating the month/year, semester, course, and what happened—keeping the facts straightforward in about 2–3 sentences. I followed that with a brief mention of the circumstances that contributed to my poor decision—stress and personal family issues—not as an excuse, but to provide context. I was careful not to dwell on this part, as I fully accept that my actions were unacceptable regardless of the pressure I was under.

I then expressed regret and explained what I should have done instead—communicate with my professor, ask for an extension, or seek help before it was too late. I shared the consequence (a 0 on the assignment and a letter grade deduction), and then described what I did to take responsibility, including completing an academic integrity seminar and applying what I learned to finish the course with more integrity and structure. I also reflected on how I bounced back the following semester by implementing better time management and proactively seeking support.

I ended with the lesson I learned: asking for help early and making ethical choices, especially under pressure, are values I’ve integrated into both my personal and professional life.

After submitting the IA statement, I didn’t dwell on it—I focused on building a strong application. I worked as a scribe for three months and earned a letter of recommendation from a physician, transitioned into a clinical research assistant role in cancer trials, and volunteered at a local food bank I connected with. Choosing activities that I genuinely enjoyed and could commit to consistently was part of the growth. The people I worked with recognized my reliability and character, and their support affirmed that I am more than my past mistake.

In interviews, the IA was never the first thing I was asked about. Usually, it came up after a few general questions—like telling them about myself or my experiences. Around the third or fourth question, it would come up more like, “I see you had an IA—can you tell me more about that?”

When it did, I stuck closely to the way I laid it out in my written explanation: I took responsibility, gave brief context, explained what I learned, and focused on what I did afterward to grow from it. The great thing about the interview setting was that I had more space to elaborate on how I actually applied the lessons I learned—not just in school, but also in my gap year roles.

I talked about how the experience pushed me to become someone who asks for help earlier, manages stress more proactively, and never compromises my values. Ultimately, while the incident was unfortunate, it gave me the wake-up call I didn’t know I needed and shaped the way I approached my clinical and research roles. It’s something I’ve grown from—and I made sure my actions moving forward showed that clearly.

 

[GoSpursGo]

You only get around 1300 characters to write about an IA (institutional action), so you have to be concise and intentional. I started by stating the month/year, semester, course, and what happened—keeping the facts straightforward in about 2–3 sentences. I followed that with a brief mention of the circumstances that contributed to my poor decision—stress and personal family issues—not as an excuse, but to provide context. I was careful not to dwell on this part, as I fully accept that my actions were unacceptable regardless of the pressure I was under.

I then expressed regret and explained what I should have done instead—communicate with my professor, ask for an extension, or seek help before it was too late. I shared the consequence (a 0 on the assignment and a letter grade deduction), and then described what I did to take responsibility, including completing an academic integrity seminar and applying what I learned to finish the course with more integrity and structure. I also reflected on how I bounced back the following semester by implementing better time management and proactively seeking support.

I ended with the lesson I learned: asking for help early and making ethical choices, especially under pressure, are values I’ve integrated into both my personal and professional life.

After submitting the IA statement, I didn’t dwell on it—I focused on building a strong application. I worked as a scribe for three months and earned a letter of recommendation from a physician, transitioned into a clinical research assistant role in cancer trials, and volunteered at a local food bank I connected with. Choosing activities that I genuinely enjoyed and could commit to consistently was part of the growth. The people I worked with recognized my reliability and character, and their support affirmed that I am more than my past mistake.

In interviews, the IA was never the first thing I was asked about. Usually, it came up after a few general questions—like telling them about myself or my experiences. Around the third or fourth question, it would come up more like, “I see you had an IA—can you tell me more about that?”

When it did, I stuck closely to the way I laid it out in my written explanation: I took responsibility, gave brief context, explained what I learned, and focused on what I did afterward to grow from it. The great thing about the interview setting was that I had more space to elaborate on how I actually applied the lessons I learned—not just in school, but also in my gap year roles.

I talked about how the experience pushed me to become someone who asks for help earlier, manages stress more proactively, and never compromises my values. Ultimately, while the incident was unfortunate, it gave me the wake-up call I didn’t know I needed and shaped the way I approached my clinical and research roles. It’s something I’ve grown from—and I made sure my actions moving forward showed that clearly.

This is an outstanding response, and exactly how I think we recommend people move forward. I'm happy to see your mature response rewarded.

Congratulations on you acceptance!

 

[infinitestars]

They're definitely are adcoms who believe in Redemption

I was told to 'lose the hubris' when I applied to 85 schools. I didn’t — and now I’m in. Sometimes, belief in yourself isn’t arrogance, it’s perseverance.

 

[infinitestars]

This is an outstanding response, and exactly how I think we recommend people move forward. I'm happy to see your mature response rewarded.

Congratulations on you acceptance!

Appreciate it, thank you!

 

[pedneuro6894]

Do you mind sharing what the IA was?

 

[infinitestars]

Do you mind sharing what the IA was?

Sure, I can share. During the first semester of my senior year—just one semester away from graduating—I committed the cardinal sin of academia: plagiarism on an upper-division biology lab report. 😅 The timing couldn’t have been worse, and I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even tell my closest friends until after graduation.

I took full responsibility—no one else was involved. It was a painful but formative experience that taught me to be more intentional, accountable, and honest. My college advisor later confirmed that my explanation matched the institutional record, which gave me peace of mind moving forward.

I’m sharing this now because I really could’ve used this kind of perspective at the time. Forums can be harsh, but not all feedback was negative. Some, like Mr. Smiles, offered genuinely kind, helpful, and constructive advice.

That said, some advice felt a bit extreme, like the notion that it would take five years to recover from this. In reality, recovery doesn’t take that long unless you’re intentionally taking a break. I briefly considered getting a master’s to prove I could earn straight A’s again, but with 85 schools on my list (despite being advised against it), I needed income, not a degree I wouldn’t use. Instead, I focused on covering deficiencies in my experiences and ensuring I built up a strong foundation for my next steps.

 

[Dismissed]

I was told to 'lose the hubris' when I applied to 85 schools. I didn’t — and now I’m in. Sometimes, belief in yourself isn’t arrogance, it’s perseverance.

You never know what you can do until you try. People told me readmission after dismissal was impossible, but I succeeded. I’m very grateful you got an opportunity.

 

[infinitestars]

You never know what you can do until you try. People told me readmission after dismissal was impossible, but I succeeded. I’m very grateful you got an opportunity.

Thank you 🙂 Your comeback story is amazing as well, I can’t imagine how that must’ve been. Congrats !