Breaking the Student Code

[Broken Dreams]

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[Pagan FutureDoc]

Why would you watch a lecture during a closed book test?
Frankly that sounds like cheating. You might be able to talk yourself out of the calculator app use but the way I read the rest it looks bad.

 

[Broken Dreams]

Why would you watch a lecture during a closed book test?
Frankly that sounds like cheating. You might be able to talk yourself out of the calculator app use but the way I read the rest it looks bad.

I totally understand. I didn't know they kept track of my computer. Everyone else in the class knew. I am feeling regretful. It was probably the first time I ever cheated during college. Taking an online exam is very different from what I have been used to.

 

[Isoval]

“I didn’t know they kept track of my computer.”

“I’m feeling regretful.”

Honestly, it sounds like you would have done it anyways if you knew they weren’t watching. Closed-book means closed-book whether anybody is watching or not. They literally could not be more explicit.

This should not be a difficult concept.

 

[Lucca]

Admit what you did (cheat on a test). Hope u get let off with just an F on the exam. Never do it again.

 

[Geo16]

If you didn't know it was closed book, that might have been a different case.
But you knowingly did it.

 

[LizzyM]

@Broken Dreams, your name says it all. You cheated on an online exam. Given your GPA, there will be a seed of doubt planted regarding how you earned all those As on you transcript. "Would we want someone who does this in our school?" "Hell, no."

Time to plan for an alternate career tht does not require any additional schooling on your part.

And don't give any excuse like, "I didn't know they were watching what I did." That suggests that when it comes to issues of being honest, you'll be honest only if you know that someone is watching. That tells us all we need to know about your character.

Get some counseling to deal with the broken dream and get some career counseling to determine how your skills and abilities can be used in a career that does not require education beyond your bachelor's degree.

 

[chaim123]

Hi all,
I am a senior premed with a 3.97 GPA at a top undergrad school. I am taking an online class with grad students. There was an exam that I took that was supposed to be closed-book. So they tracked whether I switched out of the exam tab or not. I did so multiple times during the test, to access a calculator and also watched a lecture. The instructor has contacted me asking to meet with me. How should I approach this? The exam would have still been a piece of cake without that lecture I watched. I just didn't know they were tracking the tabs I opened.
I'm feeling very scared as I am planning to apply this June. Please help me!

Something that many great adcoms on here have said in the past is that you need to take the time to show repentance, and that the cheating you is not the you applying to medical school. Usually, freshman -> senior year is enough time to make that happen. However, a few months is going to be an even BIGGER flag, as they'll know that the person applying to medical school is the same one who cheated just a few months earlier.

I'd suggest not applying this cycle, but taking some time off, growing, and applying later.

 

[3toedsloth]

If you can't get out of it, your chances for med school this next cycle are pretty much shot.

And if you are trying to get out of it, you've got to come up with a better story.

 

[MDPedigree]

I doubt a professor is going to report you for an incidence like this. My bet is that he's going to give you a 0 for this test. It may hurt your GPA if you get a B, but it's better than getting academic dishonesty. Wait until the meeting before jumping to conclusions and report back to us to let us know what he said. We can go from there!

 

[TheVFibKid]

Hi all,
I am a senior premed with a 3.97 GPA at a top undergrad school. I am taking an online class with grad students. There was an exam that I took that was supposed to be closed-book. So they tracked whether I switched out of the exam tab or not. I did so multiple times during the test, to access a calculator and also watched a lecture. The instructor has contacted me asking to meet with me. How should I approach this? The exam would have still been a piece of cake without that lecture I watched. I just didn't know they were tracking the tabs I opened.
I'm feeling very scared as I am planning to apply this June. Please help me!

Did you take the exam for this online class from your personal computer at home, or in the school's computer lab. If it's your computer, they should have notified you at some point, and you should have been given the opportunity to sign (or click) a consent form saying that they are going to install software on your computer that allows them to monitor your browser activity. Is this indeed the case? If they are monitoring your computer without letting you know that you are being watched, either when you sign into the website and click a user agreement if the monitoring software is on their side, or if they make you download the monitoring software and install it on your computer. If this never happened, then you may have an out. If not, well...R.I.P.

 

[Broken Dreams]

Did you take the exam for this online class from your personal computer at home, or in the school's computer lab. If it's your computer, they should have notified you at some point, and you should have been given the opportunity to sign (or click) a consent form saying that they are going to install software on your computer that allows them to monitor your browser activity. Is this indeed the case? If they are monitoring your computer without letting you know that you are being watched, either when you sign into the website and click a user agreement if the monitoring software is on their side, or if they make you download the monitoring software and install it on your computer. If this never happened, then you may have an out. If not, well...R.I.P.

It was a a personal computer. They have mentioned this on their syllabus. I was added to the class two weeks late. The exam was on the fourth week. The first and last online class I took was open book so bad prescedent. 25th percentile was an 85%. The class was pretty much a guaranteed A and I studied really hard for it. Idk why I did what I did. All my other grades were earned. Even on this exam, not a single concept I looked up was relevant to the test.

 

[Broken Dreams]

@Broken Dreams, your name says it all. You cheated on an online exam. Given your GPA, there will be a seed of doubt planted regarding how you earned all those As on you transcript. "Would we want someone who does this in our school?" "Hell, no."

Time to plan for an alternate career tht does not require any additional schooling on your part.

And don't give any excuse like, "I didn't know they were watching what I did." That suggests that when it comes to issues of being honest, you'll be honest only if you know that someone is watching. That tells us all we need to know about your character.

Get some counseling to deal with the broken dream and get some career counseling to determine how your skills and abilities can be used in a career that does not require education beyond your bachelor's degree.

Thanks Dr. LizzyM fkr your take on this. It was my first time, and I repeat it was the first time. Online exams are different. And also, they got a flag for me using a calculator. Last online class I took was open book which might have set a bad prescedent.
Again, I appreciate that you are providing a faculty's take on this. Per someone on the ethics board, first offenses usually result in a 0 on the

 

[TheVFibKid]

It was a a personal computer. They have mentioned this on their syllabus. I was added to the class two weeks late. The exam was on the fourth week. The first and last online class I took was open book so bad prescedent. 25th percentile was an 85%. The class was pretty much a guaranteed A and I studied really hard for it. Idk why I did what I did. All my other grades were earned. Even on this exam, not a single concept I looked up was relevant to the test.

If they mentioned it on the syllabus you're probably out of luck. You are responsible for reading that on day one when you enter the class. Still, if they are monitoring your computer from their end, there should have been a screen at some point that you click on where you consent to your browser activity being monitored. I bet it's in tiny fine print on one of the screens when you log into or sign up for the site where you take your exams.

 

[Geo16]

Do you realize what you're saying could be very hurtful? I'm feeling down already. Many have committed suicide over online comments/abuse. I said it was my first time, and I repeat it was the first time. Online exams are different. And also, they got a flag for me using a calculator.
I appreciate that you are providing a faculty's take on this. But please reconsider your comments. Per someone on the ethics board, first offenses usually result in a 0 on the exam. No notes will be placed on my transcript.

Hurtful? Sure. Bullying is saying hurtful things to an innocent one. But you needed some criticism for your own action.

 

[Broken Dreams]

Admit what you did (cheat on a test). Hope u get let off with just an F on the exam. Never do it again.

Thanks Lucca! This will be the most likely outcome, unless they'll be super nice about it and let me retake. I've read the school's code multiple times. They allow profs to do that for a first offense

 

[TheVFibKid]

Do you realize what you're saying could be very hurtful? I'm feeling down already. Many have committed suicide over online comments/abuse. I said it was my first time, and I repeat it was the first time. Online exams are different. And also, they got a flag for me using a calculator.
I appreciate that you are providing a faculty's take on this. But please reconsider your comments. Per someone on the ethics board, first offenses usually result in a 0 on the exam. No notes will be placed on my transcript.

If it is true that all you get is a zero on the exam, are you still within the time period where you can drop and receive a non-punitive W grade? Will they allow you to do that in this case? If so, that could be your golden ticket out of this mess. Learn your lesson and never do this again.

 

[Broken Dreams]

If they mentioned it on the syllabus you're probably out of luck. You are responsible for reading that on day one when you enter the class. Still, if they are monitoring your computer from there end, there should have been a screen at some point that you click on where you consent to your browser activity being monitored. I bet it's in tiny fine print on one of the screens when you log into or sine up for the site where you take your exams.

I wish I had read those. Pretty sure they had mentioned it somewhere. Otherwise, the syllabus suffices.

 

[Broken Dreams]

If it is true that all you get is a zero on the exam, are you still within the time period where you can drop and receive a non-punitive W grade? Will they allow you to do that in this case? If so, that could your golden ticket out of this mess. Learn your lesson and never do this again.

I hope they'll allow that. The code says withdrawal is not permitted. Thank you so much for your assistance

 

[Broken Dreams]

Hurtful? Sure. Bullying is saying hurtful things to an innocent one. But you needed some criticism for your own action.

I came here to ask for help. Please allow me to learn and move on. It will bear consequences academically, and I have been feeling depressed for a while after I did poorly on CARS. Please be considerate, I read all the comments and appreciate your view points.

 

[Geo16]

I came here to ask for help. Not to be told that I have to reconsider a career path that doesn't require additional training. That is simply neither true nor helpful. IA is a deal breaker. But this won't result in an IA. That's just like telling stage 3 cancer patients they'll die in two days without an exception. There are still hopes.

Dawg, cheer up. All I'm saying is: you aren't a cancer patient.
You are more like a kid banned from a candy store for stealing. Not knowing there was a surveillance camera isn't a good excuse.
Still, I'd advice to admit to yourself and face it yourself. If the professor is okay with it, then you are good to go. If the professor forwards this to the office/department, then you are gonna get it. That's all.

 

[Microbug]

Dawg, cheer up. All I'm saying is: you aren't a cancer patient.
You are more like a kid banned from a candy store for stealing. Not knowing there was a surveillance camera isn't a good excuse.
Still, I'd advice to admit to yourself and face it yourself. If the professor is okay with it, then you are good to go. If the professor forwards this to the office/department, then you are gonna get it. That's all.

Lol so many edited comments by OP

 

[DokterMom]

Do you realize what you're saying could be very hurtful? I'm feeling down already. Many have committed suicide over online comments/abuse. I said it was my first time, and I repeat it was the first time. Online exams are different. And also, they got a flag for me using a calculator.

"@LizzyM called me a cheater. That's just mean!"

Sorry @Broken Dreams - You did cheat. You're sorry you got caught. If you hadn't been caught, you would not now be deeply regretting your actions. And that's dangerous in medicine.

-- another meanie

 

[Goro]

If it is true that all you get is a zero on the exam, are you still within the time period where you can drop and receive a non-punitive W grade? Will they allow you to do that in this case? If so, that could be your golden ticket out of this mess. Learn your lesson and never do this again.

Seeing a transcript that has an F in a course in a sea of As makes me knee-jerk think that a student was caught cheating.

OP, this can't be sugar coated. Your medical career is either over, or in deep stasis. From now on, engage n exemplary behavior, especially in positions of responsibility, like the US military, bank teller, counselor or teacher.

And stop with the "I didn't know I was being watched!" excuse. You know what "closed book' means.

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
― John Wooden

 

[TheVFibKid]

Seeing a transcript that has an F in a course in a sea of As makes me knee-jerk think that a student was caught cheating.

OP, this can't be sugar coated. Your medical career is either over, or in deep stasis. From now on, engage n exemplary behavior, especially in positions of responsibility, like the US military, bank teller, counselor or teacher.

And stop with the "I didn't know I was being watched!" excuse. You know what "closed book' means.

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
― John Wooden

If OP was being watched under the circumstances that he claimed he was being watched under, then he was necessarily informed at some point that he would be, and ignored it (it is illegal, even for educational institutions, to monitor activity on someone's personal computer without informing them that this will be done and giving them the opportunity to consent to it in order to continue in the course). So, not only is OP a cheater, but he is also inattentive and oblivious.

 

[Isoval]

Look @Broken Dreams:

I don’t think your career in medicine is over forever.

But, assuming this is noted on your record in some way, you’re going to have to put *a lot* of time between now an a medical school application. End of discussion. Not a gap year. Not a few gap years. This is something that requires many years on the in-between.

There are several thousand applicants to every single medical school in the country. The largest class size in the country is 300-odd. If you think we’re wrong, explain to me why anybody would *ever* choose a cheater over the other 4000 applicants.

You need to start looking for a long-term alternative. Medicine isn’t going to be welcoming for you for a long time.

If you have your heart set on becoming a doctor, you can probably make it happen in a decade. But it’s not going to be your tomorrow.

 

[Broken Dreams]

If OP was being watched under the circumstances that he claimed he was being watched under, then he was necessarily informed at some point that he would be, and ignored it (it is illegal, even for educational institutions, to monitor activity on someone's personal computer without informing them that this will be done and giving them the opportunity to consent to it in order to continue in the course). So, not only is OP a cheater, but he is also inattentive and oblivious.

Ok everyone, I asked for my girlfriend. She said she watched a lecture. Idk tbh. She's not the one reading all this, but if I was the reader I'd not be saying what you guys are doing. I hope we'd go to the same med school. If she doesn't handle this well, she's screwed, so am I. Also, the screenshots she has given me doesn't show they track. It was mentioned on the syllabus tho.

 

[Isoval]

Oh also Stage 3 cancer patients don’t die in two days.

 

[Goro]

Ok everyone, I asked for my girlfriend. She said she watched a lecture. Idk tbh. She's not the one reading all this, but if I was the reader I'd not be saying what you guys are doing. I hope we'd go to the same med school. If she doesn't handle this well, she's screwed, so am I. Also, the screenshots she has given me doesn't show they track. It was mentioned on the syllabus tho.

I'm beginning to get a whiff of troll.

 

[narla_hotep]

I don’t think this is necessarily a troll... sounds more like someone who is trying to distance themselves from the events in this thread so the comments directed toward them feel less personal. I know OP cheated and that’s awful, but... Seriously, y’all are terrifying. If I was the OP I would most certainly be not okay after already being freaked out and then reading this. OP should probably get off SDN right now for their own sanity.

 

[TheVFibKid]

You can’t really sugar coat the truth though...

OP cheated, and did so in an environment where the odds of being caught are 100%, and was told at some point that he was being monitored in such a way, yet somehow managed to not be cognizant of this when making the decision to cheat, notwithstanding any moral considerations. Draw your own conclusions.

 

[narla_hotep]

Definitely not saying that what the OP did was okay in any way. But what do you guys consider an appropriate punishment for cheating? Not getting into med school, sure. (Although I'm sure a lot of cheaters slip thru into med school anyway). But is possible injury or death an appropriate punishment? Many premeds aren't exactly the most mentally stable people.

 

[TheVFibKid]

Definitely not saying that what the OP did was okay in any way. But what do you guys consider an appropriate punishment for cheating? Not getting into med school, sure. (Although I'm sure a lot of cheaters slip thru into med school anyway). But is possible injury or death an appropriate punishment? Many premeds aren't exactly the most mentally stable people.

All the more reason for people who fit the profile of the OP to not be entering medical school.

 

[narla_hotep]

All the more reason for people who fit the profile of the OP to not be entering medical school.

True, it's kinda sad that so many anxious and depressed people are driven to medicine, and the career is so intense that it breaks them down. Maybe if OP really is mentally ill (not assuming, just saying what if) then it's better for them not to go to med school?

 

[Goro]

Definitely not saying that what the OP did was okay in any way. But what do you guys consider an appropriate punishment for cheating? Not getting into med school, sure. (Although I'm sure a lot of cheaters slip thru into med school anyway). But is possible injury or death an appropriate punishment? Many premeds aren't exactly the most mentally stable people.

F in the course
One year suspension
Take a required ethics course

IF this were a medical student, they'd either get a suspicion with a note in the Dean's Letter, or expulsion.

 

[lovehate]

If the prof is nice you may get away with a warning or a retake. But that doesn't mean that you can keep this type of behavior. I would read the syllabus of an online class a few time before the exam. Read the instructions before the exam. Never use the "I didn't know they were watching me" excuse.

 

[Stagg737]

The largest class size in the country is 250.

Irrelevant to the thread, but that's not correct. My entering class was 276 students and we were only the 11th largest class in the country that year. Several schools have 300+ in their incoming class. Now back to the your weekly thread on "I got caught cheating, WAMC??"

 

[PhilzCoffeeAddict]

Dang SDNers don't take cheating lightly. I like this community!

OP, go to the professor and admit fault. Say you were being stupid and that doesn't excuse what you did. I pray for mercy on your soul by your professor. Whether he reports it or not can lead to you getting into med school or not. Maybe you can make an arrangement with him where you take a 0 in this exam. All exams are in his office and he doesn't report it to the records department? You're probably going to get a D or C in the class, but if this doesn't come on your record.... you are very lucky. If he reports this, I don't know how to get you out of that hole buddy.

 

[ciestar]

Irrelevant to the thread, but that's not correct. My entering class was 276 students and we were only the 11th largest class in the country that year. Several schools have 300+ in their incoming class. Now back to the your weekly thread on "I got caught cheating, WAMC??"

Mine is 264 lol

 

[TheVFibKid]

Dang SDNers don't take cheating lightly. I like this community!

OP, go to the professor and admit fault. Say you were being stupid and that doesn't excuse what you did. I pray for mercy on your soul by your professor. Whether he reports it or not can lead to you getting into med school or not. Maybe you can make an arrangement with him where you take a 0 in this exam. All exams are in his office and he doesn't report it to the records department? You're probably going to get a D or C in the class, but if this doesn't come on your record.... you are very lucky. If he reports this, I don't know how to get you out of that hole buddy.

At some schools, professors are obligated to report academic dishonesty.

 

[Isoval]

Irrelevant to the thread, but that's not correct. My entering class was 276 students and we were only the 11th largest class in the country that year. Several schools have 300+ in their incoming class. Now back to the your weekly thread on "I got caught cheating, WAMC??"

Oh, I didn't realize. I thought LUCOM had 250 and was the largest.

 

[Geo16]

Definitely not saying that what the OP did was okay in any way. But what do you guys consider an appropriate punishment for cheating? Not getting into med school, sure. (Although I'm sure a lot of cheaters slip thru into med school anyway). But is possible injury or death an appropriate punishment? Many premeds aren't exactly the most mentally stable people.

Was worried at one point because I knew blacklashing OP among several others feel brutal.
I shouldn't have posted anything, but in my defense his attitude towards this ticked me off. Don't hurt yourself OP. I'm sorry I did this

 

[Mad Jack]

I doubt a professor is going to report you for an incidence like this. My bet is that he's going to give you a 0 for this test. It may hurt your GPA if you get a B, but it's better than getting academic dishonesty. Wait until the meeting before jumping to conclusions and report back to us to let us know what he said. We can go from there!

I'd be shocked if he wasn't reported for academic dishonesty. Only the most lenient of professors would let this slide.

 

[narla_hotep]

I mean, OP is probably okay, hopefully it was just my own neuroticism coming through. I was just worried because I saw a few weird things about suicide and bullying in his deleted posts that were quoted. It's hard finding the appropriate level of mean on sites like this where you just wanna yell at someone for making a dumb decision... Maybe I just sympathized with OP because while I've never outright cheated, I've done a few minor but still ethically questionable things and then proceeded to freak out over them for days.

 

[Mad Jack]

Dang SDNers don't take cheating lightly. I like this community!

OP, go to the professor and admit fault. Say you were being stupid and that doesn't excuse what you did. I pray for mercy on your soul by your professor. Whether he reports it or not can lead to you getting into med school or not. Maybe you can make an arrangement with him where you take a 0 in this exam. All exams are in his office and he doesn't report it to the records department? You're probably going to get a D or C in the class, but if this doesn't come on your record.... you are very lucky. If he reports this, I don't know how to get you out of that hole buddy.

Cheating is a huge deal in medical school. If a student is found cheating on a medical school exam, often the entire exam must be scrapped and rewritten since the true extent of cheating can't be known. This is a huge hassle, as medical school exams can take weeks to prepare, thus schools are very reluctant to risk bringing on someone that will cheat. And this is, of course, aside from all of the issues around potential tarnishing of the school's reputation lf the student continues to act dishonestly in the future. Hence, cheating is taken very, very seriously.

 

[narla_hotep]

Med schools are also way more paranoid and less trusting of their students. There's no way they'd give us the option to switch to a different tab on a closed book exam.

 

[narla_hotep]

Not trying to justify cheating or anything, just saying I'm surprised how little they trust their students. There must have been some cheaters in the past, meaning some slipped through in undergrad. Maybe that does justify the level of harshness in med school admissions...

 

[Lawpy]

I don’t think this is necessarily a troll... sounds more like someone who is trying to distance themselves from the events in this thread so the comments directed toward them feel less personal. I know OP cheated and that’s awful, but... Seriously, y’all are terrifying. If I was the OP I would most certainly be not okay after already being freaked out and then reading this. OP should probably get off SDN right now for their own sanity.

SDN has a zero tolerance for cheating. So do adcoms and anyone who works in academia. This is good and necessary. OP should face the consequences of his actions even if it means pursuing a different career altogether.

Was worried at one point because I knew blacklashing OP among several others feel brutal.
I shouldn't have posted anything, but in my defense his attitude towards this ticked me off. Don't hurt yourself OP. I'm sorry I did this

Your comments were fine. OP’s criticism of LizzyM’s suggestion was totally unwarranted and pretty insensitive before he edited. Yes I get that he feels sad for cheating and getting caught but he needs to realize cheating is not okay. And that he shouldn’t be thinking of applying to medical school anytime soon, if ever.

 

[ciestar]

Med schools are also way more paranoid and less trusting of their students. There's no way they'd give us the option to switch to a different tab on a closed book exam.

Look up Lockdown Browser. My med school uses this for online exams.

 

[LizzyM]

Definitely not saying that what the OP did was okay in any way. But what do you guys consider an appropriate punishment for cheating? Not getting into med school, sure. (Although I'm sure a lot of cheaters slip thru into med school anyway). But is possible injury or death an appropriate punishment? Many premeds aren't exactly the most mentally stable people.

The school where the cheating took place administers the punishment (usually called a sanction. AMCAS calls it an "institutional action"). The typical sanction for a first offense may be a zero for the exam or an F for the course. In some cases, the punishment may include suspension or expulsion (at Univeristy of Virginia, IIRC, expulsion is the only option ).

Aside from a "punishment" there are consequences of an action that are not meant as a punishment but only a natural consequence of one's action. If you drive across the railroad tracks when the lights are flashing and the barriers are in place, you are breaking the law and you may be prosecuted. You may also be severely injured and your vehicle may be severely damaged. Is that the punishment for breaking the law? It is not but it is the foreseeable consequence of driving in the path of a train. Likewise, being unattractive as a candidate for admission to medical school is not a punishment for cheating but the natural consquence of an action that raises serious questions about one's character and trustworthiness. With more than 50% of applicants getting no offer to any medical school, it is clear that schools can be picky and will not pick candidates that raise red flags.

If a person who has been caught cheating feels distraught, then it is time to seek counseling with a professional. Schools have counseling services and many are available 24/7. Anyone who is thinking about harming themself should get help immediately.