Cheating in undergrad

[medschool22]

A friend of mine (yes, an actual friend) cheated during their undergrad years. They were going through a rough time (death in the family, received low mcat scores (23, was on track for MD with 3.9 gpa)) and felt they were just losing control of things. Their grade was lowered from a B to a C. The school considers the matter "closed" and said they would not be putting anything on their transcript.

When applying to schools, they say that you should not withhold any information and that they can check into your academic background (which would come up that something occured but the matter is closed).

My question is what can my friend do to better their application (applied to some caribb. schools and got rejected because of the matter)? I know Pods have a high acceptance rate (according to our school's website, 75%), but what should my friend do?

1) Should they report the incident? They talked to a couple of professors "off the record" who said not to say anything on the application because schools won't check into it, but they don't want to correct a wrong with another wrong.

2) Will Pods accept my friend with this on their record? This was totally out of character for my friend and happened during a very rough time in their life.

3) (as already stated) What kinds of things can my friend do to better their resume and show they've grown from the incident (My friend wanted to get on the academic honesty panel or help students not make the same mistake, but our school won't let you do this if you have cheated, which doesn't really help the person imo (in my opinion).

Any help and/or personal experience with this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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[Dr_Feelgood]

This is very tough. Is honest the best policy? I'm not sure.

On one side, I highly doubt that it would ever come up. I'm not even sure if there is a part on the application to "claim" the incident (I don't remember). If he got kicked out of the class that is different b/c it would be on his transcript. If it is not on his transcript, leave it out.

If he cannot leave it out, then be honest and address the issue in his personal statement. I'm not sure how long ago this happened but mistakes happen. I know of a fellow classmate that had a DUI in undergrad, he explained the issue and was let in w/o a problem. Everyone makes mistakes and the admission staff understands.

If your friend has any ?s tell him to PM me and I would be happy to discuss this issue w/ him or to take any questions he has to the admission staff at CPMS (anonymously of course).

 

[capo]

Would your "friend" and you, just so happen to "share" the same social security number?

 

[aphistis]

Surely not. It wouldn't make sense to ask a question about whether lying is wrong, and then lie about who it is that's asking...

 

[medschool22]

Ha Ha. Since this message board is anonymous anyways, there's no need for me to lie about whether it's me or a friend.

 

[whiskers]

This is what I'd tell you or your friend...

"The fact of the matter is that you cheated and demonstrated great cowardice in the face of failure which, to me, is a big character flaw to say the least and furthermore demonstrates a degree of emotional immaturity.

As far as having a death in the family, well that may sound like a "good excuse," but the majority of people who have been in your similar situation toughed it out and had the courage to accept the failure (with good cause).

Plus, your whole academic transcript is automatically suspicious because of your self-reported one time cheating incident.... Which may or may not be true... Only you know but I have a feeling that this level of cheating probably didn't deveolp over night, it's a skill to be sneaky and a practiced art to be deceptive.

If you haven't yet gotten the hint that I'm trying to make...

My advice is, grow up and become a real man or woman and stop this stupid charade, there is no room in the medical field for people willing to bail, lie and cheat to save their own donkey.

As a physician, you will face tougher decisions than this that will require absolute brutal honesty, and you, if you continue to skirt your adulthood, have already failed before making it that far. The lawyers will picnic on your inability to be truthful in the face of potential consequences and the jury will have no pity on a professional who is a liar or cheater."

~~~

The same goes for all of you old test hacks who are squirreling away your "secret" test files b/c you're too cowardly in my opinion, that you might not be named to the "deans list."

Laugh all you want, but your bad habits, if uncorrected, will eventually catch up with you in the medical field/

Growing can start today.

 

[IlizaRob]

This is what I'd tell you or your friend...

"The fact of the matter is that you cheated and demonstrated great cowardice in the face of failure which, to me, is a big character flaw to say the least and furthermore demonstrates a degree of emotional immaturity.

As far as having a death in the family, well that may sound like a "good excuse," but the majority of people who have been in your similar situation toughed it out and had the courage to accept the failure (with good cause).

Plus, your whole academic transcript is automatically suspicious because of your self-reported one time cheating incident.... Which may or may not be true... Only you know but I have a feeling that this level of cheating probably didn't deveolp over night, it's a skill to be sneaky and a practiced art to be deceptive.

If you haven't yet gotten the hint that I'm trying to make...

My advice is, grow up and become a real man or woman and stop this stupid charade, there is no room in the medical field for people willing to bail, lie and cheat to save their own donkey.

As a physician, you will face tougher decisions than this that will require absolute brutal honesty, and you, if you continue to skirt your adulthood, have already failed before making it that far. The lawyers will picnic on your inability to be truthful in the face of potential consequences and the jury will have no pity on a professional who is a liar or cheater."

~~~

The same goes for all of you old test hacks who are squirreling away your "secret" test files b/c you're too cowardly in my opinion, that you might not be named to the "deans list."

Laugh all you want, but your bad habits, if uncorrected, will eventually catch up with you in the medical field/

Growing can start today.

Wow, thanks for the entertainment whiskers. By the way, who are you quoting? Yourself? You throw out quotation marks like its candy. My advice to you whiskers would be to take your own advice and "grow up and become a real man or woman and stop this stupid charade". I think the old test issue is conrtolling your life. But...on the other hand, I enjoy a good laugh now and then.

 

[medschool22]

This is what I'd tell you or your friend...

"The fact of the matter is that you cheated and demonstrated great cowardice in the face of failure which, to me, is a big character flaw to say the least and furthermore demonstrates a degree of emotional immaturity.

As far as having a death in the family, well that may sound like a "good excuse," but the majority of people who have been in your similar situation toughed it out and had the courage to accept the failure (with good cause).

Plus, your whole academic transcript is automatically suspicious because of your self-reported one time cheating incident.... Which may or may not be true... Only you know but I have a feeling that this level of cheating probably didn't deveolp over night, it's a skill to be sneaky and a practiced art to be deceptive.

If you haven't yet gotten the hint that I'm trying to make...

My advice is, grow up and become a real man or woman and stop this stupid charade, there is no room in the medical field for people willing to bail, lie and cheat to save their own donkey.

As a physician, you will face tougher decisions than this that will require absolute brutal honesty, and you, if you continue to skirt your adulthood, have already failed before making it that far. The lawyers will picnic on your inability to be truthful in the face of potential consequences and the jury will have no pity on a professional who is a liar or cheater."

~~~

The same goes for all of you old test hacks who are squirreling away your "secret" test files b/c you're too cowardly in my opinion, that you might not be named to the "deans list."

Laugh all you want, but your bad habits, if uncorrected, will eventually catch up with you in the medical field/

Growing can start today.

Even I have to laugh at this.

 

[molldoll2010dpm]

Cheating is never acceptable, it will be very hard to find a program that would let someone in with that background. Lying about it won't make it any better either.