Does your school have an Honor Code?

[SFAJess]

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Hey med school peeps! I was wondering how many schools out there currently have an honor code. Is so, is it a student run or faculty run honor code and what are your thoughts on it? We are considering a student-run honor code at our school, but wanted to research what people think about it. I'm doing some more research, but thought I'd ask SDN as well.

Thanks!

 

[hakksar]

University of Colorado has a student run Honor Code. See http://mama.uchsc.edu/student/HonorCode/index.html

 

[Stealth Vector]

I think the state medical school in houston has one (aka not baylor).
You can check the website academicintegrity.org to see their list of members.


Good luck with the process, I'm sure it will reflect well on your medical school and your fellow students.

 

[bigdan]

Stony Brook has an Honor Code, which is reviewed at orientation, and something is signed by each student, and you're reminded of it frequently. It is of faculty and student responsibility/ownership...we get to take some tests and quizzes on our own (ie, at home or in library on laptops) with the expectation that we're being good doobies.

An Honor Code committee of students "investigates" breaches; it is then brought to faculty committee if there is merit to the claim. The year ahead of us felt that it was kinda weak, since someone was cheating ad nauseum and no one had the nuts to address it last year, but folks seem to like it (as if we have a choice).

Lemme know if I can do anything to support your cause; a big part of orientation was to encourage us to step up to folks that are doing something outside of the honor code and confront them directly. It is (hopefully) a big step toward stiffening some spines, which may do everyone in our future profession a bit of good.

dc

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Stony Brook has an Honor Code, which is reviewed at orientation, and something is signed by each student, and you're reminded of it frequently. It is of faculty and student responsibility/ownership...we get to take some tests and quizzes on our own (ie, at home or in library on laptops) with the expectation that we're being good doobies.

An Honor Code committee of students "investigates" breaches; it is then brought to faculty committee if there is merit to the claim. The year ahead of us felt that it was kinda weak, since someone was cheating ad nauseum and no one had the nuts to address it last year, but folks seem to like it (as if we have a choice).

Lemme know if I can do anything to support your cause; a big part of orientation was to encourage us to step up to folks that are doing something outside of the honor code and confront them directly. It is (hopefully) a big step toward stiffening some spines, which may do everyone in our future profession a bit of good.

dc

why would anyone cheat? there's too much risk and the consequences are not worth it in the long run.

Would you turn in a doctor who was doing surgery while intoxicated or high on drugs, or any related scenario...justr curious of everyone's opinions.

 

[sparky5]

NYMC has an honor code that you sign. We are looking into revamping it a little, but you can find it here. Last year we had issues with notes written on boards, and what is allowed to be programmed into your calculator (for physio). But, in general it is just nice to have it inplace.

 

[bigdan]

why would anyone cheat? there's too much risk and the consequences are not worth it in the long run.

Would you turn in a doctor who was doing surgery while intoxicated or high on drugs, or any related scenario...justr curious of everyone's opinions.

Why folks would cheat is actually quite obvious to me, but I agree wholeheartedly that there's WAY too much at risk to even entertain the thought.

I wouldn't go to a doc that was intoxicated (assuming I knew that she/he was intoxicated)...not sure the relationship of that question to the cheating thing...

dc

 

[MercyKillerDoc]

Stony Brook has an Honor Code, which is reviewed at orientation, and something is signed by each student, and you're reminded of it frequently. It is of faculty and student responsibility/ownership...we get to take some tests and quizzes on our own (ie, at home or in library on laptops) with the expectation that we're being good doobies.

An Honor Code committee of students "investigates" breaches; it is then brought to faculty committee if there is merit to the claim. The year ahead of us felt that it was kinda weak, since someone was cheating ad nauseum and no one had the nuts to address it last year, but folks seem to like it (as if we have a choice).

Lemme know if I can do anything to support your cause; a big part of orientation was to encourage us to step up to folks that are doing something outside of the honor code and confront them directly. It is (hopefully) a big step toward stiffening some spines, which may do everyone in our future profession a bit of good.

dc

Cheating will always happen in situations where kids takes tests at home. My school lets kids do this and I am absolutely certain that there are cheaters (from MANY things i have noticed). I personally would never trust anyone not to cheat.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Why folks would cheat is actually quite obvious to me, but I agree wholeheartedly that there's WAY too much at risk to even entertain the thought.

I wouldn't go to a doc that was intoxicated (assuming I knew that she/he was intoxicated)...not sure the relationship of that question to the cheating thing...

dc

no, i meant if you worked with an intoxicated doctor would you turn him in...related in would you turn in a cheater in med school

 

[bananachip]

how could you cheat? too much material. Unless you had the test before the actual exam, you may as well just give up. You could find a way to copy off someone, but i mean, isn't their guess just as good as yours?

The risk of cheating far outweigh the benefits. This ain't high school.

 

[deuist]

The University of Miami also has an honor code. We elect ethics reps from each class to take part in trials.

 

[Sean2tall]

We (Temple) do have a student-run honor code system.

I don't know if it is necessarily inherent to that, but I appreciate the fact that we are trusted moreso than college etc. to be responsible for our own actions and those of others.

I consider myself a trustworthy professional and it's nice to have the ball in our court.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

The University of Miami also has an honor code. We elect ethics reps from each class to take part in trials.

trials??? seriously?!

 

[MeowMix]

how could you cheat? too much material. Unless you had the test before the actual exam, you may as well just give up. You could find a way to copy off someone, but i mean, isn't their guess just as good as yours?

The risk of cheating far outweigh the benefits. This ain't high school.

Most of the questions I miss on exams require simple recall, rather than deep conceptual understanding. So access to my notes would make a big difference. We have an honor code and there is near-zero risk of being caught, since you can take any exam any place you like, and simply return it at the end of the exam period. I could have easily opened up my notes, cheated and put myself into the honors category on every exam last year, instead of languishing on the left side of the curve and getting the inglorious P in every course (and I also failed more than a few exams).

The good thing about a system like this is that it encourages you to reinforce your own sense of right and wrong. As a doctor, you will have all kinds of chances to abuse the system. I have the idealistic attitude that facing temptation now, when no one's health is at stake and there is no money to be made, is a great way to learn to deal with the responsibility.

Certainly, some people will cheat. And they get to deal with the feelings that come along with that. Or they feel no remorse at all. I don't know.

 

[logos]

We (Ohio State) have an honor code. A comittee primarily composed of students makes decisions with regard to what constitutes a violation of it.

 

[SFAJess]

Those of y'all that have trials for infractions of the honor code - is the trial run by faculty, students or both? If it is run by students - do you feel that any bias occurs in either direction?

Also, I know somebody mentioned at one school that nobody actually reported cheating. Do any of y'all have the opposite where students report things all of the time or even fasely accuse others?

These are just some of the questions that we think may be raised and we are wondering if it is even an issue at other schools.

Thanks for all the input and links to other school's honor codes...it's helping me more than you know! 🙂

 

[hakksar]

Those of y'all that have trials for infractions of the honor code - is the trial run by faculty, students or both? If it is run by students - do you feel that any bias occurs in either direction?

Also, I know somebody mentioned at one school that nobody actually reported cheating. Do any of y'all have the opposite where students report things all of the time or even fasely accuse others?

These are just some of the questions that we think may be raised and we are wondering if it is even an issue at other schools.

Thanks for all the input and links to other school's honor codes...it's helping me more than you know! 🙂

Our "trials" are run by students. I cannot really comment on any bias in either direction because I am not familiar with any of the cases (I know there have been some but they are kept very confidential and since I do not sit on the honor council and have not been involved in any of the cases I do not know). As far as reporting I think the fact that our rules for reporting prevent unwarranted reports because before we can report to the honor council we need to first confront the student who we believe is violating the honor code and only after that does it go to the honor council. If you do not want to confront the student yourself there may be a provision where you can have your classes honor council rep do the confronting (although I am not sure of this). However, this prevents malicious reports although it potentially may prevent some good reports. However, I think most of us feel we have a duty to follow through since these will be our future colleagues and we do not want them to be incompetent or dishonorable.

 

[SFAJess]

Our "trials" are run by students. I cannot really comment on any bias in either direction because I am not familiar with any of the cases (I know there have been some but they are kept very confidential and since I do not sit on the honor council and have not been involved in any of the cases I do not know). As far as reporting I think the fact that our rules for reporting prevent unwarranted reports because before we can report to the honor council we need to first confront the student who we believe is violating the honor code and only after that does it go to the honor council. If you do not want to confront the student yourself there may be a provision where you can have your classes honor council rep do the confronting (although I am not sure of this). However, this prevents malicious reports although it potentially may prevent some good reports. However, I think most of us feel we have a duty to follow through since these will be our future colleagues and we do not want them to be incompetent or dishonorable.

Thanks! I really like how you have to confront the classmate before reporting them. I guess it kind of prepares you for any serious talks you may have to have later on with colleagues.

Do you know if your honor code mainly deals with academic integrity or does it deal with professionalism as well? If it it does deal with professionalism, does this have a geographical limit to the school and the hospital or can someone be reported for unprofessional activities outside of school? (e.g. getting drunk at the bar, recieving a DUI, being arrested, domestic violence, etc.)

Thanks for the input! 🙂

 

[hakksar]

Thanks! I really like how you have to confront the classmate before reporting them. I guess it kind of prepares you for any serious talks you may have to have later on with colleagues.

Do you know if your honor code mainly deals with academic integrity or does it deal with professionalism as well? If it it does deal with professionalism, does this have a geographical limit to the school and the hospital or can someone be reported for unprofessional activities outside of school? (e.g. getting drunk at the bar, recieving a DUI, being arrested, domestic violence, etc.)

Thanks for the input! 🙂

Professionalism does not fall under the Honor Council. There is a separate Professionalism Committee which is faculty run but all the Honor Council Reps sit on that committee as well (and I believe they have voting power). The honor code is pretty limited in scope (basically not taking advantage over other students, staff, or patients . . . really it is sort of limited to not lying, cheating, or stealing). Professionalism Committee deals with non-honor code violations that are professionalism problems (incompetence, drug/alcohol problems, tardiness/unexcused abscence in small groups, labs, clerkships etc). See: http://www.uchsc.edu/sm/sm/ProfessionalismReport.pdf

 

[hakksar]

Thanks! I really like how you have to confront the classmate before reporting them. I guess it kind of prepares you for any serious talks you may have to have later on with colleagues.

Do you know if your honor code mainly deals with academic integrity or does it deal with professionalism as well? If it it does deal with professionalism, does this have a geographical limit to the school and the hospital or can someone be reported for unprofessional activities outside of school? (e.g. getting drunk at the bar, recieving a DUI, being arrested, domestic violence, etc.)

Thanks for the input! 🙂

Professionalism does not fall under the Honor Council. There is a separate Professionalism Committee which is faculty run but all the Honor Council Reps sit on that committee as well (and I believe they have voting power). The honor code is pretty limited in scope (basically not taking advantage over other students, staff, or patients . . . really it is sort of limited to not lying, cheating, or stealing). Professionalism Committee deals with non-honor code violations that are professionalism problems (incompetence, drug/alcohol problems, tardiness/unexcused abscence in small groups, labs, clerkships etc). See: http://www.uchsc.edu/sm/sm/ProfessionalismReport.pdf