forgery

[suiteandtie23]

Hi Guys-

Long time reader; first time poster.

I'm currently writing a paper in my law and medicine class about the medical school and residency admissions process (due in a few days!!), and had a question which I cannot seem to find an answer to.

First, I know there is a "governing board" - the AAMC - that oversees this process. But, given the competition, I can't imagine how many students exaggerate their C/V, or make claims that are simply not true. My question is, what happens if a student is caught forging documents - say letters of recommendation, publications, etc? Can criminal proceedings be brought against them (against the claim that it is forgery, which it most certainly it?)? I know if someone wrote a letter of any kind with my name on it, I'd be quite upset and may wish to pursue legal action if the AAMC brought it to my attention. Or does this application process shield you from any type of criminal activity, and does your application simply get revoked?


Thanks, and best of luck with the admisssions process!

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[Law2Doc]

Hi Guys-

Long time reader; first time poster.

I'm currently writing a paper in my law and medicine class about the medical school and residency admissions process (due in a few days!!), and had a question which I cannot seem to find an answer to.

First, I know there is a "governing board" - the AAMC - that oversees this process. But, given the competition, I can't imagine how many students exaggerate their C/V, or make claims that are simply not true. My question is, what happens if a student is caught forging documents - say letters of recommendation, publications, etc? Can criminal proceedings be brought against them (against the claim that it is forgery, which it most certainly it?)? I know if someone wrote a letter of any kind with my name on it, I'd be quite upset and may wish to pursue legal action if the AAMC brought it to my attention. Or does this application process shield you from any type of criminal activity, and does your application simply get revoked?


Thanks, and best of luck with the admisssions process!

While there is no shield in the application process from any criminal liability, I don't think that you will likely see any criminal action brought for this kind of academic fraud (and doubt that most of what you have described technically meets the criminal definition of felony "forgery" under state criminal codes anyhow). However, certainly you can be denied admission to med school, kicked out once admitted, or denied a medical license for eggregious instances of kind of action.

 

[theunderdog]

Hi Guys-

Long time reader; first time poster.

I'm currently writing a paper in my law and medicine class about the medical school and residency admissions process (due in a few days!!), and had a question which I cannot seem to find an answer to.

First, I know there is a "governing board" - the AAMC - that oversees this process. But, given the competition, I can't imagine how many students exaggerate their C/V, or make claims that are simply not true. My question is, what happens if a student is caught forging documents - say letters of recommendation, publications, etc? Can criminal proceedings be brought against them (against the claim that it is forgery, which it most certainly it?)? I know if someone wrote a letter of any kind with my name on it, I'd be quite upset and may wish to pursue legal action if the AAMC brought it to my attention. Or does this application process shield you from any type of criminal activity, and does your application simply get revoked?


Thanks, and best of luck with the admisssions process!

i'm not sure what you mean. recommendations can almost never get "forged" if you go through the pre-med committee route.

with publications, i believe you're supposed to list the publication in the experiences section.. like the journal, issue, and title...

thats what i did. and the adcom checked and asked me at my interview! but of course, i loved talking about it because my publication is for real.

 

[sscooterguy]

I doubt you will get in legal trouble. However, it is unethical to do so. In any case, as stated before, you will be denied admission to all schools once one school finds out.

As for LOR, not all schools have premed committees, UofMichigan doesn't, but they do have a letter service. All US med schools will only take letters from either premed committees or from letter services with few exceptions. I had one professor that ONLY wrote to med schools directly, but he was well known and allowed to do so on a case by case basis. He had his own system and had medical schools contact him directly to ensure authenticity of his letter.

Publications are easily checked now for authenticity with PubMed. Students as well as physicans (applying for residency, fellowship, or jobs) are now commonly denied acceptance because of misrepresented papers/authorship/even honest mistakes. They can and do also ask for copies of papers as well as abstracts or other proof of poster presentation.

This was a major topic currently addressed by med school admissions committees and residency and fellowship directors.

sscooterguy

 

[nimotsu]

If you cheat on the MCAT, steal materials, or try to access "Tron" the AI MCAT computer that makes up the questions, then they would probably kill you or even worse make you move to Detroit forever. It's that serious.

 

[wowzer]

If you cheat on the MCAT, steal materials, or try to access "Tron" the AI MCAT computer that makes up the questions, then they would probably kill you or even worse make you move to Detroit forever. It's that serious.

hey now...i live jsut outside detroit. and no crime is deserving of having to move to detroit