Medical How do I handle "Informal Resolution" with a professor in AMCAS?

[Mr.Smile12]

Backstory: During the spring semester of my junior year of college, I was caught working with my lab partner in organic lab on our lab report. I honestly did not know this was a violation of our Academic Policy and quite literally our entire lab section was at the library working together as well, so I didn't think anything of it. We pretty much just bounced things off of each other to try and understand the data as the spectra was quite difficult to interpret. The way we got caught was that our conclusions were too similar. The professor asked me to come meet him and told me that working with my lab partner is a violation of the Academic Integrity code and then he asked me if I had violated it, I admitted to him that I had worked with my partner. Since I admitted to it, he made me sign what my university calls an "Informal Resolution" saying that I agreed to get a 0 on the assignment. He told me this wasn't intended to hurt any "graduate school" aspirations (I never mentioned to him I was pre-med), but would be on my internal record. I have emailed the dean of student conduct as well as the office of student conduct to ask if this is considered an Institutional Action and if it would be reported, here are their responses:

Dean: "We do not report the type of case that you had based on the Academic Integrity Code. We do keep an internal record, so I can see the case. It is up to you how you interpret the (AAMC's) statement and what you choose to share. We recommend students share honestly about their conduct history (including academic integrity). I would recommend you speak with your Academic Advisor or someone who may be able to share how others have navigated the medical school application process."

Office of Student Conduct: "The informal resolution is an internal record that would not be reportable."

My Question: Is this considered an Institutional Action? If so, how badly will this affect my application?
My gpa is in the mid 3.5s I am yet to take the MCAT due to COVID-19 forcing me to push it back and I have what I consider to be a very strong personal statement.

Technically, because the incident is not going to be reported, it would not be an Institutional Action. However, as your Dean of Students mentions, you may as well report it and note that it was internally resolved. My advice from my experience in advising and admissions: The safest and most honest course of action would be to treat it like an expunged record on a criminal background check. As you have described it, I don't think anyone would have a serious issue.

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[Goro]

Best to just mention it and own it. We have rejected people outed by professors who wrote LORs that said "[Name] has grown so far since the cheating incident"

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for your advice! Do you have any recommendations on how to write about it in the section where you report it? I know it’s generally advised to keep it as brief as possible.

Yes, keep your explanation brief. Revise what you provided in your OP to just facts. Include the definition of "informal resolution" and if there is a hyperlink on that process from your university, include it. If I were reading your explanation, it is important that the informal resolution is a validated corrective measure approved by your university with an appropriate policy that I can cite so I can fend off any questions to whether you were just making it up.